Rob Berk is the founder and primary organizer of the Chicago Pinball Expo, a 41-year-old annual event he established in 1985. He is the owner of Pastimes Arcade in Girard, Ohio, and holds the Guinness World Record for the largest private pinball collection with over 1,000-1,400 machines, which he rotates 90-100% yearly at the Expo. Beyond event organization, Berk is a passionate pinball historian and community builder who actively works to recognize pinball designers and artists, facilitate international participation, and support the broader pinball industry through mentorship and strategic partnerships.
No aliases
Rob Burke brings a different set of approximately 100 rare games each year to Expo on free play
Chicago Pinball Expo was in its 41st year and was founded by Rob Burke
Rob Burke encouraged Warped Pinball to develop EM interface support at Texas Pinball Festival
Hexa is a French manufacturer exhibiting at Pinball Expo for what appears to be the first time
Owner of Past Times Arcade in Girard, Ohio; potential buyer of Alaska machine; operator with ~400 machines on floor and ~1,000 total
Holds Guinness World Record for largest pinball machine collection, operates The Past Times in Girard, Ohio, helped Thomasson photograph machines for Pinball Pinups book
Expo organizer; Guinness Book record holder for machine collection (~800 machines); supplies machines for Expo from Ohio storage facility
Main figure behind Expo, operates Past Times Arcade in Ohio with rare game collection
Co-organizer (with Mike Pasek) of Pinball Expo in Chicago; arcade and pinball operator mentioned as show organizer.
Expo staff member (daughter helped Josh and Scott access vendor area early)
[Triage: Rob Burke's location changed from Warren, Ohio (2007) to Girard, Ohio, likely due to a business relocation of Pastimes Arcade between 2007 and the current information date.]
No linked glossary terms
Attendance at Pinball Expo 2025 is expected to be equal to or slightly higher than the 40th anniversary year (2024)
Rob Burke intentionally focused his Pastimes Arcade collection on underappreciated Bally games from the 1960s
A homebrew pinball game called 'Invaders' was flown in from France and will be exhibited at Expo 2025
EuroPin vendor is bringing a container load of European pinball titles to Expo 2025, including Q-Bert's Quest (Gauntlet game)
Data East pinball was co-founded by Joe Kaminkow and Gary Stern in the mid-1980s
Pinball Expo vendor hall space has grown from approximately 25,000 square feet to 100,000 square feet over roughly 15 years
Joe Kaminkow spent one million dollars from his own pocket to produce the Beatles pinball machine
Pat Lawlor's appearance at Expo 2025 will likely be his last
The show floor footprint has grown from 25,000 square feet to 100,000 square feet over Pinball Expo's history
The first Pinball Expo honored four legendary designers (Norm Clark, Steve Cord, Wayne Nines, Harvey Heise) who collectively designed over 600 games
Aaron Davis's affordable homebrew software was instrumental in driving the growth of homebrew pinball from 5-8 games to current levels of 45-50
Stern Pinball registered over 1,000 people for factory tours at Pinball Expo 2025, compared to 800-900 in 2024
Rob Burke holds the Guinness World Record for most pinball machines in a private collection at approximately 1,200 games
Pinball Expo will feature 45-50 homebrew games in 2025, up from 40 in 2024
Pinball Expo 2025 vendor hall sold out for the first time in the show's 41-year history
Pinball Expo was founded in 1985 with the primary goal of recognizing game designers and artists rather than manufacturers
Pat Lawlor will return to Pinball Expo 41 as a seminar speaker, teaming with Larry DeMar on Williams industry perspective
Pinball Expo 41 is experiencing record hotel sell-outs and vendor demand following the successful 40th anniversary show
Joe Camercow personally invested approximately $1 million to produce a Beatles pinball machine
HEXA will reveal the theme of their second pinball game at Expo, with the full game coming in 2025
Stern Pinball is donating a John Wick Premium to the Expo raffle for Make-A-Wish Foundation
A Hungarian manufacturer will attend Expo to sell play-thru glass
Marco Specialties is operating a 70x80 foot booth featuring overstock pinball parts sold as a 'supermarket' with significant discounts
The four designers featured at the first Expo banquet (Harvey Heist, Steve Kordek, Norm Clark, Wayne Nance) were collectively responsible for designing over 600 pinball machines
Pinball Expo was founded in 1985 as a one-off event with approximately 100 attendees
Pat Lawler will attend Expo this year but announced it would be his final appearance
Rob Burke will not sell Expo because no one else would have the passion he does
No other pinball show offers seminars on the breadth and scale that Expo does
Joe Kaminkow spent one million dollars of his own pocket to produce the Beatles pinball game
The first Expo honored four pioneering designers (Harvey Heiss, Steve Kordek, Norm Clark, Wayne Neyens) responsible for designing 600+ machines
Expo continued operations during COVID with virtual seminars broadcast from Rob Burke's home basement
Rob Burke holds Guinness World Record for pinball machine collection with 1,150 machines
First Expo in 1985 had approximately 100 attendees and cost $25 for admission
Current Expo operates in 100,000 square feet (expanded from 10,000 at inception)
Pinball Expo was founded in 1985 as the first national pinball collector convention
Expo expects 50+ homebrew games at 2025 show, up from 40 prior year
Rob Burke's custom 'mothership' homebrew machine is now larger than the classic Hercules pinball machine and fully playable
Pinball Expo 2024 (40th anniversary) exceeded all expectations with explosive attendance and international participation
Rob Burke is exactly 40 years old and Pinball Expo was founded the year he was born
Rob Burke 3D-prints pinball accessories but does not design them
Rob Burke has attempted to buy every pinball machine and is getting close
Rob Burke asked when he would be invited on the Bash Pinball podcast after meeting host at TPF
Rob Burke's private collection in the Expo retro room featured minimum 50 games from 70s-90s era, all exceptionally well-maintained
Rob Burke has overseen Pinball Expo for 40 consecutive years
Rob Burke holds a Guinness World Record for owning 1,000 pinball machines
Rob Burke brought 120-130 games to Pinball Expo for the 40th anniversary
Rob Burke used coupon book advertising to build his pinball collection; this was a novel strategy at the time that generated high-volume sales calls.
Pastimes Arcade contains over 600 games (pinball and video combined) with extensive international collection
Rob Burke is bringing 150 games to Pinball Expo requiring two semis and four 24-foot trucks
2024 Pinball Expo will feature 36 homebrew games
Pinball Expo has received over 300 international registrations for 2024
Rob Burke founded Pinball Expo 40 years ago (1985) to recognize pinball designers and artists
The Pinball Expo will feature over 110 speakers and over 110 vendors at 2024 event
Pastimes Arcade was housed in a former 30,000-square-foot grocery store purchased for approximately $100,000
Pastimes just celebrated its one-year anniversary with Roger Sharp in attendance
Pastimes Arcade has over 600 games available for free play at $20 per session
Pastimes Arcade has approximately 80 games from Spain and Italy with unique titles and layouts not commonly found in America
The 40th anniversary Pinball Expo vendor hall is expanding from 66,000 to 100,000 square feet
The main hotel for Pinball Expo sold out within the first three months of booking availability
Pat Lawlor will attend the 40th anniversary Pinball Expo and this will be his final appearance as a speaker
The 40th anniversary Pinball Expo will tour four factories, more than any previous year
Pastimes employs 5-6 technicians who work Monday through Wednesday performing maintenance to ensure machines are running by closing on Wednesday
The Pastimes facility was previously a vacant grocery store spanning 30,000 square feet
Williams released 17,080 units of High Speed
High Speed is Williams' first actual alphanumeric pinball machine
High Speed was the first pinball game to play a complete song
High Speed was the first pinball game with an operator report feature
Steve Ritchie drove 146 miles per hour in a 1979 Porsche, inspiring High Speed
Pinball Expo was founded in 1985 by Rob Burke
Rob Burke's collection spans 50+ years from the 1930s to present day
Varkon pinball machine has only 90 units produced
Rob Burke opened a new pinball venue in Ohio with approximately 1,300 machines, potentially becoming new Pinburgh location
Rob Burke owns the majority of games displayed at 2019 Chicago Pinball Expo
Pinball Expo was previously seen as a dying event but has improved significantly under Rob Burke's consolidated management
The 35th Annual Pinball Expo will announce a special guest on the 16th of the current month
About 50-60% of the free play room games came from Rob Burke's personal collection
Chicago Pinball Expo is in its 34th year
The Expo has 40-50% new attendee faces each year
Expo 2018 will feature 350-400 playable machines
Pinball was severely impacted by Pac-Man's 1980s rise, with manufacturers at one point shrinking from five to fewer competitors
First Pinball Expo was in 1985, not 1984
Rob Burke's original motivation for founding Pinball Expo was to honor designers and artists who lacked recognition
Deep Root is a new pinball company from Texas making its first public appearance at Expo 2018
Rob Burke is putting unprecedented financial investment into Expo 2018 following partnership buyout
Pinball's current recovery is due to strong marketing by manufacturers and appealing game themes
Pinball Expo will have 5,000 additional square feet of exhibit space and is expanding the games hall significantly
Rob Burke now owns the Pinball Expo name and is running the show at the Westin on usual dates with Mike Pacek barred from attendance after 30 years of management
I owned my parents had about a united baby face
I called Steve Cordack from a Chicago hotel phone book on a Sunday evening at 9 p.m.
Steve Cordack invited me to tour the Williams factory the next day
I based the Expo format on the PGI (fireworks convention) structure with seminars and exhibits
The first Pinball Expo had approximately 100 attendees in 1985
Bill Kurtz and I sent out questionnaires using Steve Young's Pinball Collector's Quarterly mailing list in 1984 and received 60-70 responses
Elvin Gottlieb invited me to his home after I cold-called him about the Expo
I transferred to a housing university and found an incredible large amount of game rooms with tons and tons of pinball machines
I charged them a nickel a game to play the game
I paid $300 for a Post Time machine around 1975-1976
Organizer of Pinball Expo; recently opened pinball venue in Ohio with approximately 1,300 machines
Co-founder of Pinball Expo in 1985, breaking from Mike Pesak to run separate show in September; likely holds trademark to 'Pinball Expo'
Community member Jake discussed hotel stay at Duke's Pen with regarding Expo
Collector who brought ~50-60% of free play room's games to expo; provided Split Seconds, Rat Race, and other rare machines
Organizer of Pinball Expo; David Marston plans to attend again
Organizer/family member running Pinball Expo, works with SWL hosts
Organizer/promoter of Pinball Expo; scheduled guest on Special When Lit next week; currently out of country
Organizer of Pinball Expo that American Pinball supported with Oktoberfest reveal
Co-organizer of Pinball Expo with spouse Bridget
Organizer of Chicago Pinball Expo
Collector/curator associated with Galloping Ghost Arcade, provided many games for Expo public play area
Pinball enthusiast; believed to own one of only two existing Pinball Circus vertical pinball machines; brought it to Allentown show
Expo organizer/showrunner; potentially owns one or more Magic Girl copies; may have ties to American Pinball
Owner of Pinball Expo name/brand; took control of Pinball Expo from Mike Pacek; previously announced Pinball Palooza competing show
Organizer/curator at Pinball Expo who brought 120-130 games for 40th anniversary celebration
Pinball Expo organizer (with wife Bridget); owner of Pastimes Arcade; credited with outstanding event activities and factory tour coordination
Organizer/decision-maker for Pinball Expo; invested in web development for Pinball Expo website; changed show dates to Halloween weekend
Runs the Pinball Expo in Chicago
Expo organizer; involved in banning decision for Canadian personality; firmly opposed to their attendance
Collector; loaned extensive collection of Spanish/international pinball machines and classic games for Expo display
Purchased a Cheetah restoration from the speaker a couple years back
Runs Pinball Expo; mentor/advisor to Keith on show organization; vendor bringing machines to Pin Brew
Leadership at Pinball Expo; issued ban notice to Kaneda citing sneaking into last year's exit walk-around
Pinball Expo organizer who mentioned upcoming new companies revealing games
Guinness World Record holder for owning 1,000 pinball machines; operator of Pastimes Arcade in Girard, Ohio; ran into Don at venue
Pinball Expo organizer/director; restaurant supply background; manages 38th edition (Oct 19-22, Schaumburg); discusses show differentiation and homebrew opportunities.
Founder/organizer of Pinball Expo; Ed lobbied him to create dedicated homebrew section
Organizer of Pinball Expo 2023; host praised layout and addressing past criticisms
Owner/founder of Burke Brands and Pastimes Arcade venture
Head of Pinball Expo in Chicago, supported women's team tournament initiative
Founder of Pinball Expo; initiated discovery of Wizard-themed jackets at Water Tower Place in Chicago; credited by Kmiec for jacket phenomenon
Pinball Expo organizer featured in main Pinball Heroes interview series
Founder and organizer of Chicago Pinball Expo; collector of ~500 machines at peak; runs restaurant supply and carnival/amusement industry service business
Co-founder and organizer of Pinball Expo; previously interviewed as part of Pinball Heroes series
Pinball collector and researcher; provided archival access to collection examples; supported Banfield's research
Industry figure contacted by Schelberg for information about early Chicago pinball expos
Collector who acquired Spanish pinball machine collection displayed in overflow room
Pinball Expo organizer; extended SDTM seminar time to allow more viewer participation
50-year collector and owner of Pastimes Arcade; recently held grand opening; possesses significantly more storage resources and space than Retro Ralph
Pinball Expo creator; brings vintage electro-mechanical games and personal collection to the show
Collector and owner of Pastimes Arcade, 50+ year collector of arcade and pinball machines
Pinball collector and operator who owns majority of games displayed at 2019 Expo; associated with Pastimes Arcade collection
Acknowledged by Ken Fedesna for accepting him into pinball community and making Pinball Expo happen; appears to be organizer/founder of Pinball Expo.
Referenced as present at Pinball Expo; presumed to be running Pinball Expo and involved in tournament organization
Pinball Expo organizer; one of few people besides Dave Marston who has attended every Expo
Organizer of Chicago Pinball Expo who asked Jack to do this seminar
Organizer of Pinball Expo; receives acknowledgment for 34th Annual event
Organizer of Pinball Expo 2019 (35th year); commissioned custom 35th anniversary pinball machine from Pinball Depot; also receiving Cleveland Browns/Monday Night Football custom machine
Organizer of Pinball Expo 2023; founder/operator of Pastimes Arcade; thanked for volunteer coordination
Organized Pinball Expo 2023 and invited Colin Alsheimer to present
Pinball Expo organizer; hands out trading cards honoring community contributors; provides platform for presentations
Founder of Pinball Expo in 1985, passionate community organizer who has attended 38+ expos, maintains long relationships with pinball industry families including Gottliebs, advocates for preserving pinball history
Owner of Past Times Arcade; importer of foreign pinball machines; mentioned as source of Ron's employment opportunity and extensive connections to overseas machine sources
Organizer of Pinball Expo, invited Newhart to speak at the 2023 seminar
Mentioned as requesting Mike Patzke speak at Pinball Expo 2023; owns reversing motors from the supplier
Pinball Expo organizer who invited Chris Campbell to present; operates in the broader pinball community
Owner of Pastimes Arcade in Ohio; met Gullo ~15 years ago; organizes Pinball Expo
Operator of Pinball Expo; requested Hankin machines for exhibition after reading Kinecast article; secured all five Hankin games for 2024 show
Founder of Pastimes Arcade in Girard, Ohio; holds Guinness World Record for largest private pinball collection (1,000-1,400 machines); founder of Chicago Pinball Expo (41 years old, established 1985); panelist describing passion-driven collection growth strategy via coupon advertising and purchasing networks.
Pinball collector and Pinball Expo organizer; contributed machines to pre-war booth at Pinball Expo 2024; operates extensive private collection.
Introduced Larry Bieza to pinball collecting; organized first Pinball Expo
Organizes Pinball Expo; Jack addresses him directly in presentation suggesting improvements based on Dutch Pinball Open quality
Owner of Pastimes Arcade; allowed Thomason access to closed museum for photography on days when museum was closed
Host/organizer of Pinball Expo 2025; invited Craig Monahan to present at the event; organizer of the overall conference
Prominent pinball operator/collector who critiques speaker's Caravelle paint job at Pinfest; referenced positively throughout for industry knowledge and community leadership.
Pinball community figure who encouraged Warped Pinball to develop EM interface support at Texas Pinball Festival
Pinball Expo organizer; credited as major contributor to pre-war pinball hobby through continuous Expo presence; helped shift venue from buy-sell environment to manufacturing-focused exhibition
Pinball operator/collector; organizer of Pinball Expo; invited Scott to present at MGC; mentioned as possible future recipient of spare Cuphead playfield
Mentioned in context of Pinball Expo; Kaneda references interaction where Burke 'tried to escort' him out but realized he was 'just there to have fun'
Promoter of Pinball Expo; owns original Electric Playground Captain Fantastic topper; Burke family donates pinball machine annually for Project Pinball raffle
Referred to as 'Papa Rob'; called Retro Ralph to thank him for Pinball Expo video; appears to be authority figure at Stern or in pinball community
Prominent pinball community figure attending TPF. Known for rare game collection/arcade. Randomly encountered host near ABBA machine, asked when he'd be on podcast. Contact exchanged.
Organizer of Chicago Expo, owner of 50+ game private collection featured in dedicated retro room; games described as exceptionally well-maintained examples
Pinball operator/collector who supplied approximately 75% of games in Expo's free play area; games were reportedly in poor condition with high downtime
Consolidated management of Pinball Expo; credited with improving vendor satisfaction and game selection at the event
Organizer of Pinball Expo in Chicago; had been attempting to invite Ramunni for years; known to host/organize major pinball events
Organizer of 2024 Pinball Expo; handled Kaneda's unauthorized attendance diplomatically; reminded attendees not to be overtly negative or disruptive
Owner of Past Times Arcade in Girard, Ohio; Guinness World Record holder for largest pinball collection (no duplicates)
216 Pinball operator; won Gottlieb Jacks Joker Poker raffle donation in Flippin' for the Cure event
Pastimes Arcade operator; acquiring rare machines for venue
Owner of Pastimes Arcade; organizer of 40th Anniversary Chicago Pinball Expo; coordinating Fresh Pinball Podcast panel appearance
Founder and organizer of Pinball Expo
Featured in shorter interviews/articles in Issue 2; associated with Pinball Expo
Co-organizer of Pinball Expo, split from Mike Pacak in 2018 to create Pinball Palooza; primarily responsible for collector and fan engagement
Pinball Expo Chairman; welcomed international visitors at Bumper Blast party, discussed show history
Pinball Expo organizer who brought many personal games to the show; known as Rob Berk in some references
Expo organizer; personal game collection provided entertainment at welcome party; inducted into Pinball Expo Hall of Fame.
Show organizer for Pinball Expo; brought approximately 140 machines from personal collection; confirmed continuation through 2020
Pinball Expo organizer who welcomed guests at Bumper Blast and thanked attendees
Pinball Expo organizer who brought personal machine collection to show
Co-founder and now sole owner of Pinball Expo; acquired name and assets from Mike Pacak; organizing 2018 show at Westin
Show organizer for Pinball Expo 2017
Pinball Expo organizer present at IAAPA with daughter Reilly, attending with Berk Enterprises
Pinball Expo chairman who asked Shalhoub to present Krynski's Hall of Fame induction
Co-organizer with David Fix of Pinball Expo seminars and virtual Expo
Pinball Expo organizer; mentioned Hall of Fame induction event at Expo 2023; proposing format changes for 40th year anniversary
Arcade and pinball operator/collector; owner of Pastimes Arcade collection; prominent community figure organizing Pinball Expo
Owner/curator of extensive rare import pinball collection; knowledgeable source on unusual games
Organizer of Pinball Expo (40th anniversary in 2024); invited Cale and Rachel to participate in panel about running independent arcades
Pinball Expo organizer, tribute contributor mentioning Oursler's support since day one
Co-organizer of Pinball Expo alongside David Fix; noted for acquiring and bringing special games including restored Magic Girl
Collector/operator receiving major European pinball shipment; primary subject of video
Owner/operator of Past Times Arcade; coordinates international machine imports; primary speaker in video
Host of Past Times Arcade pinball museum; presents historical overview and demonstrates machines
Host of Pastimes Arcade, pinball historian presenting content
Owner of Past Times Arcade, pinball collector and historian; presenter of this episode on rare Bally games
Host/narrator of Past Times Pinball History series; operator/collector at Past Times Arcade
Operator of Past Times Arcade; host of Pastimes Pinball History series
Host/operator of Past Times Arcade; narrator of pinball history series
Host of Past Times Arcade, pinball historian and collector who operates the arcade venue
Pinball community figure; won Best Community Member of the Year at 2025 Twippies Awards; known for deep involvement in pinball community
Owner of one of world's largest pinball collections; contributing machines to Pinbrew Fest
Organizer with extensive pinball collection; provided machines for Expo overflow room including Australian games
National treasure figure managing Pinball Expo (41st year); organizer of Chicago-based event
Homebrew designer with large full-plywood playfield game at homebrew section; organizer of Pinball Expo
Owner of Pastimes Arcade collection in Girard, Ohio; major collector mentioned as destination for European pinball machine sourcing research
Runs Chicago Pinball Expo with the Berks; involved in overall expo organization
Operator associated with Pastimes Arcade; mentioned as major figure in Ohio pinball scene; organizes tournaments and shows
Owner of Pastimes Arcade in Girard, Ohio; organizer of Pinball Expo for 40 years; prominent figure in pinball community
Organizer of Chicago Pinball Expo 40th anniversary
Organizer of Chicago Pinball Expo; working to rebuild collector participation
Pinball Expo organizer/owner; runs show with family; managed 40th edition; received praise for comprehensive event organization
Arcade and pinball operator/collector; owner of the Tales of the Arabian Nights machine being reviewed and sold; produces 3D-printed pinball accessories
Runs Pastimes Arcade and Pinball Expo, operates one of the locations with most machines on Pinball Map
Founder and 41-year operator of Pinball Expo; Guinness World Record holder for largest pinball machine collection (1,150 machines); based in Warrenton, Ohio area; owner of Pastimes arcade in hometown
Mentioned as recognizing need for Expo growth and infrastructure improvements
Attending TPF25 with Neil McRae; pinball collector and community figure
Organizer of Pinball Expo; reached out to Zach about lecturing on toppers; offers host hotel accommodations
Organizer/curator of Chicago Pinball Expo; runs Pastimes Arcade collection; prominent pinball industry figure
Operator of Pastimes Arcade in Ohio with large collection. Referenced as potential resource for public museum-style pinball venue management.
Owner of Past Times Arcade in Girard, Ohio (near Youngstown); organizer of 40-year-running Pinball Expo; maintains massive international pinball collection including rare European titles; passionate advocate for designer recognition
Referenced as operator of Pastimes Arcade collection; uses school buses for Expo attendee transportation (mentioned as contrast to Jersey Jack's charter buses)
Owner of classic tournament games; crew was breaking down machines, causing delay to women's/classics finals on Sunday
Owner of Pinball Expo; interviewed in episode; confirmed Mystery Company reveal details
Pinball Expo organizer/show lead along with family; addressed layout and logistics changes from 2021
Pinball Expo organizer; previously owned Magic Girl game; reported to have sold original game and potentially purchased replacement; involved in Magic Girl documentation/narration project with Jonathan Euston.
Organizer of Pinball Expo; declined Jack's input on potential JJP-related promotions at October 2021 show
Organizes Pinball Expo; may negotiate factory tours and exclusive reveals for major manufacturers
Owner of Pinball Expo; also owns Burke Paper supply company; hired marketing help (Roy DeSharp, local marketing partner); restructuring Expo to reverse declining attendance; working with Dave Fix and Rob Craig on exhibits
Pinball Expo organizer; interviewed in second part of podcast (content cut off); worked with David Fix on Expo
Pinball Expo organizer and catering supply company owner, attended IAPA show
Organizer of Pinball Expo; praised for 35th edition success; interviewed by Jonathan and Martin on Sunday afternoon
Took over Pinball Expo organization from Mike Paceback, successfully rebooted 2018 edition with enhanced production quality and record vendor/machine numbers
Organizer of Pinball Expo 2022 with family and staff; praised by Jeff Teolis for successful event execution
Associated with pinball shows; encouraged Mezel Mods to return to Expo
Working with Fix on 40th Pinball Expo organization
Founder and organizer of Chicago Pinball Expo (40th anniversary in 2024); owner of Pastimes Arcade in Girard, Ohio with 400 pinball and 200 video games
Organizer of Pinball Expo 40th anniversary; owner of Pastimes Arcade; pivotal figure in community events and homebrew support
Organizer of Pinball Expo, based in Ohio but runs Expo in Illinois
Founder and organizer of Chicago Pinball Expo; owner of Pastimes Arcade in Girard, Ohio; recently bought out partner to take full control; major pinball collector bringing 60-70 machines to 2018 show
Organizer of Pinball Expo (35th anniversary); collector and venue operator (Pastimes Arcade); attended Cleapin as attendee; planning special guest announcement for Expo on 16th of month
Expo organizer and staff; credited with managing successful 35th Annual Pinball Expo
Pinball enthusiast attempting to own a complete collection of all pinball games; closest anyone has come to this goal per Alan
Founder/organizer of Pinball Expo (40th anniversary); original organizer still running the show; owner of Pastimes arcade location.
Organizer of Chicago Pinball Expo; major collector whose personal EM collection shapes the show; known for booking old EM designers
Owner of Pastimes Arcade; Guinness Book of World Records holder for largest pinball collection; featured with 1979 Bally Supersonic/Fly High conversion
Founder and organizer of Chicago Pinball Expo (41 years); owner of Past Times Arcade in Girard, Ohio; holds Guinness World Record for largest pinball collection (1000+ machines); facilitates international participation and community building
Founder of Chicago Pinball Expo, contracted Pinball Adventures for videography at Expo 2019, granted them prime presentation slot at Expo 2023
Owner of Pastimes Arcade in Girard, Ohio; founder/organizer of Chicago Pinball Expo and Pinball Expo; regular ClePin attendee; mentor to ClePin organizers on show operations
Owns Pastimes Arcade in Gerard, Ohio with approximately 1,000 pinball machines; Guinness record holder; does not own Alaska
Current owner of Jersey Jack Pinball (reference via context; mentioned in external KB but not explicitly in content)
Founder and 40-year organizer of Chicago Pinball Expo; holds Guinness World Record for 1,400+ machine collection; based in Youngstown, Ohio area; owns Pastimes Arcade
Organizer of Pinball Expo, approved Don's booth and Top Topper Contest setup
Owner of Pastimes Arcade in Ohio with rare Japanese Sega machines in collection including Surfing
Owns Stargate pinball machine; updated to latest code version (4.2)
Chicago Pinball Expo organizer; interviewed by Joe weeks before Kyle episode; Big Trouble was on Joe's radar from Rob's recommendations
Co-organizer and founder of Pinball Expo (since 1985); interviewed about 41st annual event
Organizer and inventor of Pinball Expo for 41 years (since 1985); Guinness World Record holder for most pinball machines collected (1,000+); historian of pinball design recognition
Pinball Expo organizer; recently appeared on podcast; manages show floor demonstrations
Founder/organizer of Pinball Expo; approached Alvin Gottlieb about being guest speaker and 'linchpin' for the first Expo; enthusiastic pinball fan.
Organizer of first Pinball Expo in 1985; known to Norris from phone conversations
Founder and organizer of the Chicago Pinball Expo; pinball collector and enthusiast from Warren, Ohio
Organizer of Pinball Expo; lives in Ohio; oversees 41-year event; brings high-end games to public (Pirates CE worth $20k+); operates Pastimes Arcade in Gerard, Ohio.
Founder and organizer of Pinball Expo since 1985; world record holder with ~1,200 pinball machines; owner of Pastimes Arcade in Ohio; passionate about recognizing pinball designers and artists
Founder of Pinball Expo, Guinness World Record holder for largest pinball collection, owner of Pastimes Arcade in Girard Ohio, age 70
Owner of Pastimes Arcade; mentioned as potential buyer for completed Alaska restoration
Possibly the Pinsider with Alaska on wish list; Mike considers contacting him upon completion
Owner of Pastimes arcade; known to own an Allied Leisure Getaway according to Mike's knowledge
Recent interview guest on Don's show (episode 207); doing promotion for Expo; had audio quality issues during recording
Pinball Expo co-organizer/authority figure; working with Don on homebrew topper competition logistics; potential permission needed for topper sales/pricing structure
Ohio arcade operator; early Space Hunt owner; brought machine to Pinball Expo 2024; organizer of Arcade on Detroit event
Founder of Pinball Expo; provided approximately 100 games from personal collection on free play
Founder of Chicago Pinball Expo; Guinness World Record holder with 1,000+ machine collection; rotates different games yearly (90-100% different from previous year)
Founder and organizer of Pinball Expo for 41 years; owns Pastimes Arcade which holds world record for largest pinball collection; dedicated to recognizing pinball industry creators
Organizer of Pinball Expo; recently interviewed by podcast hosts
Co-organizer of Pinball Expo; original pinball salesman in small hometown; married to Bridget; coordinating speaker lineup
Co-organizer of Pinball Expo; confirmed authority figure with decision-making power; engaged in years-long effort to expand show scope and international participation
Expo organizer/coordinator; praised for exceptional organizational work with family members assisting throughout event
Expo organizer; brings vintage/uncommon games to Expo (Banzai Run, Champions Pub, etc.)
Pinball Expo organizer/authority figure; confirmed Homepin attendance to hosts
Runs Pinball Expo in Chicago and Pastimes Arcade in Ohio; persuaded Jason to give presentation at 2025 Expo; owner of unique/rare pinball collection.
Associated with Pinball Expo organization; mentioned in context of Arcade Hollywood's involvement
Owner of Pastimes Arcade in Girard, Ohio; organizer of Chicago Pinball Expo; oversees Steel Valley Pinball League with women's and open divisions
Organizer/operator of Chicago Pinball Expo; owned the Spanish pinball machines featured in the expo display
Pinball Expo organizer who delivered message to Kaneda requesting he not attend the event
Expo organizer; Kaneda implies didn't want Kaneda as attendee; Kaneda leveraging Melvin relationship against 'Mr. Rob Burke'
Connected to Chicago Pinball Expo; requested Kaneda reconcile with Jake Danzig; Kaneda planning to attend Expo and brainstorm ideas with Rob
Described as nice guy in context of Expo management during Fix controversy
Mentioned as trying to discourage Kaneda's Pinball Expo attendance; allegedly received message discouraging Stern presence at Expo due to Kaneda
Pinball Expo organizer; criticized by Kaneda for not instituting media early access to games and manufacturers
Co-organizer/authority figure of Pinball Expo; confirmed Kaneda was welcome to attend despite Jake Danzig's removal attempt
Expo organizer; received complaint about Kaneda's attendance (Kaneda clarifies complaint was not from Pinball Brothers)
Only person Kaneda identifies as not wanting him at Pinball Expo; Kaneda plans to demonstrate strong fan support for his presence
Show operator/organizer of Chicago Pinball Expo; verified Kaneda's right to attend
Expert: merged definition Expert: merged definition