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PINBALL EXPO CHANGES - UPDATED

Pinball News Website·article·held·Mar 8, 2018
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Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.024

TL;DR

Pinball Expo splits into two competing shows after 33-year partnership dissolves.

Summary

In March 2018, Pinball News reported on a major organizational split at the Pinball Expo, with co-organizer Rob Berk planning to launch a competing show called Pinball Palooza in September 2018 at Schaumburg Convention Center, while co-organizer Mike Pacak committed to continuing the original Expo at the Westin in Wheeling on the October dates. After negotiations, Rob acquired the rights to the Pinball Expo name, creating uncertainty about which show would carry the brand. The conflict stemmed from disagreements over show direction and Mike's vendor relations, with competing shows like Texas Pinball Festival and Replay FX growing and attracting manufacturer support elsewhere.

Key Claims

  • Rob Berk and Mike Pacak had a clear difference of opinion over the future direction of Pinball Expo after 33 years of partnership

    high confidence · Mike Pacak's email statement confirming the split and 33-year partnership duration

  • Mike Pacak's attitude toward vendors, exhibitors, machine donors and volunteers was cited as a major reason certain companies and individuals boycotted Expo

    high confidence · Pinball News reporting based on December 2017 meeting with Rob Berk

  • Rob Berk acquired the rights to use the Pinball Expo name, which was first coined in 1984

    high confidence · Update 1 section confirming Rob paid Mike for the name rights

  • Competing regional shows (Texas Pinball Festival, Pintastic, Replay FX, NW Pinball Show, Mid-West Gaming Classic, Southern-Fried Gameroom Expo) have grown significantly while pinball manufacturers have set up booths outside the Chicago Expo

    high confidence · Pinball News article opening discussing competitive pressure on Expo

  • The original Pinball Expo dates for 2018 were October 17-21 at the Westin in Wheeling, with Mike confirming contracts in place for 2018 and 2019

    high confidence · Mike Pacak's email confirming dates and hotel contracts already set for two years

  • Rob's planned Pinball Palooza show was scheduled for September 12-15, 2018 at Schaumburg Convention Center

    high confidence · Pinball News article detailing Rob's show plans from December 2017 meeting

  • Mike Pacak stated he received significant support from vendors and attendees after the split was announced

    high confidence · Mike's upbeat email to vendors and attendees in Update 1

  • Rob Berk believed he owned the Pinball Expo name but did not want brand disputes to delay the announcement of his new show

    high confidence · Pinball News reporting from December 2017 meeting with Rob Berk

Notable Quotes

  • “Rob decided that he no longer wanted to be a partner and chose to go his own separate way. This decision was completely of his own choosing and wasn't brought up for any type of discussion.”

    Mike Pacak @ UPDATE 1 email — Directly addresses the partnership dissolution and frames it as Rob's unilateral decision, positioning Mike as the one trying to maintain continuity

  • “Because of this change, I just wanted to clear up any confusion there may be on the status of the show. In our separation agreement we both have the right to do a show.”

    Mike Pacak @ UPDATE 1 email — Clarifies that the separation agreement explicitly allows both parties to run competing shows, establishing legal legitimacy for both events

  • “Contrary to what you may have heard about this show, people are NOT 'jumping ship.' Many have already planned their vacations and booked their travel to Chicago for this.”

    Mike Pacak @ UPDATE 1 email — Addresses directly the community's concern that vendors and attendees would defect to Rob's show, attempting to retain confidence in the original event

  • “Mike's attitude in his dealings with vendors, exhibitors, machine donors and volunteers has also been cited as a major reason certain companies and individuals have been boycotting Expo.”

    Pinball News @ Main article body — Identifies the root cause of Expo's organizational troubles beyond just disagreement over direction—interpersonal conflict that had already fragmented support

  • “Shows such as the Texas Pinball Festival, Pintastic, Replay FX, the NW Pinball Show, the Mid-West Gaming Classic and the Southern-Fried Gameroom Expo have all grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, and while Expo is still unrivalled in terms of having most of the pinball manufacturers and industry professionals on its doorstep, those other shows have been more than happy to fly in pinball guests”

    Pinball News @ Main article opening — Establishes the broader competitive context driving the crisis—rival shows were successfully attracting manufacturers and growing while Expo stagnated

  • “Rob brought together the collectors and the fans while Mike brought in the manufacturers through his operator connections”

Entities

Rob BerkpersonMike PacakpersonLonnie MihinpersonPinball ExpoeventPinball PaloozaeventWestin Chicago North Shore (Wheeling)venueSchaumburg Convention CentervenueTexas Pinball Festivalevent

Signals

  • ?

    event_signal: Major split in Chicago Pinball Expo organization after 33 years of partnership, resulting in two competing shows scheduled for same region in 2018 with different dates and venues

    high · Rob Berk split from Mike Pacak; Rob created Pinball Palooza for Sept 12-15 in Schaumburg; Mike continued original Expo for Oct 17-21 at Westin in Wheeling; Rob acquired Pinball Expo name rights

  • ?

    community_signal: Pre-existing vendor and exhibitor boycotts driven by Mike Pacak's management approach; split appears to formalize existing fractures rather than create new ones

    high · Article states Mike's attitude toward vendors/exhibitors/donors/volunteers 'has also been cited as a major reason certain companies and individuals have been boycotting Expo'; vendors expressing support for both shows suggests they were already dissatisfied with status quo

  • $

    market_signal: Growing regional pinball conventions (Texas Pinball Festival, Pintastic, Replay FX, NW Pinball Show, Mid-West Gaming Classic, Southern-Fried Gameroom Expo) attracting manufacturers and exhibitors away from Chicago Expo, creating existential pressure on the flagship event

    high · Article opening: 'Shows such as the Texas Pinball Festival, Pintastic, Replay FX, the NW Pinball Show, the Mid-West Gaming Classic and the Southern-Fried Gameroom Expo have all grown by leaps and bounds in recent years' and 'pinball manufacturers have been setting up in other parts of the US'

  • ?

    industry_signal: Clear difference of opinion between Rob Berk (collector/fan-focused) and Mike Pacak (manufacturer/operator-focused) on show direction; Rob represents collector interests while Mike represents industry/operator interests

    high · Article states 'Rob brought together the collectors and the fans while Mike brought in the manufacturers through his operator connections, but there has been a clear difference of opinion between the two over the future direction of the show'

Transcript

raw_text · $0.000

Date: 9th March, 2018 See updates at the bottom of this article for important new information In December last year, Pinball News met with Pinball Expo co-organiser Rob Berk to discuss changes he wanted to make to the show. ![Rob Berk at Pinball Expo](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-expo-changes/02-pinball-expo-changes.jpg) Rob Berk at Pinball Expo There had been a feeling at the previous event held in October than significant changes needed to be made to prevent Expo shrinking due to reduced levels of support from vendors, exhibitors, manufacturers, machine donors, speakers and visitors.  Shows such as the Texas Pinball Festival, Pintastic, Replay FX, the NW Pinball Show, the Mid-West Gaming Classic and the Southern-Fried Gameroom Expo have all grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, and while Expo is still unrivalled in terms of having most of the pinball manufacturers and industry professionals on its doorstep, those other shows have been more than happy to fly in pinball guests to bolster their list of attractions while pinball manufacturers have been setting up in other parts of the US. Pinball Expo has been run by Rob Berk and Mike Pacak since its inception.  Rob brought together the collectors and the fans while Mike brought in the manufacturers through his operator connections, but there has been a clear difference of opinion between the two over the future direction of the show.  Mike’s attitude in his dealings with vendors, exhibitors, machine donors and volunteers has also been cited as a major reason certain companies and individuals have been boycotting Expo. ![Rob with Mike Pacak](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-expo-changes/01-pinball-expo-changes.jpg) Rob with Mike Pacak Rob told Pinball News of his plans to split with Mike and set up his own show for 2018.  No firm details were available at the time but, with Expo 2018’s dates having been announced at the end of 2017’s show, we urged Rob to let everyone know as soon as possible in case people were planning flights or hotel accommodation.  We put an advisory on our Diary listing for Pinball Expo warning of a possible date change. Now Rob has given more details, with his show being called Pinball Palooza and provisional dates set for one month earlier than the previously-announced Pinball Expo dates.  Pinball Palooza is planned for 12th-15th September, 2018, and the venue is expected to be at the Convention Center in the north-western Chicago suburb of Schaumburg. While Rob told Pinball News he believes he owns the Pinball Expo name, he didn’t want any argument over brand ownership to delay the announcement and planning for his new show, hence the new Pinball Palooza name.  Meanwhile, Mike has stated that he will go ahead with Pinball Expo – or a differently-named show – on the original dates at the Expo host hotel, the Westin in Wheeling, working with his son Lonnie.  He said he thought it was unfair to visitors to change dates or venue at this late stage. Pinball News was also consulted about issues with the existing Pinball Expo format, how the seminar schedule could be boosted, what could be done to bring the boycotters back on board, and what new features could be added to help grow the show. UPDATE 1 Mike Pacak has confirmed that he will be holding his show on the original dates in 2018, and is also committed to booking the Westin for the show for 2019. In an upbeat  e-mail to attendees, supporters and vendors, Mike said he had received a lot of support from vendors and attendees.  Here’s his message: To all past, present and future Pinball Expo vendors and attendees: As many of you may have heard, Rob Berk and I have parted ways after 33 years of putting on the Pinball Expo. Rob decided that he no longer wanted to be a partner and chose to go his own separate way. This decision was completely of his own choosing and wasn’t brought up for any type of discussion. Because of this change, I just wanted to clear up any confusion there may be on the status of the show. In our separation agreement we both have the right to do a show. There WILL be a pinball show taking place, as advertised in the past, at the Westin Hotel in Wheeling, IL on Oct 17-21, 2018. These dates were planned and set for two years already. Contrary to what you may have heard about this show, people are NOT “jumping ship.” Many have already planned their vacations and booked their travel to Chicago for this. Contracts with the hotel are in place for both 2018 and 2019. All of the vendors and attendees I have spoken with so far have expressed their interest and commitment to continuing the show as planned. For those wondering if there will there be a change to the name of the show, there will be. The new name has yet to be determined but will be announced shortly. In light of the recent events, changes are in the works for those involved with organization of the show. My son Lonnie Mihin, who ran the game hall last year and who has been a part of the Pinball Expo since it’s inception, is going to be taking on a greater role in the planning and execution of the show. I am also currently in talks with several other’s who are interested in becoming a part of the show. A new website with more information detailing this will be available soon. The changes that are being implemented will ultimately help in achieving the goal of making a bigger, better and much smoother running show for everyone.  In closing, I would like to thank you all for the many years of support that you have shown and I look forward to seeing you all in October. With regard to the use of the name, Rob Berk has confirmed that he now has the rights to use Pinball Expo for his show.  It is understood Rob paid Mike for the use of the Pinball Expo name – a title he first coined in 1984 – but it is not clear if the September 2017 show will use it or the previously-announced Pinball Palooza name. At the time of writing, the Pinball Expo website shows the details for the planned October show in Wheeling.  Meanwhile the Pinball Palooza website , which is owned by Rob, only contains a holding page from the domain host. UPDATE 2 As a result of recent changes detailed in our latest report here, Pinball Expo is now back on at the original hotel – the Westin Chicago North Shore in Wheeling – on the original dates of October 17th-21st.

Pinball News @ Main article body — Summarizes the complementary roles that had enabled Expo's success for 33 years, now broken

Pintastic
event
Replay FXevent
NW Pinball Showevent
Mid-West Gaming Classicevent
Southern-Fried Gameroom Expoevent
Pinball Newsorganization
  • ?

    business_signal: Rob Berk acquired intellectual property rights to the Pinball Expo name (first coined in 1984 by Mike Pacak) as part of the separation agreement, with financial compensation to Mike Pacak

    high · Update 1 states 'It is understood Rob paid Mike for the use of the Pinball Expo name – a title he first coined in 1984'

  • ?

    event_signal: Rob scheduled competing Pinball Palooza for September 12-15, one month before original Expo dates of October 17-21, potentially attempting to capture attendee attention and resources before Expo while avoiding direct date overlap

    high · Rob's show planned for Sept 12-15 in Schaumburg vs. original Expo dates Oct 17-21 at Westin Wheeling

  • ?

    legal_signal: Separation agreement between Rob Berk and Mike Pacak includes explicit provisions allowing both parties to operate competing shows; hotel contracts in place for both 2018 and 2019 at original venue

    high · Mike's email: 'In our separation agreement we both have the right to do a show' and 'Contracts with the hotel are in place for both 2018 and 2019'

  • ?

    community_signal: Mike Pacak's post-split communication emphasizes vendor and attendee support remaining stable, directly refuting speculation that participants would 'jump ship' to Rob's competing show

    high · Mike email: 'Contrary to what you may have heard about this show, people are NOT "jumping ship." Many have already planned their vacations and booked their travel to Chicago for this'

  • ?

    event_signal: Mike Pacak transitioning show operations to his son Lonnie Mihin, who ran game hall previously; also seeking to bring in additional organizational partners post-split

    high · Mike's email: 'My son Lonnie Mihin, who ran the game hall last year and who has been a part of the Pinball Expo since it's inception, is going to be taking on a greater role in the planning and execution of the show. I am also currently in talks with several other's who are interested in becoming a part of the show'

  • ?

    industry_signal: Post-split uncertainty about which show will retain or use the Pinball Expo name; Rob acquired name rights but article notes uncertainty about whether he'll use Pinball Expo or stick with Pinball Palooza; Mike's show would need new name

    high · Update 1: 'With regard to the use of the name, Rob Berk has confirmed that he now has the rights to use Pinball Expo for his show. It is understood Rob paid Mike for the use of the Pinball Expo name... but it is not clear if the September 2017 show will use it or the previously-announced Pinball Palooza name' and Mike's email states new show name TBD

  • ?

    content_signal: Pinball News served as advisor and consultant during the split, consulting on issues with existing format, seminar scheduling, bringing back boycotters, and new features to grow the show; also issued early advisory about possible date changes

    high · Article states 'Pinball News was also consulted about issues with the existing Pinball Expo format, how the seminar schedule could be boosted, what could be done to bring the boycotters back on board, and what new features could be added to help grow the show' and 'We put an advisory on our Diary listing for Pinball Expo warning of a possible date change'