41st annual Pinball Expo to light up Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Oct. 15-18

Rob Berk expected the pinball expo he was staging at the Rosemont Holiday Inn in 1985 to attract a few dozen people, and that it would fade into obscurity as a “one-and-done” event.

Next week, the 41st annual Pinball Expo returns at the much larger Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel for thousands of enthusiasts, running from Wednesday through Saturday, Oct. 15-18, with no signs of it stopping or slowing down.

Berk said patrons clamoring each year for “one more” has kept him on a quest to keep topping himself and have his expos appeal to the widest audience possible.

“Pinball is universal in its interest and appeal,” he acknowledged. “People leave with an emotional high.”

Today, even casual visitors are demanding “one more” of the expo after having such a good time, Berk said.

Each pinball machine has two potential sources of appeal — the intricacies of the game itself and its theme, he noted.

A new “Harry Potter” pinball machine by the Jersey Jack design team will be at this year’s show, as well as the designer of an incredibly popular “Addams Family” machine from the ’90s.

Fans of movies, music and other entertainment genres are often drawn to machines by their preexisting interests.

For himself, Berk has always considered “The Three Stooges” one of the great unrealized themes in the pinball world.

Berk personally owns nearly 1,100 pinball machines, of which about 600 are in operation at his Past Time Arcade in Girard, Ohio, that he considers a year-round version of the expo.

Beyond its 100,000-square-feet for more than 400 pinball machines at the expo, the convention center at 1551 N. Thoreau Drive in Schaumburg also offers a proximity to other attractions in the area.

The expo kicks off with the “Bumper Blast” event at the Enterrium arcade venue at Woodfield Mall from 7-10 p.m. Wednesday. Registered participants can either make their own way there or a take a bus from the hotel.

There’s also a chance to tour the Stern Pinball factory in Elk Grove Village Friday. Stern is the largest pinball manufacturer in the United States.

“There’s no better show on the planet to showcase all things Stern Pinball than Pinball Expo,” Stern Pinball Senior Director of Marketing Zachary Sharpe said. “We have many exciting things in store for not only those in attendance at this year’s show, but for anyone who has access to Stern pinball machines in their home or at a location nearby.”

The expo itself opens at the convention center at 11 a.m. Thursday. Three-day ticket packages range from $145 to $200 and a single-day ticket is just $50.

Though pinball fans and designers are all over the world, shows like the Pinball Expo are not. Many other countries are represented here, Berk said.

He strives to make each year’s show appeal to all ages and all levels of interest. These range from serious competitors to those interested in a broad range of seminars to kids interested in making their own pinball machines as a tutored arts-and-crafts project.

For details and a list of events, go to pinballexpo.com or follow on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and more.

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41st Pinball Expo

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, for the Bumper Blast Welcoming Party at Enterrium; 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16; 8 a.m. to midnight, Friday, Oct. 17; and 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18

Where: Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, (330) 716-3139, pinballexpo.com/

Admission: Single day: $50; three-day: $145; advanced registration package: $200 (includes welcome party and Stern factory tour)