2024 Feedback and comments

[Big Phil]

Well, it's been two weeks and I've had some feedback and read/listened to others.

Saturday was really busy

In 2023, the Saturday attendance was 399. In 2024, it was 410. No real difference. There were more machines this year too. The tournament area was slightly bigger plus more machines in the room so space was tighter. Maybe that's why it seemed busier?

Queues to play the machines

We had 8 new machines which most people would not have seen or played before. I can understand the queues for those. Pulp Fiction, Jaws, Labyrinth, Looney Tunes, TCM, BBQ, GFT, LOV. Everything else should have been the usual.

The attendance needs to be capped

I've always worked on 400 attending and 100 pinball machines. 4 players per machine. The event has only sold out the last two years.

There needs to be more space

The tournaments and free play have become more popular year on year. Next year they're being split. The main room will be free play only whilst the Open tournament will be located in the training room of the hotel (Stairs in reception to the lower ground level)

We need a bigger hotel

Yes, I know we do. But the consequences of that are the cost. Quite a bit more. And not just for me putting on the event, for you too. The ticket price would go up and your bedroom cost would go up too. Probably by about £40 a night. No other hotel can compete with Daventry when it comes to cost. And when choosing another hotel, you have to consider the location(UKPinfest has to stay central really), number of bedrooms(has to be more than 150 or have other hotels very close by) and car parking.

There was a clash of tournaments on Saturday evening

The team work so hard in trying to make each year better for you. We're squeezing more in and trying to make things better. We've learned from this, listened to the feedback and will make changes next year.

Respect

Sadly we've lost two members of the team due to some disrespect over the UKPinfest weekend. Don't get me wrong, 99% of you are awesome but it only takes a couple of moments of madness for that to be the straw breaking the camels back. The team work tirelessly over the weekend. Passion and feelings are running high, especially in the tournaments. Hopefully with a break and once batteries are recharged, we'll get them back. But please, just be nice.

How about bringing the donators lock in back?

This is a great idea. Most of the donators turned up on Thursday so maybe we could do that Thursday evening?

Why stop the free play session to give out awards?

We feel the presentation of awards deserves a bit more recognition so decided to silence the room. Obviously not a popular choice so we'll review it for next year.

 

[AndyB]

Having the tournament in a different area is a great idea. It takes up quite a bit of space in the main hall, and the majority of attendees aren't really that interested.
It will create more space for the free play machines, and hopefully allow a little more room for people to move around, as that area is always a bit of a bottleneck.

It's very sad that some of the team have felt the need to quit. They do an amazing job over the whole weekend, and it is very much appreciated by the vast majority of attendees.

One thing that I personally think may need looking at is the award presentation. It stopped the flow of the day on the Sunday, and the majority of the attendees had no idea what was going on, just that they'd been told to stop playing. Again, maybe this is something that can take place in another room. I overheard a few people baffled as to what was going on, as many have only come for one day to play some pinball.

Another great Pinfest overall, and massive thanks to all that do so much to ensure its success.

 

[Big Phil]

Thanks for pointing out the awards presentation. You aren't the first to mention it. I'll add it to the list.

 

[Lickashot]

Putting the open tournament in another room is a good move, although if it remained in the main room that wouldn't be a problem at all. I guess the presentations of awards would be in the other room now so all the free play machines can stay on? Regarding everything else, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

[DRD]

Might I suggest a "fûck about and find out" rule. No second chances. Anyone abusing or disrespecting volunteers is immediately disqualified from the tournament. It is hard enough finding volunteers for stuff like this.

My wife volunteered to help at some horse trials this year. The disabled enclosure was close to the "action" so only allowed one helper per disabled individual. A family of six turned up, one of whom was disabled but they demanded that all six were admitted. When the volunteer marshall explained the rules they then acused the OAP of racism so she just walked off and went home.

On day two my wife was part of a relief/ substitute squad that filled the vacancies left by departing volunteers.

 

[Lickashot]

Anyone abusing or disrespecting volunteers is immediately disqualified from the tournament

If I saw a woman on the end of this treatment then I would call it out. I'm old school so if I felt I was being abused or disrespected then I would deal with it myself. Personally I wouldn't want to disqualify them, "abuse and/or disrespect" can be open to how someone wants to interpret it. For example if someone told me to f&%k off I wouldn't think yes I'm going to get you barred from the tournament, I'd just deal with it myself. Whereas if someone had clearly had too much to drink and wanted to take a swing at me then I would personally eject the idiot myself. Anyway like @Big Phil said, 99% of folk are there to have a fun sociable weekend

 

[Calimori]

One area that could be worth thinking about.
We see more and more children coming, even I gave it a go this year. It allowed me to realise the main hall is overwhelming to a lot of kids. It isn’t just the noise, but the unfortunate smells.
The Pinball Amigo’s Mario Cab was very popular and maybe, if there was space, could we have a room that had a mix of things for the kids?
The wheels might fall off this idea, as we don’t need a crèche or a place people think they can dump their kids and run off. And maybe it would need some monitoring to ensure it didn’t get full of adults and the kids have still have an issue.

But if you thought the idea had some value, I could look more into it.

 

[Epotech]

I think the amount of new pins was a first, they needed to be put in more space as it was going to be a big draw, maybe put them literally on the way in where the charity machines were and move those back to the side (maybe they could be the ones on pay to play).

The awards stopping play was an odd choice. I get the idea but why not do it in the foyer? We had taken over the whole hotel.

Some think that the comps need footfall for people to enter. Really its advertised as a show not a competition and it just takes up too much space. I heard several people comment on what is that all about? Moving downstairs is going to be unpopular so there needs to be huge signage and the bar screen needs to show the feed (and a lot of other duplicates both in the main hall and dotted around).

Yes it needs a bigger venue and I don't see why this needs to be a hotel. You can't get in anyway. In the past I suggested the exhibition centre at Donington park. Central, lots of hotels nearby the airport and had the M1 running past it. I'm sure others will have suggestions too.

 

[DRD]

A bigger venue might be nice, but remember that someone is fronting this, bearing a lot of cost and taking a considerable financial risk with an event of this size. Lots of folk have tried and failed with pinball clubs/ cafes etc over the years.

I thought it was an excellent event and bravo to the organisers.

 

[Cooper]

I would like to see this event twice a year, one summer event and one winter event and one ideally in the north

 

[Fantazia2]

I would like to see this event twice a year, one summer event and one winter event and one ideally in the north

I agree with this, it would be nice to have something additional later in the year when the weather's crap.

 

[FinalFight]

first time i managed to go pinfest this year I thought it was amazing huge thanks to phil and all the staff for running it the best they could
I didnt play in any comps but only problem that's been mentioned already was the comp clashing .
I also think that's a great idea to move the main comp into another room and leave the main room as all freeplay.
Just a suggestion but might be a stupid idea.. maybe the stalls could have an area outside of the main hall just so there's more space for moving about and it'll be easier to look at the items and speak to the sellers? Or even have the stalls sectioned off where the comp normally runs by the stage?

 

[Jackpot]

A bigger venue might be nice, but remember that someone is fronting this, bearing a lot of cost and taking a considerable financial risk with an event of this size. Lots of folk have tried and failed with pinball clubs/ cafes etc over the years.

I thought it was an excellent event and bravo to the organisers.

Agree completely - the improvement areas are valid but are minor in comparison to how brilliant the event already was. Big Phil and the whole team already give so much - moving to a larger, new venue would take even more work to organise and increase costs significantly as stated already.

Pinfest isn't perfect - sure, but it is still an incredible event with great people, superb value for money and a fair few have said it is one of their highlights of the year. The hotel rooms sold out in 4-6 hours! That alone shows how great people think Pinfest is and how keen they are to be a part of it again.

Thank you so much to -everyone- who makes this event possible through their hard work and generosity, year after year.

 

[Gonzo]

Moving the comps downstairs is a great move. I had a snoop down there last year and it's a great space with its own toilets. I really believe it will take the pressure off the main hall and benefit everyone.

As for abuse???? I used to wonder why places had signs up saying "Our staff will not tolerate abuse and aggression" . . . now I don't wonder anymore. Unfortunately the lines between entitlement and common decency have become a little bit blurred. In my opinion, anyone who can't respect others is a massive tosspot and buying a ticket certainly doesn't entitle people to be w@nk£rs. Unfortunately a minority can have an impact.

As for the hotel . . . I have always believed there is a lot to be said for being left alone. I have never had a member of hotel staff interfere or be overly officious during any pinfest. Let's be fair, they pretty much allow us to do what we want. Last year I was walking around the lobby at 2am with a pot noodle I'd brewed in my room whilst swigging a flagon of my own contraband rum and nobody said a thing . I suspect not every hotel would take such a stance.

A massive thank you to Phil and the team though. Honestly guys, it ain't easy to get a balance of fun and serious tournament play but you managed it and I'm sure it will be even better next year.

 

[JAG555]

Firstly, I just want to say you and the team do a great job! It is such a great pinball event!

As a Saturday day trip attendee only, I think you have captured all my feedback above. I would 100% separate the main room from the tournament, as I thought that made it way too crowded at that end.

One piece of feedback from me is the positioning of the games. I know that might be difficult with people turning up at different times, but the machine line up always seemed a bit of mish mash. Why not have a row of all Stern for example?

 

[JAG555]

I agree with this, it would be nice to have something additional later in the year when the weather's crap.

That is a good question, why is Pinfest in August? Why not November or January, when indoor activities are needed?

 

[PUP]

I also have been wanting to give my feedback on Pinfest this year but have been so so busy since iv just not had time to write so apologies as a late comer.
I have been to each one without exception, and also the each of the pinball party's before Phil took over. I am passionate about pinball shows in general but in particular Pinfest. Firstly may I say that I think it is amazing just how far this show has evolved. the attendee numbers and the fact that the hotel for next year has sold out in hours shows the success, a big pat on the back and congratulations is well deserved to everyone involved in the runnings and the support. The range of machines was absolutley fantastic, particularly having such a range of new games which many would not have not had the chance to play before.
It seems alot of the points I would have liked to make have already been made in large numbers judging by Phils post above, so I wont go into those too much. If the competition can be moved to the lower room then fantastic, I think that will help with the overcrowding issues. maybe the front of the stage could then be used to display the new games.
Tournament wise, as a big player, I have the upmost respect for what the organisers aimed to achieve this year with large prizes and lots of WPPR's up for grabs. the UK needs more large comp's. Along with that comes the burning desire to make the finals and win. unfortunatly, along with that, emotions in the zone can take over ones normal personality. I cannot comment on what I did not see, but while I can understand frustration when things do not go your way (and on the Sat they certainly did not in my case!) any abuse against anyone, regardless of gender is unacceptable and should be dealt with on the spot with appropiate action taken considering the degree. That said, I did not see any eccessive swearing or machine abuse. In comparison to large American comps I have been to it seemed to me that the majority of people kept a level head and remained respectful throughout.
The clash was bad, and quite honestly should not have happened, but im sure a lesson was learned. Behind us now, and I I think onwards and upwards is the right approach to this.
A pin donators lock in is a great idea as these days even the VIP session is busy.
I also agree with the point that free play should remain available for those not really interested in awards, or those that can only attend on the sunday, which is a short day anyhow.
The killer for me was starting the main playoff's late on the Saturday eve, as this for me got in the way of the social side of things from what was traditionally the big pinfest party night, socializing with friends, many of who you only get to see once in a blue moon. Is there a way this could this be avoided for next year?
Honest opinions, hope thats all ok, and finally roll on pinfest 2025!

 

[gnarled112]

Absolutely no complaints for 2024!
Although I suggest 2026 Wembley Stadium at this rate of growth

Awards ceremony in the foyer as the Saturday 6-7pm break is ending would be a good chance to gather everyone as they queue to spring for Jaws. Make announcements, hall of fame, announce schedules, plug any adverts or sponsors whilst also not disrupting play time.

Probably a day too early, but food for thought.

 

[Wayne J]

One thing that I personally think may need looking at is the award presentation.

Agreed and this has already being looked at, as it clearly needs shortening. I think there is merit in having the awards for the HoF and best in show with the machines turned off, but clearly it went on too long with all of the other presentations.

Anyone abusing or disrespecting volunteers is immediately disqualified from the tournament.

Why the assumption that it is tournament players causing the abuse?

That is a good question, why is Pinfest in August?

Traditionally it always has been August Bank Holiday weekend, probably because no-one has any money in November and January being so close to Xmas, there's also clashes with other established European comps to consider, let alone the thought of sitting outside in the freezing cold with snow and rain.

In addition there has always been a main comp, classics comp, side comps and the UK finals held at the front of the stage in the main room, these have all grown massively since Paul (@Wizcat ) and I were asked to run the main comp, Shaun (@Arv ) started the classics and Ailsa (@ailsaclunie ) the ladies, NBA and youth comps. Maybe we're a victim of our own success - I can recall the dogs abuse I got on here, and in person, from multiple people regarding the new format of being able to enter more than one ticket, claiming that it was people with the deepest pockets who would win, that it wasn't fair, etc. etc. After the first year it was clear that wasn't the case - yet only 1 person has ever had the balls to admit they were wrong and apologise.

Some competition players are attracted to the comp for the money, some for the WPPR pts, and others just for the competition itself - to compare themselves against their mates as well as everyone else. Pretty soon after last years comp, Paul (along with the rest of the team) had the vision and ambition to run the main comp as an IFPA certified comp to earn massive WPPR pts and potentially attract players from further afield.
This was a massive undertaking and required jumping through a few hoops for the IFPA, as well as organising a schedule where nothing clashes. The ladies final was moved at short notice, with no-one noticing the clash until it was too late. Lesson learned, let's move on from that.

Taking the requirements in order
a) Not really under our control - it needs people to enter
b) n/a
c) 5 game ticket and 20hrs qualifying
d) n/a
e) n/a
f) 24 finalists minimum - not a problem
g) n/a
h) no bye beyond 16 - not a problem
i) No problem
j) no problem
k) Makes for a long finals portion - taking at least 8hrs to complete.

Realistically the major changes needed to have been made this year were that the card went from a 3 game ticket to a 5 game ticket. The price didn't go up and remained at £5 so you were actually only paying £1 a game -the same as the charity machines or what you could expect to pay in a bar.
The 20hrs qualifying was a challenge, hence why there was no stress testing of machines in the VIP session as previous years. This was clearly a mistake and will need looking at for next year.
The finals taking 8hrs was the main problem. As the finals couldn't clash with the finals of any other comp it meant splitting the finals portion to the Saturday night and the Sunday afternoon, so as not to clash with the Classics tournament on the Sunday Morning.
Would we have had the same number of entrants if the comp wasn't certified? I suspect it would have had little impact on numbers entering.
One thing to remember is that there is no obligation for you to enter every competition, or for them all to be separate. It may get to the point when you need to decide which comp you are going to focus on and not play in the finals of a different comp you may have qualified for.

The main comp taking up more room, was due to 14 machines being used rather than 10, there is no obligation to do this - and if the main comp does end up downstairs it is highly unlikely to have 14 games involved next year.

As for the hotel itself - seeing as it sold out in under 6hrs - it is clear that the demand outstrips the supply. To fix this you can either reduce the demand or increase the supply. Reducing demand could be done by increasing the price of hotel rooms or entry to show (or moving the show to the Outer Hebrides) increasing supply can only really be done by switching to another, larger venue. Maybe we could set up dynamic pricing, just like Oasis tickets?

It would be interesting to know how much people would be willing to pay for a) hotel room and b) entry in to the show? As clearly it is too low currently.

 

[Taxiturn]

Agreed and this has already being looked at, as it clearly needs shortening. I think there is merit in having the awards for the HoF and best in show with the machines turned off, but clearly it went on too long with all of the other presentations.

Why the assumption that it is tournament players causing the abuse?

Traditionally it always has been August Bank Holiday weekend, probably because no-one has any money in November and January being so close to Xmas, there's also clashes with other established European comps to consider, let alone the thought of sitting outside in the freezing cold with snow and rain.

In addition there has always been a main comp, classics comp, side comps and the UK finals held at the front of the stage in the main room, these have all grown massively since Paul (@Wizcat ) and I were asked to run the main comp, Shaun (@Arv ) started the classics and Ailsa (@ailsaclunie ) the ladies, NBA and youth comps. Maybe we're a victim of our own success - I can recall the dogs abuse I got on here, and in person, from multiple people regarding the new format of being able to enter more than one ticket, claiming that it was people with the deepest pockets who would win, that it wasn't fair, etc. etc. After the first year it was clear that wasn't the case - yet only 1 person has ever had the balls to admit they were wrong and apologise.

Some competition players are attracted to the comp for the money, some for the WPPR pts, and others just for the competition itself - to compare themselves against their mates as well as everyone else. Pretty soon after last years comp, Paul (along with the rest of the team) had the vision and ambition to run the main comp as an IFPA certified comp to earn massive WPPR pts and potentially attract players from further afield.
This was a massive undertaking and required jumping through a few hoops for the IFPA, as well as organising a schedule where nothing clashes. The ladies final was moved at short notice, with no-one noticing the clash until it was too late. Lesson learned, let's move on from that.
View attachment 260117
Taking the requirements in order
a) Not really under our control - it needs people to enter
b) n/a
c) 5 game ticket and 20hrs qualifying
d) n/a
e) n/a
f) 24 finalists minimum - not a problem
g) n/a
h) no bye beyond 16 - not a problem
i) No problem
j) no problem
k) Makes for a long finals portion - taking at least 8hrs to complete.

Realistically the major changes needed to have been made this year were that the card went from a 3 game ticket to a 5 game ticket. The price didn't go up and remained at £5 so you were actually only paying £1 a game -the same as the charity machines or what you could expect to pay in a bar.
The 20hrs qualifying was a challenge, hence why there was no stress testing of machines in the VIP session as previous years. This was clearly a mistake and will need looking at for next year.
The finals taking 8hrs was the main problem. As the finals couldn't clash with the finals of any other comp it meant splitting the finals portion to the Saturday night and the Sunday afternoon, so as not to clash with the Classics tournament on the Sunday Morning.
Would we have had the same number of entrants if the comp wasn't certified? I suspect it would have had little impact on numbers entering.
One thing to remember is that there is no obligation for you to enter every competition, or for them all to be separate. It may get to the point when you need to decide which comp you are going to focus on and not play in the finals of a different comp you may have qualified for.

The main comp taking up more room, was due to 14 machines being used rather than 10, there is no obligation to do this - and if the main comp does end up downstairs it is highly unlikely to have 14 games involved next year.

As for the hotel itself - seeing as it sold out in under 6hrs - it is clear that the demand outstrips the supply. To fix this you can either reduce the demand or increase the supply. Reducing demand could be done by increasing the price of hotel rooms or entry to show (or moving the show to the Outer Hebrides) increasing supply can only really be done by switching to another, larger venue. Maybe we could set up dynamic pricing, just like Oasis tickets?

It would be interesting to know how much people would be willing to pay for a) hotel room and b) entry in to the show? As clearly it is too low currently.

I think the big WPPRs (along with the prizes, for the elite) is quite a big draw for a subset of people to take the comp seriously, and I daresay that in year 2 of Certified (if you go for that again) word may get around more of our European friends. Pure speculation!

I haven’t seen the downstairs room, but it feels like shrinking the competition bank from 14 would be a regressive step both in terms of machine choice and game queues, especially if entrant numbers do continue to grow year on year: unless, of course, space dictates that it must.

 

[Big Phil]

You can get more machines downstairs.

 

[Big Phil]

One piece of feedback from me is the positioning of the games. I know that might be difficult with people turning up at different times, but the machine line up always seemed a bit of mish mash. Why not have a row of all Stern for example?

Couple of reasons. The arrivals times and some people like to keep their machines together.

 

[Big Phil]

Last year I was walking around the lobby at 2am with a pot noodle

I got to this bit of your post then had to break off and sort something. But in my head I was thinking “a pool noodle? Why did Gonzo have a pool noodle? Did he go into the spa to get it? Was it part of his karaoke routine? Eh? What? He was walking around with a pool noodle?”

 

[JAG555]

Couple of reasons. The arrivals times and some people like to keep their machines together.

I thought that might be the case and makes sense!

 

[Tucks]

It was as great as ever. I did the extra night this year (Thur - Sun) which was great and have booked the same for 2025. That said my liver is still recovering.

Most of the feedback has already been said above but the awards ceremony didn't make much sense. If I was a paying punter just in for the day I would have been a little upset at all the games being turned off for so long.

Maybe the only thing that does need improving is the singing at the evening Karaoke. I was pi$$ed and some of it still sounded bad.

Well done Phil and team. Look forward to 2025.

 

[Lecari]

Great post @Wayne J. Having the 20hrs of qualifying and 5 games to a card really did make a huge difference to the event - just the points boost alone shows that was absolutely the right move for the event!

I agree with @Taxiturn that it would be a shame to move down to less than 14 games on the bank if there are 5 games to a card. It's not a requirement but having extra games for people to choose from and being able to have a variety of games (from different eras) I think did make a difference.

On the feedback from I shared, asking for feedback specifically about the Pinfest Open comp, we did have a few queries/bits of feedback that I also wanted to address.

One was that some of the games may have been set up too difficult. The games were supposed to be difficult - we wanted the comp to be challenging and be a real test of people's skills. If you are new to pinball or a more casual player, it should be very hard. But while we were a little worried that some may be put off by the difficulty, it was wonderful to see how many players kept going back to have another try and that it didn't put people off - people felt they could put in a better 5 game ticket. We had almost 150 people play and had over 5k in tickets sold (reflected in the larger prize pot for the Pinfest Open this year).

I also had a comment about the ladies tournaments over the weekend that @ailsaclunie, Diane, Traci, Judith, Vicki and I worked hard on over the weekend:

If there's a "Ladies only" tournament, then the "Open" tournament should be "Men Only"! It's sexist and offensive to have ladies only, let alone be talking about "safe spaces"?! Awful publicity for pinball to have that in news articles and not what my family has ever experienced at pinball where it's always mixed... plenty of excellent female players, let's not make it a gender-based game and try to create issues that don't exist, if anything pinball would benefit from greater mixing not separation!

I can't disagree more with this. Having women's only events has encouraged more women to play in pinball events - it helps to give them a lot more confidence. Women at the social night said that they sometimes felt too intimidated to play when there were lots of men around - for example their husband might start telling them what to do, or if they win on a game, they get comments about 'being beaten by a girl'. It can also be intimidating to walk into a room that's filled with men. It's also a generational thing - in the 70s and 80s, most pinball machines were in pubs and bars and women often wouldn't have felt comfortable going in on their own and playing them, so while having pinballs more accessible now is great but they can still feel a bit intimidating to play. It would be great if a women's only space wasn't needed, and it's wonderful that your family hasn't had those experiences - but given women's experiences described on Friday and Saturday, it IS clearly still needed. Many events I go to, I'm either the only woman there or there are just a handful of others (and there are just 5 women in the top 100 UK players). Given that we had 2 amazing women in the Pinfest Open finals (Helena and Kate) I absolutely agree that women can play just as well as men. We absolutely want to encourage more women to play pinball.
The Friday night event was in memory of Caz with some cash prizes that people had donated and trophies that Ailsa had bought with her own money. The Saturday event had a £1k cash prize that was made up by the entries and event sponsors, trophies that Ailsa bought, and the WPPR points are for a ladies section of the IFPA that is totally separate to the main standings, for info.

Looking forward, David and I have come up with a plan for moving the Pinfest Open downstairs. This would fit 14 games in the bank. @strobey's streaming booth could be moved to a side room if needed, but having his desk in the main hall would add to the atmosphere and it'd be easier from his POV to manage the stream. The tournament desks could also be moved to the area outside near the stairs to create more space for the seating area. It's a real shame that the space has been split into multiple training rooms!, and ceiling height is 2.5m vs 3.5m of upstairs so it does feel smaller than upstairs, but the team has to work with the space available. This is very rough so obviously subject to change, but it's a starting point. This has been discussed with the Pinfest comp team but would be great to get other people's thoughts too as we all want to make next year's event as good as it can be.



All feedback welcome!

 

[Taxiturn]

Great post @Wayne J. Having the 20hrs of qualifying and 5 games to a card really did make a huge difference to the event - just the points boost alone shows that was absolutely the right move for the event!

I agree with @Taxiturn that it would be a shame to move down to less than 14 games on the bank if there are 5 games to a card. It's not a requirement but having extra games for people to choose from and being able to have a variety of games (from different eras) I think did make a difference.

On the feedback from I shared, asking for feedback specifically about the Pinfest Open comp, we did have a few queries/bits of feedback that I also wanted to address.

One was that some of the games may have been set up too difficult. The games were supposed to be difficult - we wanted the comp to be challenging and be a real test of people's skills. If you are new to pinball or a more casual player, it should be very hard. But while we were a little worried that some may be put off by the difficulty, it was wonderful to see how many players kept going back to have another try and that it didn't put people off - people felt they could put in a better 5 game ticket. We had almost 150 people play and had over 5k in tickets sold (reflected in the larger prize pot for the Pinfest Open this year).

I also had a comment about the ladies tournaments over the weekend that @ailsaclunie, Diane, Traci, Judith, Vicki and I worked hard on over the weekend:

I can't disagree more with this. Having women's only events has encouraged more women to play in pinball events - it helps to give them a lot more confidence. Women at the social night said that they sometimes felt too intimidated to play when there were lots of men around - for example their husband might start telling them what to do, or if they win on a game, they get comments about 'being beaten by a girl'. It can also be intimidating to walk into a room that's filled with men. It's also a generational thing - in the 70s and 80s, most pinball machines were in pubs and bars and women often wouldn't have felt comfortable going in on their own and playing them, so while having pinballs more accessible now is great but they can still feel a bit intimidating to play. It would be great if a women's only space wasn't needed, and it's wonderful that your family hasn't had those experiences - but given women's experiences described on Friday and Saturday, it IS clearly still needed. Many events I go to, I'm either the only woman there or there are just a handful of others (and there are just 5 women in the top 100 UK players). Given that we had 2 amazing women in the Pinfest Open finals (Helena and Kate) I absolutely agree that women can play just as well as men. We absolutely want to encourage more women to play pinball.
The Friday night event was in memory of Caz with some cash prizes that people had donated and trophies that Ailsa had bought with her own money. The Saturday event had a £1k cash prize that was made up by the entries and event sponsors, trophies that Ailsa bought, and the WPPR points are for a ladies section of the IFPA that is totally separate to the main standings, for info.

Looking forward, David and I have come up with a plan for moving the Pinfest Open downstairs. This would fit 14 games in the bank. @strobey's streaming booth could be moved to a side room if needed, but having his desk in the main hall would add to the atmosphere and it'd be easier from his POV to manage the stream. The tournament desks could also be moved to the area outside near the stairs to create more space for the seating area. It's a real shame that the space has been split into multiple training rooms!, and ceiling height is 2.5m vs 3.5m of upstairs so it does feel smaller than upstairs, but the team has to work with the space available. This is very rough so obviously subject to change, but it's a starting point. This has been discussed with the Pinfest comp team but would be great to get other people's thoughts too as we all want to make next year's event as good as it can be.

View attachment 260193

All feedback welcome!

That layout plan is so high effort! I think the main room with 14 looks great, side room with 8 pins looks a bit pokey once you add in players, scorekeepers etc but not sure how it compares in size with this year’s classics room (which I thought was a pretty good size for eight pins and a tournament desk).

 

[AndyB]

Great post @Wayne J. Having the 20hrs of qualifying and 5 games to a card really did make a huge difference to the event - just the points boost alone shows that was absolutely the right move for the event!

I agree with @Taxiturn that it would be a shame to move down to less than 14 games on the bank if there are 5 games to a card. It's not a requirement but having extra games for people to choose from and being able to have a variety of games (from different eras) I think did make a difference.

On the feedback from I shared, asking for feedback specifically about the Pinfest Open comp, we did have a few queries/bits of feedback that I also wanted to address.

One was that some of the games may have been set up too difficult. The games were supposed to be difficult - we wanted the comp to be challenging and be a real test of people's skills. If you are new to pinball or a more casual player, it should be very hard. But while we were a little worried that some may be put off by the difficulty, it was wonderful to see how many players kept going back to have another try and that it didn't put people off - people felt they could put in a better 5 game ticket. We had almost 150 people play and had over 5k in tickets sold (reflected in the larger prize pot for the Pinfest Open this year).

I also had a comment about the ladies tournaments over the weekend that @ailsaclunie, Diane, Traci, Judith, Vicki and I worked hard on over the weekend:

I can't disagree more with this. Having women's only events has encouraged more women to play in pinball events - it helps to give them a lot more confidence. Women at the social night said that they sometimes felt too intimidated to play when there were lots of men around - for example their husband might start telling them what to do, or if they win on a game, they get comments about 'being beaten by a girl'. It can also be intimidating to walk into a room that's filled with men. It's also a generational thing - in the 70s and 80s, most pinball machines were in pubs and bars and women often wouldn't have felt comfortable going in on their own and playing them, so while having pinballs more accessible now is great but they can still feel a bit intimidating to play. It would be great if a women's only space wasn't needed, and it's wonderful that your family hasn't had those experiences - but given women's experiences described on Friday and Saturday, it IS clearly still needed. Many events I go to, I'm either the only woman there or there are just a handful of others (and there are just 5 women in the top 100 UK players). Given that we had 2 amazing women in the Pinfest Open finals (Helena and Kate) I absolutely agree that women can play just as well as men. We absolutely want to encourage more women to play pinball.
The Friday night event was in memory of Caz with some cash prizes that people had donated and trophies that Ailsa had bought with her own money. The Saturday event had a £1k cash prize that was made up by the entries and event sponsors, trophies that Ailsa bought, and the WPPR points are for a ladies section of the IFPA that is totally separate to the main standings, for info.

Looking forward, David and I have come up with a plan for moving the Pinfest Open downstairs. This would fit 14 games in the bank. @strobey's streaming booth could be moved to a side room if needed, but having his desk in the main hall would add to the atmosphere and it'd be easier from his POV to manage the stream. The tournament desks could also be moved to the area outside near the stairs to create more space for the seating area. It's a real shame that the space has been split into multiple training rooms!, and ceiling height is 2.5m vs 3.5m of upstairs so it does feel smaller than upstairs, but the team has to work with the space available. This is very rough so obviously subject to change, but it's a starting point. This has been discussed with the Pinfest comp team but would be great to get other people's thoughts too as we all want to make next year's event as good as it can be.

View attachment 260193

All feedback welcome!

Claire I think this looks like a great solution, obviously open to some tweaking if and when required. The only query I have is regarding aircon. Does this space have it, as the lower ceiling height may have an impact on the temperature in the room?
Otherwise I think having the main comp downstairs is a really good idea. Lots of us on the forum enjoy the competitive side, but there are plenty of visitors who have no interest whatsoever, and will spend most of their time in the freeplay area. By doing this it creates more space for everyone

 

[Lecari]

That layout plan is so high effort! I think the main room with 14 looks great, side room with 8 pins looks a bit pokey once you add in players, scorekeepers etc but not sure how it compares in size with this year’s classics room (which I thought was a pretty good size for eight pins and a tournament desk).

Thank you!!

That side room is 6.8m x 4.8m - the Westerberg room used for the classics is 9.4m x 6.4m for reference. So it is a smaller space. I agree it would probably be a bit pokey.

@AndyB - all the side rooms have air con. Unfortunately that central space doesn't (at the moment!). We'd have to keep all the doors open and put air con on full blast to try and help with that I think!! But having the games in the smaller side rooms creates other problems, for example you'd need to ensure there were TDs/scorekeepers to keep an eye on each space at all times.

I don't know how well moving the Open downstairs will work, but I agree that more space is needed and this does seem a logical choice. I just hope it won't lose the atmosphere of being in the main hall, and that it won't be too cramped.

 

[Taxiturn]

Thank you!!

That side room is 6.8m x 4.8m - the Westerberg room used for the classics is 9.4m x 6.4m for reference. So it is a smaller space. I agree it would probably be a bit pokey.

@AndyB - all the side rooms have air con. Unfortunately that central space doesn't (at the moment!). We'd have to keep all the doors open and put air con on full blast to try and help with that I think!! But having the games in the smaller side rooms creates other problems, for example you'd need to ensure there were TDs/scorekeepers to keep an eye on each space at all times.

I don't know how well moving the Open downstairs will work, but I agree that more space is needed and this does seem a logical choice. I just hope it won't lose the atmosphere of being in the main hall, and that it won't be too cramped.

Given the size I think keeping classics in its existing room might be a good plan, also helps thin out numbers a little bit if downstairs might get a bit busy at times.

Maybe that side room could be for NBA and stall ball, or put a couple of freeplay machines in there for tournament warmup games (obviously open to all if they come downstairs)? 3-5 machines in there would probably be fine, space wise.