What's new
Pinball info

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Texas Pinball festival vs. UK pinfest for those that have asked my thoughts

Atlantis

Site Supporter
Joined
Apr 3, 2018
Messages
423
Location
Ireland
Alias
Delboy
This is my personal viewpoint of both shows as some people asked if it was worth going to TPF and rather to respond to everyone that asked as ill forget bits from one person to the next I’m hoping this will enlighten them to make their own choice if its worth it or not to go to either show.
I will leave the competition side of both shows out of it as I was not impressed with the UK one and did not bother with TPF comps.

My expectations of UkPinfest last year was not so high it was its first year back so was expecting nothing and was surprised just how good it was.

My expectations of TPF this year was every game ever made setup and ready to be played. Loads and loads of vendors to buy anything I could ever need and games modded and turned out looking like New old stock games from 25 years ago.

So, onto the shows
UkPinfest: Flight over 50 mins 20 mins car drive to the hotel that looked ok outside and inside was fine also, Room I was given granted long way from the entrance was clean and warm and would do perfectly for this mini break.
I did the prepaid ticked and collected my strap from the very nice lady at the show entrance door and made my way in, the bar was on left machine all the way left right up the middle and top and thought to myself wow awesome so many machine’s I was like a boy in a candy store.

Good points and Bad Points of UkPinfest

Machines were in awesome condition with loads of variety
NLP has a great setup at keeping machines going and have my respect been good guys at their job.
The venue was great looked great felt great and organiser and staff tip my hat to you.
Comps and no access to comps machines were meh at best.
Vendors well let’s say vendor and let’s say disappointing.
Seminars did not get a chance to get to any and probably needs to be announced over pa 10 mins before for some heads up.

Overall the craic was mighty people were nice and chatty and enjoyed my weekend break, I met new people had an awesome time and did not break the budget @500 quid cost all in including drinking money.

Texas Pinball Festival: Flight about 10.5 hrs car drive 30 mins stayed in Hotel across from venue and were every bit as good a hotel at 1/5 of the price and had everything
gym/swimming pool/bar/food/breakfast.

Also did the prepaid ticket and collected them early Friday and got into the show early Friday evening after walking in I went wow Huge so decided to check vendors first some good some bad prices but overall a win on that front after 2 hrs hunting for treasures decided to play the games.

Good and bad points of TPF
Is this a pinball show or arcade show just unreal the number of arcades at this show and half not working on day 1 and by the looks of them no chance of ever working.
If you’re into EM’S then it was a good show for you.

Distributors there was at least 5 and my gawd they all brought the same machines.
Only 3 machines out of the whole place other than new were in pristine condition and best at show was working for 1hr that whole show poor LW3
Plenty of vendors with good deals and would offer show specials.
Contrary to NLP lads the USA version crew were bad at keeping junk pinballs going.
The split of machines felt like at follows
50% arcades and 45% for sale
30% em’s 20% for sale
15% musters all for sale
5% the rest 4% for sale
Bring and buy meet on Sunday morning had about 20 guys selling from the back of there trucks and to be honest I fired better stuff into the rubbish tip years ago but still managed to buy nos set of plastics for my TZ

Seen 1 person I knew but the guy was too important to hang with Ian or myself waves to Neil.:)
Overall review
UKpinfest better show in terms of machines, engineers and people
Texas Pinball better vendors and barcades outside like cider Cade or free play and B.O.S pinball lounge were great places to play all the pins you wanted to play at the show but were not there
So I would say if your going on hollys don’t go for the show in Texas and do the barcades and go to the show in Ukpinfest
 
Sorry dood but in no way are the machines better at Pinfest! Also whilst there are some arcade game its definitely not half of the games!

The TPF folks Indint think try to repair anyone’s machines - it’s up to the owners.

And sorry I’d didn’t see you guys apart from at the marco’s stand - but I was mostly in the comp room for first two days and Friday night is the hardball visit and Saturday was the twipies and then we were in the hotel bar afterwards!

Cheers,
Neil.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Back
Top Bottom