I wonder if that’s his grandma’s coat?
It was $.99 . . .
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you sure you don’t mean 840+? https://static.spin.com/files/130619-macklemore-kidz-bop-thrift-shop-640x426.jpg
Oh, that guy wasn’t IN the A Finals?
Nope . . . I didn’t get the memo where A finalists were allowed one VIP pass for a guest up on stage.
I’ll be auctioning off that spot for my VIP guest next year. Proceeds going to Path of Play 
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Before the sleeves got chopped for summer!
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I don’t think that much is necessary, but some kind of barrier. IIRC, in 2017 there were simple signs that said “tournament players only” as you approached the Pinburgh area or something to that degree, and that seemed to do a bit to help. Was there perhaps thinking to find a way to keep the tournament a bit more approachable and visible? I could see the logic in that as a way of building interest.
I don’t know if you’d need very significant barriers, just some visible signage at the entrance of the banks (especially removable signage, for when the banks open up). The signs for the various division finals seemed to be effective. Could that be modified in any manner?
Tape outlined on the floor for a “batters box” for the player at each machine, maybe? #spitballingIdeas
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The larger the show gets, the more difficult this becomes. We had the whole area blocked off with metal gates as well as the signage we’ve had in previous years.
Pinburgh is less than 5% of the show’s total attendance so I think some of this is unavoidable, but I’m open to any easy to implement cost effective solutions.
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I noticed less non-tournament players this year than the previous year.
I ran a tournament a large show once. Half of the work was keeping randos off the tournament machines. People would just walk right up to move tables, duck ropes, and step over chairs. It was truly mind blowing.
It’s very difficult to have the same level of patience when it’s happening for the 20th time.
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Whoa! that’s awesome! (that 840 is only 5% of Replay’s total attendance)
I’m curious about that head count. I don’t recall seeing 16,800 people there. Maybe 16,800 person-days, but not 16,800 unique warm bodies.
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Something out of whack there for sure.
It really isn’t a problem warranting any serious thought, just one of those “if I could have it all” things. I personally had more issues with groups huddling over machines writing down scores while I was playing next to them.
I did actually talk about this with some group members during one round as the topic came up, and the suggestion made was to close off the front even more (make a chokepoint) and use the souvenir badges as a pass to get into the tournament area. That would require someone to staff the chokepoint though, and it deters spectators, so not entirely viable.
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My math may be out of whack because I don’t math much. But my point is, the problem will probably only get worse.
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I suggested armed guards at the front but a chokepoint sounds way more brutal and entertaining.
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Are you volunteering to fill this role?
16k unique visitors over four days sounds actually quite low to me. You of course won’t see all 16k people in the event at any one time though.
I help organise the pinball side of an event very similar to Replay FX in the UK, and over two days we get much more visitors than that (double actually)
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World champ of pinball fashion checking in. No I was not in finals I was the hype man for a good friend in the tournament. Before the round started I asked if it was ok for me to be there. I did my best to stay out of the way and be respectful. If anyone asked me to leave I would of gladly left no problem. My intention was for pure morale support not for anything else.
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I think it’s great to have moral support on stage and never even thought to ask Doug if that was cool.
Next year count me in!
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