Review Fix chats with gamer, author and event coordinator Todd Friedman, who discusses his upcoming Video Game Summit event in Villa Park, Chicago and more.
Review Fix: What makes this year’s event special?
Todd Friedman: This year brings a whole new setup to the show. The last 4 years we have been in the upper lobby of The Odeum in Villa Park. Based on the growing numbers of vendors and customers, we are now going to be in the lower level arena area. This will give much more space to the vendors and a chance to allow more vendors as well as arcade machines and consoles. The bigger area will also be an opportunity to, for the first time at VGS, have pinball machines on the floor. This is one area of the conference that VGS has been lacking. Bringing pinball and the pinball gamers to VGS will bring more people and fun. Every year is a special one for me but this one will be the most exciting because I have seen us grow year after year and this will be the next step in making this event branch out and possibly be a whole weekend event.
Review Fix: How much planning goes into this?
Friedman: Planning typically for Dan and I start the day after the event. We talk about what was good and what we need to work on at the next event. Throughout the following months we look at the budget and the potential to do more at the next show. Discussion with other members of the VGS team and talks with vendors gives us more feedback of the show and what we can do different. After that it’s all about contacting more people and securing the next events date and time. This year’s event is a week earlier as we feel like we can grab more people based on not conflicting with other events in the area. Special guests and celebrity developers and games are a big part of the planning and it takes months to secure them for our event. Once the new year hits, it’s all hands-on deck and time to create the flyers, posters, vendor packages and brochures. Then it’s all about promoting. Each year social media gets bigger and helps us promote the event without too much extra cost or even no cost at all. Although it feels like we are spending the whole year on planning, it goes pretty fast and before you know, the event is at hand.
Review Fix: Tell us about some of the guests…
Friedman: Well this year we still need confirmation on many of the guests. Our first guest we have secured is Brett Weiss. Brett is a longtime gamer, freelance writer, and national columnist. He is a fellow writer with you and I at Old School Gamer Magazine. It will be nice to have him at the event. Previous guests who we expect to make another appearance are Rampage creator Brian Colin, Q-Bert designer Jeffrey Lee and Galloping Ghost arcade owner Doc Mack. We are also in talks with guests such as Eugene Jarvis, Walter Day, Billy Mitchell and Andy Breyer.
Review Fix: What else can people do there?
Friedman: There are many things to do at the Video Game Summit. Of course, there are the vendors. They range from retro games and consoles and accessories, to hand made personal gaming items such as magnets and buttons. Also there is a small group of table top game vendors that sell board games. Another fun part of the show is the games that are free to play. We setup a variety of consoles such as the NES, Atari 2600 and XBOX. Other consoles such as Sega Genesis and the Panasonic 3DO. Doc Mack from Galloping Ghosts Arcade, the largest arcade on the country, donates some games to the event and puts them on free play. Like I said earlier, our hope is to add pinball machines to the mix. More items we do at VGS are raffles, we raffle off many prizes and you will get a free entry to the raffle with purchase of a ticket to the show. There are many game tournaments that are run as well for prizes and trophies. If you are not into any of that it still is a great show to be at to mingle and discuss gaming with gamers of all ages. Whether its men, women, kids or grandparents., They will all be at the show enjoying a day of games.
Review Fix: How do you want this year’s event to be remembered?
Friedman: I would love for this year’s event to be remembered as a great success. I would love vendors to enjoy themselves so much that they spread the word and talk about it to others in the industry. I love when gamers come and either film live on Facebook or make YouTube videos of their experience at the show. I would love for this next show to have a lot more of that. It’s the best way to spread the word. I would also love for this show to be remembered as a great transition to the new space and a great move to utilize the event area on the first floor. This will be the most space we have allowed in our shows.
Review Fix: Where can people go for more information?
Friedman: For more information you can visit the website at www.videogamesummit.net. You can email the Co-Promoter Dan Iacovelli at [email protected], or myself at [email protected]
We are on Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo Groups as well.
You can also search YouTube for Video Game Summit in Villa Park for videos on the past shows.
Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?
Friedman: This year’s show is special as it will be dedicated to Dan Iacovelli’s brother, Nick who passed away unexpectedly in September, he was more involved with the show more than you know besides being Dan’s transportation to and for the show he helped a bit with set up and during take down he stayed and talked with vendors as well. It is also Dedicated to Todd Friedman’s mother, Gayle who also passed away in December.
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