OFFICIAL THANKS AND SUMMARY THREAD!!!!!

[number six]

First off sorry for taking a few days to post, this weekend was fun but insane. And as much as we wish 'Convention Organizer' (or Oraganizer according to that sentinel video, lol) was our only job title it was back to work this week so catching up has taken a bit

Wow! Another show under the belt. I can't even begin to sum up how awesome I thought this year was. I think we learned A LOT from our first show and made many solid improvements. At the end of the day however this was a massive undertaking and couldn't have been done without the group. We wanted to take a second to thank everyone that helped make GW2 the success it was!

Special thanks to our our awesome volunteers.. Rob (HFK) and Don (Cloud2ground) were there pretty much all weekend and just did an insane job helping with the loadups and breakdowns. Amazing guys thanks again! Special thanks to Spencer (Miracleman) for being there first on Thursday and staying all night helping us setup.. that was awesome!

Thanks to Donnie (Greywolf) and Keith (ArcadeDoctor) for organizing the Arcade and Pinball tournaments. They both were really amazing and definitely added to our show. Also big ups to Chris (Spicules) for helping get the Street Fighter tournament going. It was a bit last minute but it came off awesome I thought. I can't wait to see all of these return next year.. Thanks guys!!!! Special props here to Brian Jones (Prok) for making the Pinball trophies they were super sweet.

Thanks to our Panel staff.. Jeff (Batman) for once again being our MC.. and of course all of our great panelists. Paul400 on the awesome Monitor Panel, Hamster and Atari Jim for doing their tech panels.. Jeff (Pinball Pimp) and Brian (Prok) for the kick ass restoration panel.. then of course our Arcade Legends.. Keith (Arcade Doctor), Todd Rogers and David Cruz and Brandon Marks.. Big props to Mpoley for bringing the speakers / projector equipment.. that helped A LOT!!

Special thanks to our sponsors.. Keith Swanson (http://www.arcadedoctor.com), Pinball Inc. (http://pinballinc.com), Curly (http://www.littleshopofgames.com). Your support is greatly appreciated!

Thanks to everyone that helped out with the unending technical fixes and tweaks throughout the weekend.. it's no easy task to keep these machines going for a day let alone a weekend.. especially with 500-600 plays in some cases!

And of course thanks to everyone that brought games.. without you there would be no show! Big ups to Craig Yarbrough (BitSlicer), Dan Kanner (Flipincrazy), Dean Hardy (Motoman), Donald Bendever (Cloud2Ground), Doug Titus (DTitus), Frank Enchanique (Flecom), Jeff Garnett, John Hall, John Harris (JPKiller69), Leon Essex (Ibis), Mark Roller, Mike McCarthy (MikeMcCarthy), Patrick (Owl), Randy West (WildWest), Curly (LSOG), Brian Jones (Prok), Randy (GotPinball), Rich Menhold (Brewmeister), Rob McDole (Raikus), Rob (HFK), Sean Stasica (Jocko), Spencer Carey (MiracleMan), Steven Moritz (Militiaman), Thomas Becude (Tbecu1), Timothy (TimothyC).. seriously thanks guys! Special special thanks to Ryan Fennessy (Srarcade).. 16 games?! That's insane!! You rock!!!!

I'm sure there are a thousand more people here to thank so if I forgot anyone I am very sorry!!!

We sincerely hope everyone had a great time -- that's always the main goal. The show itself was very successful so let's hope everything aligns correctly in the next few weeks so we can announce something for next year.

- The Village / GameWarp Staff

Briefcase (Matthew)
Englishman in Plant City (Mick)
Hamster (Bill)
number six (Jack)
Sid (Phil)
Spiney Norman (The Amazing Maurice Bill)
Xenoina (Danielle)

[number six]

... personal thanks from me ...

First off huge thanks to my wife Danielle / Xenoina. These last 2 years have been very stressful and she has been really cool about puting in 110% to make this happen. While everyone sees the games on the floor what you don't see is the weeks and weeks of work dealing with hotels, vendors, advertisers, tax people.. you name it. It really is a monumental undertaking.. thanks hon!

Huge thanks to Mick and Hamster. The core of the game planning part of this extravaganza. I'm always amazed at how many people mick knows or what he can set up through his vast channels. Hamster of course is our tech guru and also helped greatly with the game submissions and coordinating that. Plus everything else which is just too numerous to list here.. Without you guys there would also be no show so once again big thanks for all your help. I look forward to loading games with you at 4am again.. well maybe not THAT part.. but everything else..

Thanks to BC, Spiney and Phil for coming out to the show and helping out. BC is always up for any project or helping with anything we forgot.. plus i can't remember not seeing him at the front desk too many times.. really awesome considering he doesn't even really like these games i dont think, lol. Spiney is always on hand to lend support and Phil is always up to show he's serious!

Once again big thanks to Rob/HFK and Don/C2G for stepping up all weekend and helping pretty much non-stop. Really amazing that you guys help so much each year.. i know it's a lot of hard work so once agian thanks!!!

Thanks to Brian/Prok for once again coming up with some awesome artwork.. the t-shirts, the trophies.. you name it.. thanks man!!!!!

Of course thanks to all of our panelists. batman, our sponsors and everyone else.. it amazes me how much support we get from everyone.. its truly a team effort.

Once again thanks to everyone who brought games and let us share your treasures for a weekend that's the only way this is able to work.. i hope you will let us impose on you all again next year!

Anyway.. thanks again to everyone.. great show.. definitely a success.. lets see where this goes from here!

[micksimmonds]

yeah can only agree with everything thats already been posted, its been a tough year and sadly I had to step back from GW for a while, as certain personal issues meant I not actually have made it to the show itself, but as much as life is uncertain, I was glad to help where I could this year, and all being well, and if life sorts itself I will be 110% into GW3, and we will make it bigger and better

Really enjoyed the venue, was everything I hoped and more, thanks to Danielle for the hard work on finding the new venue, but I think it was a great step up, with the close venue to the FREE parking, great location, so thanks Danielle!

Jack, Hammy, Phil, Spiney all that have kept me pretty sane, and been there thru the ups and downs of past year, most people on the board I see as more friends than just collectors, and yeah I dont play that many games these days, but its all about the friendships via the games

All the people that helped unload, load machines, after last year a lift gate was a no brainer! but it worked good, and appreciate everyone that brought machines, helped to all hours, to get it ready, doing a show like this is a massive undertaking

Its always a pleasure when I talk to people at the show, and tell me how great it is, and they enjoy this game or that game, and the walk in traffic, and seeing them relive their youth on that forgetten game, tells me we got it right somehow

I have to thank Ryan as he really is committed to bringing games, and cant thank him enough, loading up majority of his machines, his passion of sharing his games is amazing, and truly an asset to GW, hopefully next year I can get him to bring even more 

overall was a really good weekend, couple of personal issues I had to deal with that left me slightly off my game, but still committed everything to this, and here's to SPF as the next show, and hope everyone can support that, and enjoy the games as much as GW, and here's to next year

these shows are about the community, support all the shows, bring games, enjoy playing them, as we have created something pretty f'ing amazing in FL in the last few years 

[wildwest3163]

I would also like to offer my thanks as well, to Jack and Danielle, Mick, Hamster and every one else involved in the months of headaches required to pull this event together, and all the others that came together to actually pull it off and make last weekend a total blast!

I know a bunch of the members by sight, having met you at either the auctions or other functions (Curlys), but it felt really good reaquanting myself with the people I spend quite a bit of time with here, and finally meeting quite a few others and putting faces to the people I run into on here.

The weekend was early mornings and late nights, but seemed to be over way too soon. This was my 1st Florida show, but definitely wont be my last. Again, thanks to all involved

[micksimmonds]

yeah its worth all the effort, hard work, crazy times, and the enjoyment people get from playing these machines, the days of Arcades are gone, and really the shows are the last effort to get these machines out for people to play, whilst home game rooms are cool, its the appreciation, smiles from others that makes it worthwhile,  it was also a pleasure to meet Littlewest, he was a great help throughtout the weekend.
 

[Cloud2Ground]

  it was also a pleasure to meet Littlewest, he was a great help throughtout the weekend.
 

+1X10 he was a super cool kid/guy.

[srarcade]

I don't know about you guys, but I have half a dozen people begging me right now to help them find arcade games for their homes! This show is so great for the hobby. Just about everyone I handed out fliers to (even the guy at U-Haul and the bartender at the hotel!!) showed up. I've already begun collecting projects to bring for next year when they are complete. Can't wait to do it all over again! (Ok i lie, maybe i can wait a little to give my back a rest)

[SpineyNorman]

My Turn

Huge thanks go out to

1.  Jack and Danielle for making the show possible

2.  The Village/Gamewarp staff, I know what's involved in pulling this off and everyone did and outstanding job.

3.  The Volunteers who went above and beyond.

4.  The Tournament runners, panelists, and vendors that bring even more to the show.

5.  Everyone who brought games and made the show that much better.

6. The entire gaming community, we can host a show, you make it sucessful.
 
And again to prOk for parting with his amazing Doctor Who, and to whom I'm announcing lifetime buyback dibbs.

The Amazing Maurice

[HammysHangout ( Hammy )]

I would like to thank myself, for being super awesome.


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oh, yeah, i mean.

Props to Danielle from not killing us, i know at some points she wasn't too pleased with some of use lingering around and or other oddities, were men, what can we do?

Props to Jack & Danielle for footing the huge bill!

Huge props to C2G and ROB for game unload/load/setup help, and C2G attempting to stop that huge cabinet from totally crushing me.

Huge props to everyone keeping there machines in tip top shape for the show, last year we had 10+ machines go down on the first day, and i was running around like a rabid rabbit... this year, everything ran smooth.

I would also like to Thank those who wished to bring a machine, but just couldn't (Bamboo, Khabbi, Mamushka, Tbone1, Cujo) Maybe next year they can have there machines ready, and able to bring. Remember it saves you $$ to bring a machine!

Personnel Thanks to TimothyC for the gange eeprom programmer, not exactly sure what im going todo with it... maybe a wall ornament

Thanks to arob for the Pinball Cabinet Speaker.

Thanks to the Electrical Guy! Way Way Cooler then last years... and he had an attractive helper on Sunday

Hotel staff was super pleasent, always asking if we needed anything...

Sorry for kicking people out of the show sat night after we were closed.. (rich, jeff, steve, doug) ...

And Mick, Spiney, Briefcase, Sid, Etc, for helping out and going out of there way to make the show great!

[wildwest3163]

Thanks to the Electrical Guy! Way Way Cooler then last years... and he had an attractive helper on Sunday

She was hot!

[MilitiaMan]

Sorry for kicking people out of the show sat night after we were closed.. (rich, jeff, steve, doug) ...

No apology necessary ...

I had no idea how late it was until I got back to the room. If anything, you did me a favor by kicking me out.

It was much appreciated that you were willing to let us back in at all. It was the only time all weekend that I was able to play TOTAN.

:-)

Steve
MM

[SmarmyJerkface]

We had a great time at the show. Thank you guys so much for putting it together!