# Bringing everyone to the playfield: a sustainable, approachable future for the pinball community
by [Alyssa Alsheimer](/author/alyssa-alsheimer) · August 17, 2023 · [Pinball](/news/category/pinball)

> Join us at Pintastic New England 2023!

## How did you get into pinball?

One of the questions I always ask folks is “how did you get into pinball?” You get a lot of different answers - some people grew up with it, some folks got engaged online and then made the jump to in-person, and some got involved after playing games on location. For me, it was a combination of things, but a key piece of the puzzle was attending [Pintastic New England](https://pintasticnewengland.com/) in 2018. That show took me from casual [Joker Poker](/pinball-machines/joker-poker-1978) owner to [NEPL](https://nepl.org/home) and [Boston Belles & Chimes](https://www.facebook.com/groups/bostonbellespinball/) member, and charted the course for my favorite new hobby.

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At Kineticist, we celebrate the community aspect of pinball, and how we can help that community grow. A great way to do that is to make pinball feel more approachable to new audiences through events, on-location lineups, and more. We’re going to be discussing this topic and talking about how we can bring everyone to the playfield (see what I did there?) during a panel at Pintastic 2023, and I hope you’ll join us for the conversation! 

### Our illustrious panelists are:

-   Sharon Hebenstreit, [Boston Belles & Chimes](https://www.facebook.com/groups/bostonbellespinball/)
-   Amber Lee, [PVD Belles & Chimes](https://www.facebook.com/bellesandchimespvd/) 
-   Jody Stahlman, [Queen City Belles](https://www.facebook.com/groups/queencitybelles/)
-   Jillian Towne, [Tokens Taproom](https://www.kineticist.com/locations/tokens-taproom)
-   Alyssa Alsheimer, Kineticist (Moderator) 

We’re honored to be part of Pintastic’s excellent seminar program, and have some great ideas and stories to share with you all. Plus, [Baby Kineticist](https://www.instagram.com/p/CvvA1SPR3zU/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==) will be there to cheer us on! 

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*Pintastic New England takes place September 7-10, 2023 in Marlborough, MA.* [*Tickets available now*](https://pintasticnewengland.com/passes/)*.*

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