https://www.polygon.com/2018/7/17/17578446/pokemon-go-fest-2018-event-review-chicago

It’s fair to call 2017’s Pokémon Go Fest a total failure. The inaugural,outdoor event was plagued by connection errors, bad weather, angry fans, and a whole lot of nothing — and it was all streamed live around the world.

It was a learning experience for developer Niantic, clearly. This year’s Pokémon Go Fest showed that the developer has not only done major work to improve the game over the last year, but it’s learned a lot about how to put on an event, too. Pokémon Go Fest 2018 wasn’t without its own faults, but it was a heck of a lot more fun than any of us survivors from last year expected.