SECAUCUS, N.J. - Mayor Dennis Elwell has announced that he intends to stop the Exxxotica NY show from taking place this coming weekend at the Meadowlands Expo Center.
According to NJ.com, the town plans to use zoning laws to shut down the three-day adult consumer expo.
"A pornographic convention where alcohol is served in violation of state law and at a facility adjacent to a nursery school and playground is not the sort of atmosphere I'll allow in Secaucus," Elwell said in a statement to the press.
Elwell and other town officials have called a press conference to address the situation Monday at noon at the Harmony Early Learning Center in Secaucus.
Many of the adult industry's biggest stars, studios and vendors are scheduled to attend Exxxotica NY, which is produced by Philadelphia-based Victory Tradeshow Management and sponsored by HotMovies.com.
AVN contacted Exxxotica organizer J. Handy, who provided the following statement:
“Victory Tradeshow Management has been made aware of the present situation surrounding our upcoming Exxxotica New York show to be held at the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, New Jersey, September 12th through the 14th. We were notified that the owners and/or representatives of the Meadowlands Expo Center have been given notice of an intended hearing. Local officials are opposing the event and are seeking legal avenues in a last-minute attempt to block the show.
"Our attorneys are in contact with the parties involved to make sure that Exxxotica New York complies with all applicable with all state and local laws, and any and all measures are being taken to make sure that the event takes place as scheduled. This consumer show is only accessible by those 18 years of age and older, and all exhibits are on the convention floor. We will keep updates as they become available on our corporate website, www.vtshows.com.”
The NJ.com report states that according to Elwell, one of the exhibits at the convention is called "violent dehumanization." That description came from a blurb for Joanna Angel's "Strip for Pain" show, which referenced "tongue-in-cheek violent dehumanization"; the event is no longer advertised on the Exxxotica NY site.
Victory Tradeshow Management has produced four successful Exxxotica conventions in Miami Beach since launching the event in 2005. This year's Miami Beach show drew a reported 22,000 attendees.
First announced in June, the Meadowlands event is the first Exxxotica convention to be promoted in the NY/NJ area.
