UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif.—Day Two of AVN Novelty Expo 2009 saw more educational seminars for attendees, more displays of the newest products and technology in the world of adult pleasure products, and the first-of-its-kind celebration of the industry in The “O” Awards.
Show floors in the Sheraton Universal and Hilton Los Angeles hotels remained busy Tuesday as buyers continued to meet with manufacturers, inventors and sales reps to learn about upcoming product releases and figure out stock for the customers for the coming months. The brisk business had some of the more than 100 exhibitors at this year’s ANE commenting on how happy they are with this year’s show.
“I have definitely learned a lot about this business, and it’s what I expected when it came to being introduced to clients and people in the business,” said Scott Slagerman, owner of Simply Blown, a Los Angeles-based company that creates hand-blown glass pleasure items.
Elijah Kliger of Zohara Labs, the makers of Bigralis, said he was happy to have the chance to meet “a lot more international buyers and companies at the show this year.”
He added, “We really feel like we got the bang for our buck here.”
New pleasure product displays continued to be the talk of all three show floors, with several companies introducing innovative and exciting products.
Satistec, the company that handles the U.S. version of Tenga, the popular Japanese line of male masturbator products, said the response to a newly released variety pack of “eggs” has been overwhelming.
Inside the Tenga eggs are two items—a stretchy silicone sleeve and a package of lubricant—which are combined by men to ensure an enjoyable solo experience. Each sleeve features a different textures, indicated by the decorative pattern on the outer shell.
“The tagline I wrote myself,” said company official Robert Largen. “Different strokes from different yolks.’”
Mike Sessoms of Glow Industries said his booth had been seeing plenty of traffic, especially customers who were interested in their Mr. Magic male enhancement supplement and their new lines of Treeze wooden vibrators.
Adult actress, director, producer, author, educator and artist Candida Royalle showed off Natural Contours’ newest ergonomically designed pleasure products, including the BonBon and le Duet.
“They continue our line of discreet products that are not so blatant and that women can feel comfortable owning,” Royalle said.
The BonBon and le Duet each feature a triangle-shaped base that boasts powerful vibrations courtesy of newly revamped motors, while le Duet also has a second attached piece that has a separate motor. The entire piece is designed to be worn while making love. Two separate motors allow users to turn off the G-spot stimulator if the vibrations are too intense. The products are expected to be released in November or December, she said, just in time for Valentine’s Day promotions.
Scott Stein from Evolved Novelties had several new items to show off from the company, including new packaging for the revamped Fleur De Lis line. Now made of silicone (“We listened to what the people said they wanted, and came out with this popular line in new materials,” he said), the redesigned plastic cases for the line allow customers to have a 360-degree view of the products.
Also new from Evolved Novelties are the Flexems—the Bendable Touch and Bendable Flame—which boast many of the best features from other Evolved products, but have flexible shafts that stay put once they are in the desired position. The Eternal Love line will feature the Power Y and the Power I, and Finger Rings will also debut soon, along with a host of other pleasure products.
But not all of the action at ANE 2009 took place on the showroom floors. Attendees also settled into the seminar rooms throughout the day to hear about how “healthy” toys can mean healthy profits for them, and how they can retool their retail or website stores to cater to women and couples while reaching out to the community to find new customer bases.
Carol Queen, sexologist for the Good Vibrations store in San Francisco and winner of the first ever “O” Award for Outstanding Achievement, also delivered a talk on “Your Hot Button Sex Issues,” in which she engaged attendees on everything from how to gauge potential staff members' comfort level with the industry to how to defuse potential problem customers.
The AVN Novelty Expo 2009 continues through today at the Universal Sheraton and Hilton Los Angeles hotels in Universal City, Calif. For more information, visit AVNNoveltyExpo.com.
