LOS ANGELES—Dee Dennis, founder of the CatalystCon sexual health and wellness conference, announced the creation of a Pleasure Products Symposium, which will take place the day before the traditional conference.
“When I started CatalystCon five years ago, I always knew I wanted to o something on a day just for members of the industry and sex educators and therapists,” Dennis said. “I got the idea from the first time I attended AVN [Adult Entertainment Expo and Novelty Expo]. I thought it as great seeing manufacturers and educators networking, mingling and making relationships. I thought it would be great for them to sit down and have a conversation together.”
Dennis said the communication and willingness to work together among key groups in the pleasure products industry is much better than it was even just a few years ago, but said she believes this event will make it even easier to make contact and work together.
The inaugural Pleasure Products Symposium is slated for 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 pm. Thursday, Sept. 15, at the Westin Los Angeles Airport, Los Angeles. CatalystCon takes place Sept. 16-18 in the same hotel.
“The concept is similar to the mission of Catalyst Con: To create conversations and relationships with those in the industry who all have the same mission of sexual pleasure and health but are not normally all in the same room talking,” Dennis said. “This will be different in that we won't have panels, but instead have conversations.”
The Pleasure Products Symposium will feature three blocks: Retailers, Manufacturers, and Sex Educators, Therapists and Counselors. In each of the blocks, recognized leaders in each sector will facilitate the conversations, Dennis said.
The event is free to professionals and members of each of the targeted sectors, but registration is required. To register, visit CatalystCon.com/PleasureSymposium.
CatalystCon is a three-day conference that brings together speakers and attendees to address topics such as feminist porn, sex education, body image and sexuality, sex work, and political organizing in the sex positive community. For more information, visit CalatystCon.com.
