SAN FRANCISCO - The Exotic Erotic Ball and Expo, the internationally acclaimed celebration of flesh, fetish, and fantasy, and, according to E! Entertainment TV, "The World's #1 Wildest and Sexiest Party," has announced 10 new sponsorships for its upcoming 2008 show.
The two-day expo is open Friday, October 24, from 2 to 10 p.m. and on Saturday, October 25 from noon to 6 p.m. The ball runs October 25 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. The expo is also open during the ball for the enjoyment of ball attendees.
Adult-oriented sponsors include Adult SuperSource, Red Light District, MAXPRO Condoms, Official Sex Records, and Asian Diva Girls. General market sponsors include Sonic Bids, Oxygen Retreat, Bauer Limousines, Lasting Desires, and Wine Valley Catering, who is preparing a tantric food menu for the show.
Adult SuperSource, the bay area's most prominent adult distributor will be a presenting sponsor of the entire Expo. "Every October we run a customer appreciation day and hundreds of retailers come see us, then go to the Exotic Erotic Expo," said Tony Rankins, general manager of Adult Supersource. "By us setting up at the expo, we save them a trip, meet new retailers, and write new business. Our staff will be there to show our customers some VIP appreciation in an entertaining atmosphere of sexiness and fun. We'll even host a stage. It's a great fit for us."
The festivities will occur October 24 and 25, waterside, at San Francisco's Treasure Island, a new location for the ball which allows it to increase size, scale, and spectacle. Mann has doubled cash and prizes for Best Costumes to $20,000. Oxygen Retreat has announced a serious grand prize for the lucky Mr. Exotic Erotic winner including round trip air, four nights in a luxury villa, all food and beverage, and 20 different ladies - fees and tips prepaid. Mann also announced an on-site Erotic Arts Festival, with a Wall of Nipples, Australia's highly acclaimed Pricasso the Penis Painter, and the always-popular Human Petting Zoo.
"We were impressed by their packaging," says Larry Schwarz of Red Light District, "which included one of the better direct sales opportunities I've seen in this industry. We are part of a five-week, 35 store promotion, where anybody purchasing $20 of Red Light District product gets a free Expo ticket. If it only happens once per store per day, it's $30K of incremental business for us. That's some pretty good math, and that's on top of all the grass roots promo value and branding elements you get with a proven live event like this."
Expo producer David Stay added, "We look for relationships. When we compared condom companies, MAXPRO won us over. Their quality is unmatched and the packaging is consumer friendly. But when we learned that they were global experts in latex manufacture and government-registered to supply condoms through open bidding, we knew this was a company with a commitment and a conscience, and this is something we love to promote."
Producer Howard Mauskopf says the show pursues specific sponsors based upon category and image, and limits overlap. "San Francisco is a sexually sophisticated market," he says, "and a valuable market for brands because it is so full of early adopters. You won't see bins of used DVD's or rows of booths selling fake-Viagra here. All exhibits must be interesting or entertaining. We try to think creatively and help sponsors activate and leverage."
Danny Bonaduce will return to help judge the ball's costume contests, accompanied by fellow reality TV star Heather Chadwell, multitalented MySpace vixen Bobbi Billard, and Asian supermodel Akira Lane. The Genitorturers will perform on the musical stage, and performance artist Mobius8 will bring his laser show to the electronic stage. The rest of the entertainment, over 65 acts in all, will be announced in the coming six weeks.
The festival hotline is 415-567-BALL (2255).
