CHATSWORTH, Calif.—At the 2013 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo, fetish fanatics made themselves at home in The Lair, a playground for BDSM devotees and kinksters of all flavors. Drawing both the curious and the committed to the upper level of The Joint, this corner of the AVN show offered demonstrations and training on ropes, flogging, suspension, and other forms of play that went beyond vanilla into other shades of grey.
Mistress C., the creative dynamo behind The Lair, is returning in 2014 to put together an even bigger and better “dungeon experience.” Once again The Lair will take up residence in The Joint during the Fan Fest, which runs January 16-18. All ticket and badge holders will have access to the area.
With an emphasis on education and interactive experiences, The Lair will bring to life the many aspects of the fetish and BDSM communities, with help from the biggest names and companies in the world. The Lair also will afford companies an opportunity to sell their BDSM-specific accessories, toys and novelties.
What’s new for 2014? There will be more real estate, more participants, and more to see and do, with activity taking place over the entire second floor and additional specialty spaces, including a Medical Room and a Spanking Room.
Mistress C. is excited about the challenge, saying that she has even more time to put together this year’s event. Last year’s Lair exceeded her expectations, given the tight schedule she had to pull everything together. “It came off beautifully,” she says.
Much of her enthusiasm for the event stems from the many talented performers who attended last year and are making plans to return. “I call them my star-quality performers,” Mistress C. explains. “They have a personality that is made for interacting with others. They not only bring a skill set, they also bring energy.”
One standout is Pro Villain, a professional rigger who also works with Severe Society. “He was up for an AVN Award for one of his titles [in 2013],” Mistress C. noted.
Another is Lady Stone, described by Mistress C. as “a true to the core porn personality who has tapped into domination. She’s always a treat.”
Mistress Thick, from the New York area, came in last year to conduct Mistress Thick’s Foot Party. Mistress C. notes that women from anywhere on the AVN floor—the B2B trade show, porn performers, executives from the online side of the business—can come in and get some foot love from an assemblage of “foot boys.”
For 2014, she plans to lure Blue Risk (aka Murphy Blue) to The Lair. “He is fabulous,” Mistress C. said. Though there are so many riggers and suspension rope people out there, she points out, few have suspended a dozen women at once in a self-created webbing.
The themed areas will provide “different rooms and different areas for people to expand their experience.” The Spanking Room will let viewers see longer scenes than the shorter demonstrations on the main floor of the Lair. And the Medical Room “will be really kinky,” Mistress C. promises.
That space will also double as a presentation room for instruction in advanced techniques that will allow one-on-one interaction and a chance for the experts to answer questions and “give people good information.”
But information is just one of Mistress C.’s objectives with The Lair. “My goal is to create an emotional attachment,” she explains. “The Lair is about embracing many people’s alternative sexual experiences. This is just a beautiful way to share who we are as kinksters, members of the lifestyle and BDSM practitioners in a safe public format where people will be comfortable playing with experienced people. It makes my heart feel good to know that people are getting it and enjoying it. It’s an experience I’m glad to be part of.”
“One of the key parts of keeping AVN’s January shows fresh every year is to add new things and draw in new faces (and, of course, bodies),” says AVN Media Network COO Janet Gibson. "Last year the interest in E.L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey was at its peak, and that drew in the curious. And with the movie set to come out in 2014, we’re expecting that interest in bondage and edgier forms of erotica will continue to grow.”
To find out more from Mistress C. about participating in The Lair as a performer, vendors or exhibitor, email [email protected].
Admission to The Lair is included in all levels of tickets for AEE. The following are the options for purchase:
For Trade attendees, badges are now on sale at early bird pricing and may be purchased here. Please note that the more expensive badge includes all the official parties!
Expo Plus Badge: $100
Includes:
• All AEE & ANE exhibits
• Seminars
• Keynote Presentation
All Access Pass: $185
Includes:
• All AEE & ANE exhibits
• Seminars
• Keynote Presentation
• All official parties
Fan Tickets starting at $55 are also available for purchase here. There are several options available, running from single general admission tickets up to the Extreme VIP Tickets and the Ultimate Tour Pass. (The last two options require the purchaser to be 21 years of age or older.)
Rooms at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas can also be booked now. Attendees can acquire rooms for the following rates by reserving them here.
• Weekday Rates (Sunday-Thursday) from $89/night.
• Weekend Rates (Friday-Saturday) from $199/night.
For more information, visit AVNshow.com.
