CHATSWORTH, Calif. - Home Pleasure Party Plan Association president Tamara Payton Bell and 10 guests were treated to a day of education at Topco Sales, which included breakfast and a tour of the facility.
Bell welcomed attendees from as far away as Texas, explaining how the HPPPA came about.
"The HPPPA exists to help new businesses succeed by bridging the gap between home-party planners, industry leaders and distributors," she said.
During breakfast, Topco CEO Scott Tucker discussed the manufacturer's history and his longtime involvement in the adult-novelty industry, explained how far the industry has come, and recalled the legal dangers that were overcome during the 1970s and 1980s. He also discussed his father Martin Tucker's commitment to controlling the quality of the end product by being involved in all aspects of the creation and production process, which Topco still does.
To make attendees feel at home, Scott Tucker said Topco sees the home-party industry as an "important part of the adult industry that we haven't paid enough attention to." He said he welcomes communication from party planners, so that Topco can design products for home parties.
"What makes the home-party plan profitable makes everyone profitable," Tucker said. "I always say, ‘Pre-sell anything you're going to make, or at least know your customer before creating a product.'"
Burt Silverstein led the tour of facility, beginning with an introduction to the strict methods Topco uses to ensure pure, hygienic raw materials.
Head chemist Tim Crawford discussed various types of lubrication and the benefits of the high-quality, pharmaceutical-grade, platinum-based silicone Topco exclusively uses. Tony Hernandez, the company's head of research and development, covered the types of materials used in adult toys and answered questions.
"Topco's proprietary CyberSkin is made in-house," he said. "We use the highest-grade raw materials, which assures the highest-quality final product."
Attendees watched as phallic molds were hand-filled with liquid CyberSkin and final products were hand-painted.
After lunch, attendees were given an opportunity to try out the free-standing Love Swing, which was demonstrated by Autumn O'Bryan, who presented a hand-picked selection of items she thought would make up the perfect pleasure party.
The day ended with group photos and lots of excited home-party planners heading home with more ideas for making their parties even bigger hits.
