ATLANTA - The first-ever Atlanta Forum kicked off on Wednesday with a golf tournament, and the festivities continued Thursday with welcome parties hosted by National Net and GFY.com.
"We really tried to take this show a step above," said Tony Morgan, CEO of National Net, the event's presenting company. "We stepped up the seminars, the parties, everything."
National Net secured professional seminar company Fred Pryor Seminars to moderate seminars for owners and managers as well as salespeople and other employees from adult online companies. The seminars begin Friday and continue through Saturday.
MatrixHD, NETBilling, CAMZ, CE CASH, Smashbucks, 12 Clicks Cash and Mansion Productions sponsored the first official event of The Atlanta Forum, the golf tournament.
"It was a great day and we were able to get some industry professionals out for a great day of golf to kick off The Atlanta Forum," said Stephen Bugbee, president of MatrixHD. "I would like to thank everyone that was involved, sponsored or played in the inaugural event we look forward to a great show, and thanks to National Net for the opportunity to kick it off for them."
Some participants took the element of competition a little more seriously than other, though.
"Thanks to our strategic and manipulative play, we were almost able to convince everyone else to give up," said Mitch Farber, president of NetBilling. "We ended up coming in second ... out of three teams!"
A welcome party at Wet, the pool at the W Atlanta Perimeter - the host hotel for the show - allowed attendees to mingle and do some business, as well as enjoy an open bar and appetizers, including sushi off nearly naked girls.
"The Phoenix Forum has always been such a huge hit for the West Coast, so it was an honor and a privilege to be able to participate in the first-ever sister show on the East Coast," said Johnny V. of I-Bridge International and WildLine!
GFY.com hosted the official welcome party, complete with Rock Star Karaoke, where participants were backed by live musicians as they tested their vocal skills on a number of classic rock songs. The infamous painted ladies also made an appearance at the party that has become a staple and Forum shows.
Thursday night was capped off by a late-night visit for many show attendees at the Waffle House, a Southern staple. (And some diners even found out it's not necessarily a sin to order grits without butter.)
The Atlanta Forum continues through Saturday. For more information, visit TheAtlantaForum.com.
