LAS VEGAS—The 2015 installment of Internext started off with a bang, quickly proving to be the biggest version of the expo—and perhaps one of the biggest internet-based shows anywhere—in the past several years.
More than 1,400 registered attendees and sponsors gathered at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas for the show, which ran January 17-19. The presenting sponsor was BitterStrawberry.
The show schedule featured several staples that make it a favorite among attendees—speed networking sessions, educational seminars, special presentations by exhibiting companies and, of course, parties.
Those who got in on January 16 were able to make it to the Mojohost Suite Party, where Brad Mitchell and his Mojohost crew welcomed the early-bird arrivals with cocktails and lively chat in their pool villa suite. (Click here for photo gallery.)
The next morning, the registration desk (sponsored by Pussycash) opened up at noon, and soon a long line snaked out of the Paradise Tower back into the hall leading to the casino. Once in, Meet Market exhibitors hustled off to get their booths and marketing material set up, while show vets caught up with old friends. (Click here for a photo gallery.)
For the many newbies there was a seminar on Internext A to Z, with advice offered by AVN staffers. The most salient suggestions, aside from using gallons of hand sanitizer, were about the importance of networking. Appropriately, networking took on a few forms this year, with the traditional speed networking version seeing a packed house every day. The “Elevator Pitch” version of the networking event proved to be a popular, if not quieter, affair. There was also the Bitches Business Lounge, which offered women in the industry a chance to mingle over mimosas. The networking sessions were sponsored by CamsPower, a global webcam company that recently expanded into the U.S. market, while seminars were sponsored by CoolMobile.
Listening to the voices speaking in the hallways and the seminar rooms, it was clear that this show has an international reach. Attendees had come from all around Europe, and there were also visitors from South America, India and eastern Asia. Some had traffic to sell or buy; others were hawking their own content or looking to buy into new niches.
And there were many brand-new attendees. Some were looking for providers of traditional services like billing, chargeback help, hosting and advertising; others offering a service themselves—often something innovative. They got a chance to interact with all the big players at the Meet Market, sponsored by Etology, which took place in the early evening of the first day.
New exhibitors included CPATrend, an affiliate marketing network with strong ties in Germany, Norway, Sweden and France; and HilltopAds, an advertising network. And some familiar companies offered new products. AdultCentro, for instance, introduced its AdultCentro Channels, which offers branded channels for those looking for content partners. CrakRevenue was preparing for a U.S. launch of Sex Messenger, a peer-to-peer chat messenger, and X Industry Jobs showed its new website. TrafficHaus launched its DigiRegs, a provider of digital content regulations that helps producers a way to protect content. And there was also the brand-new Porndoe.com, a “legal tube” that contains only licensed content. The site also got its name out in front of fans by sponsoring the AVN Awards Show, which took place a week after the Meet Market.
And as usual, there was plenty of swag. Jasmin.com offered ear buds in a portable circular case and mints in a heart-shaped container, both echoing the familiar red color scheme of the live chat giant’s main site. And attendees also got to learn more about Jasmin at Laszlo Czero’s keynote speech.
Lighters were big this year, including a snazzy refillable model from Bitter Strawberry, while AdultCentro brought back its tiny magnetic pipes, which fold up into discreet cubes. In addition to the usual microfiber clothes, Post-Its, notepads, lip balm and T-shirts, breath mints were this year’s go-to giveaway. ChargebackHelp combined two favorites in a double-sided dispenser filled with both mints and lip balm. Among the more unusual items were fingertip flashlights from Mobius and the very popular selfie sticks from Affil4You.
The second night was all about hip-hop, when Grand Slam Media turned Vinyl nightclub into the House of Slam. But before DMX and B. Real of Cypress Hill entertained the packed room, there was the Traffic Dinner, sponsored by UpForIt, Sextronix, CamsPower, Traffic Stars and AdultCentro. The same night, Union Ad Sales threw a stylish penthouse suite soiree. And GayVN attendees flocked to the off-the-hook Hustlaball Las Vegas, sponsored by Flirt4Free.
Business and pleasure continued to absorb the attendees all the way through the show, including BrokerBabe’s shooting range excursion, Segpay’s simulated racing booth in the Internext Lounge, the CEO Dinner (sponsored by TrafficHunt and CommerceGate), and the GFY Awards ceremony. And it all culminated with the sponsors’ brunch the next day, after which hundreds of webmasters were on their way, criss-crossing the globe to get back home.
