MONTREAL - Qwebec Expo was one of my favorite shows last year for its intimacy and variety of faces, and this year it won me over again.
As a smaller show, it allows for more quality networking and bonding, and its location is inviting to a number of Canadian webmasters and company reps who don't travel to many shows in the U.S.
It seemed impossible not to do new business and become good friends by the end of the event. Every show has cocktail gatherings and club parties, but people who met at Qwebec parties actually remembered each other the next day. And there were no competing parties, so it was practically guaranteed that everyone would see everyone else each night - there were a few stragglers, since Montreal is known for its strip clubs.
Sexy Teaser's cocktail reception was the perfect chance to reconnect with old friends - or, depending on your schedule, people you haven't seen in a couple of weeks. JFK introduced FubarTV, which was out on the prowl with a video camera, capturing the experience and interviewing everyone. NATS and BrainCash, along with BrazBucks and JuggCash, sponsored events Thursday and Friday nights, sharing some local flavor while keeping the parties private so show attendees could do some optimum mingling in Montreal's incredible bar districts.
The show floor was conveniently located next to the seminars. Great companies like LoadedCash, NATS, LiveCamNetwork, Verotel and TastyDollars gave demonstrations of their offerings, while Vid Vicious provided classic adult webmaster entertainment: naked girls being airbrushed.
Friday began with a workshop for newbies, which was followed by seminars on marketing and traffic, and content production and management. Saturday's schedule was lighter and more targeted, with seminars covering movie-rental and video-on-demand (VOD) sites, and webcam and dating sites. The seminars seemed to draw the biggest crowds, which was a nice welcome for me, since I spoke on my first panel Saturday.
The expo culminated with the Best Adult Awards, which celebrated some of the best sites and companies in the industry - and gave another opportunity to get dolled up. The award show's location in the hotel's ballroom was impressively beautiful, and no show is complete without Lightspeed Bob in a silver vest.
For anyone who's never been to Qwebec Expo, Michael Plant puts on a quality show that has a lot of heart and takes place in a great city. I would recommend it to anyone.
Monica is the director of MovieDollars.com, the affiliate program of HotMovies.com, where she has worked for more than three years. She was named Female Personality of the Year at the Best Adult Awards during this year's Qwebec Expo.
