LAS VEGAS—Several leaders representing the top pay-sites in adult entertainment met Tuesday for a world-class Executive Roundtable that set the tone for the 2019 Internext Expo.
Sponsored by Mr. Skin, the exclusive gathering gave seasoned veterans of the web-tech industry an opportunity to discuss common challenges they face, swap stories and learn from each other’s experiences.
Sam Rakowski, the president of MrSkin.com’s parent company SK Intertainment, led the wide-ranging discussion that unfolded in four 1 hour, 15 minute segments inside the luxurious Penthouse Suite on the 18th floor of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Paradise Tower.
“I think it went well,” Rakowski told AVN. “We’re going to take feedback from everyone and I want to keep this kind of series going. It won’t always be pay-site specific. I want to do some that are more cross-verticals.”
Twenty-something company owners and C-level executives reclined on couches with coffee in hand in the super-sized living room that features amenities such as a Jacuzzi, pool table, three flat-screen TVs and two stripper polls—not to mention breathtaking views of the city.
The group focused on topics such as tube sites, piracy, secondary revenue optimization, customer service, up-selling, member retention, testing, gamification strategies and VIP packages.
TrafficPimps and PaperStreet sponsored the refreshments that included a complete lunch buffet, while LetsDoeIt and Mr. Skin sponsored the cocktail hour after the Roundtable at Culinary Dropout on the lobby level.
“At the end everybody seemed very pleased. Many people said it was one of the best things they’ve done at a show in years,” Rakowski said. “Unfortunately, we weren't able to include everyone who requested an invite, but we wanted to keep the group to a manageable size.
“The main thing for something like this to work is that everybody has to be engaged and let their guard down a bit and be willing to share. I feel that happened and we all benefited from it.”
Rakowski added, “We didn’t all agree on everything, especially later on with some of the topics.”
The final session of what was a full day of meaningful exchanges was a “lightning round,” when each person suggested a subject and the group dissected it during a tight, 10-minute window.
“We were able to fit in a lot of little things that way, so we ended up covering a good range of topics,” Rakowski reasoned. “We were there for six hours with a 30-minute break for lunch, which is a lot to ask, but almost everyone stayed the whole time. Over 20 owners and top executives attended, each representing a different company in the pay-site space. I was really happy with it.”
Rakowski decided he wanted to produce an Executive Roundtable a couple months ago, making an initial list of peers to invite. Aside from being a high-level executive at a company, the only rule Tuesday was “no selling" during the Roundtable. Potential topics were discussed and agreed to by the group prior to the event and everyone in attendance was engaged.
“Everyone really stepped up and contributed,” Rakowski concluded.
Among the participants were: Life Selector CEO Mickey Bojcsik; Bang CTO Thomas Picquet; Letsdoeit CEO Gian Carlo; MetArt co-owner Niko; PaperStreet COO Salima Sawani; TrafficPimps owner Jack Avalanche; Kink CEO Alison Boden; Gamma co-owner Claude Hyppolite; YourPaysitePartner owner Kenny B; JamesDeenCash owner James Deen; Spizoo CEO Nadir Drums; Vixen Media Group co-founder and CEO Steve Matthyssen; DDF Network Director of Marketing Paul Acevedo; WatchMyFeed owner Shap; ARLCash/SwankDollars owner Laurel Hertz; Pornstar Platinum owner JC Baumgartner; Jules Jordan Video CTO Ezra; Adult Empire Director of Affiliates Daniel Chura; Jesse from Alt-Erotic; Andrew Youngman, co-founder of LoveHerFeet.com; and the veteran owner and producer of TNVGirls.com.
Internext 2019 continues Wednesday with a full schedule of activities that includes the signature Meet Market at 6 p.m. in Festival Hall, while the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo begins in earnest.
