The largest adult industry tradeshow in the world opened Thursday as the movers and shakers at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo began four days of festivities at the Sands Expo Center inside the Venetian Hotel.
Hundreds of sexy adult stars joined leading producers, retailers,
manufacturers and distributors on the expansive show floor, where thousands of fans got their first taste of the bustling porn business in 2004.
Day One is always filled with statements as industry heavyweights display their style and upstart companies establish their presence, while the newest players signal their arrival. The venue was brimming with larger-than-life images and personalities, such as Hustler founder Larry Flynt who presided over the ribbon-cutting ceremony with a bevy of hot starlets by his side.
It didn’t take long after that for the action to heat up at Flynt’s futuristic Hustler Video booth, where nephew Jimmy Flynt II told AVN.com that this year is special.
“Hustler is celebrating its 30th anniversary in July and we want to really make 2004 our banner year,” Flynt II said. “We want to continue to grow the adult industry and focus on improving adult content and the retail and Internet experience. Larry Flynt is going to be making an announcement at the AVN Awards about something that has never been done. It will set the tone for the rest of the year.”
Hustler’s innovative booth featured two new kiosks, meeting rooms, plasma screen TVs and of course, super fine women such as Gina Lynn, Lauren Phoenix and Avy Scott signing autographs and posing for pictures.
“It’s a very exciting time for Hustler and for Larry Flynt. He’s going to continue to fight for the adult industry and for freedom of expression,” Flynt II said.
Several companies made significant announcements during the first flurry of activity. Pure Play Media informed AVN.com that it was taking on the North American distribution for Erotic Media, a publicly-traded, high-end porn producer based in Switzerland.
“The titles we are releasing are carefully hand-selected,” T.J. DiReda, director of marketing for Pure Play, told AVN.com.
Pure Play President Richard Arnold, who is of Swiss-Canadian descent, said that the videos would feature all-natural European girls reminiscent of Private’s classic look.
“This will be their first introduction to North America and we’re very excited about going out with that,” Arnold told AVN.com.
Meanwhile, Rex Ryder of Freedom Distributing broke the news that the first 25 of 105 features from Moonlight Entertainment were available on DVD for the first time at the show. Some of these classics feature box covers with stars such as Nina Hartley, Jeanna Fine, Nici Sterling, Danielle Rogers, Lauren Hall, Crystal Knight and Serenity.
“The Moonlight library is just insane,” Ryder said.
Freedom is also distributing the five-volume Sex Trek series, a popular Star Trek parody, for the first time on DVD.
Ryder told AVN.com that Freedom was working with Arrow Productions on a special in which they mix 25 Moonlight features with 25 Arrow features.
He said Freedom was also the exclusive distributor and manufacturer of the new Lifestyles reality porn line, and now all of Freedom’s DVD production is done in-house.
Sineplex Entertainment announced it was launching Sensational Pictures at the show as performers Brittney Skye, Dominica Leoni, Friday, Sophia and Vanity greeted fans
Sensational will feature contracted directors and will be niche-driven, Travis Nestor, director of marketing, told AVN.com.
“We built such a good brand name with Sineplex that we decided to start with a new company without taking anything away from the integrity of Sineplex,” Nestor said.
The first Sensational Pictures releases are Brittney’s Perversions, Laced and Loaded and Young and Stacked.
Nestor said that Skye and Buck Legends would be among the contract directors. Sineplex was sharing a booth with Valley Pro Video, a one-stop distributor that will be moving to a new location on Febuary 1 in Porn Valley.
Meanwhile at the Wildlife Productions booth, Nick Manning told AVN.com he would now be distributing his own titles through his new company Veteran Distribution this year.
“I’ll be doing more productions for Nick Manning Films and Nick Manning Productions and less of working for other people,” the AVN Male Performer of the Year nominee said. “I can’t tell you how wonderful it is now that I can control everything.”
Manning said he was also working on an output deal with Playgirl and he was dating Skye Blue.
“She keeps me on my toes,” he joked.
Veteran producer-director Stoney Curtis unveiled the trailer for two of his latest releases from his new gonzo company Lethal Hardcore. The footage for Anal Cumsumption and 12 on One includes young starlets drinking cum from a wine glass and scooping it out of cups and into their mouths with a spoon.
“They don’t do it with anger or displeasure, they do it with a smile,” Curtis told AVN.com, as he watched a highlight of a girl who performed an anal maneuver but wasn’t as enthusiastic about the cum play. “This girl wasn’t as into it, but she was a pooper trooper.”
While Demi Marx and Michelle B. greeted fans at the new and improved Celestial/Lethal Hardcore booth, Curtis revealed the direction of the new venture.
“Let’s face it, the future of the adult industry today is more lethal (content),” he said. “It’s a progression of what the fans want and the name represents what’s happening in the world today.
Ramon Ferrufino, an account executive with Fanta Dream which specializes in Japanese hardcore, told AVN.com his company was promoting 3D porn.
Fanta Dream’s latest release, Perfect Teen, features 20 minutes of 3D footage that consumers can watch with the 3D glasses that come with the DVD.
Sandy Bunz, president of Flashpoint Productions, kicked off his third appearance at the AVN Expo by touting the release of On the Beach 3 and Spring Beach Party. He said his now has two full-time salespeople, Tony and Maria, and is reaching out to the Hispanic market.
“We’re excited about the show because of the 60 Minutes CBS documentary there is a lot of interest in adult right now and a lot of interest in Las Vegas,” Bunz said.
Some of Bunz’s other releases include Sweet Lips 3, Big Sticky Tits 2, Cream Filled Chocolates 3 and Public Sex 2. He will also be releasing a new strap-on line called Bring It On Bitch.
As a record number of 290 exhibitors gave the opening day a festive atmosphere, as always, it was the girls who kept the fans coming back for more.
Red Light District was attracting attention with Nautica Thorn, Katsumi, Giselle and Roxy Jezel each wearing skimpy black Red Light outfits. Belladonna, now a fetching blonde, entertained a crowd at the Evil Angel booth and Sunrise Adams thrilled several others at the Vivid booth. Meanwhile, Jesse Jane had a line of admirers waiting for her at Digital Playground and the first glimpse of Jenna Jameson came about 12:30 p.m. at Vivid. New Club Jenna Girl Krystal Steal was spotted as well.
“There are a lot of new girls this year and they’re all hot. I’m excited because I can put them in my movies,” Jill Kelly Productions star Alexis Amore told AVN.com on her way to an interview with CNN.
