We were somewhere around Phoenix on the edge of the desert when the Dramamine began to take hold. I remember saying something like "I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should pay the taxi driver...." And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the front of the hotel was full of what looked like huge wombats, all laughing and screeching and traipsing around the cab, which was now parked at the curb with its trunk open while a bellboy pawed our bags. And a voice was screaming "Holy Jesus! Who are these goddamn animals?" The bellboy looked at me and forced a grin. "Webmasters," he muttered through clenched teeth. "Webmasters."
Pride
OK, perhaps that’s a bit of an exaggeration. All told it was more "Snacks and Chatting In Phoenix" than "Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas," but the sixth Phoenix Forum was still a mind-bending experience, with the Tempe Mission Palms resort playing the part of the Flamingo hotel for the three-day networking conference.
The informational gathering, now managed for the fifth year by CCBill, was an almost nonstop orgy of industry parties and networking opportunities, populated by a veritable constellation of industry luminaries (see accompanying photo gallery). The seminars were a particular highlight of the weekend happening, and whether the topic was billing solutions, building traffic, higher conversions, content distribution, gay website marketing, the state of the industry, legal issues, or beyond, there was always a panel of experts holding court.
Premium sponsors of the event included LightspeedCash, SexKey, Silvercash, XXXCash, Traffic Cash Gold, and Platinum sponsors Pluginfeeds.com, Amateur Straight Guys, NationalNet, and Epoch.
Lust
The festivities kicked off Thursday morning with the First Annual GigaGolf Networking Tournament sponsored by GigaCash. The Raven golf club played host to 28 golf-loving attendees (this writer included) who hit the links in seven foursomes and competed for a variety of prizes. The cart babes Sophia (SpunkBucks.com) and Spring Thomas (SpringThomas.com) added welcome sex appeal to the afternoon, but the sight of the gals in their mini skirts and tight shirts didn’t help keep the putter steady.
"We had an amazing turnout, perfect weather, great laughs, and what a gorgeous course," said GigaCash’s Stephen Bugbee , who set up the tournament. "I really want to thank Sherri and CCBill not only for an amazing show but providing all of the golfers transportation to and from the golf course."
Not all the action was on the links, however. In one of the hotel’s boardrooms, the Webmaster Tutorial Series, Back to the Basics, was imparting wisdom to those not inclined to chase little white balls around in the blazing hot sun.
Heretics.
By midday a congregation of guests circled the rooftop basketball court for the opening rounds of the Lightspeed Dodgeball Tournament, where Taylor Little (www.taylorlittle.com) actually played sans clothing at times. Ladies, be forewarned: One of the hazards of playing this sport in the nude can be taking a dodgeball in the tits at high speed, as Ms. Little discovered for herself the hard way.
Later that evening hundreds of webmasters gathered to catch up, talk business, and enjoy a libation (or six) at the Forum Welcome Reception. It was, to put it mildly, a smashing success.
Other highlights from Thursday night included the XXXBash (sponsored by XXXCash) and the Gay After Hours party (brought to you by Mansites and PrideBucks), which did not go gently into that good night.
Avarice
By Friday afternoon the attending throng had swelled. "There’s a lot of great people here, and I’m seeing business done all day long," Jonathan Silverstein of TheContentStore.com said. "These smaller shows are really conducive to getting to know prospective clients."
But looking around, the Phoenix Forum appeared to be anything but a "small" show.
When attendees gathered for the "Women In Adult" Cocktail Hour on Friday evening, there was something electric in the air. "The State of the Industry" seminar had just ended, and the popular event was already creating a buzz. The all-star panel – Ron Cadwell of CCBill, Clay Andrews from Epoch, Mitch Farber of NetBilling, Tony Morgan from National Net, Morgan Sommer from Cybersocket, and Alec Helmy of Xbiz – spoke on such hot-button issues as scrubbing, fraud, shaving, outsourcing, and "degrading" content. The latter in particular really stirred the pot.
But controversy wasn’t the only thing on partygoers’ minds.
As dusk turned to night, and the hot sun gave way to the cool desert breeze, many webmasters got ready for two of the most anticipated events of the evening: the invitation-only Epoch dinner and the eponymous Lightspeed celebration.
Later on, the bacchanalian festivities continued at the GayWebmasterCash All Access Party (sponsored by Cybersocket and Bedfellowcash), cocktails and dancing at the Library Bar across the street, and the Rocky Whorer Dick-Sure Show at a local theatre, courtesy of Bad Puppy, Bedfellow, Cybersocket, Mansites, and Pridebucks.
And if all that fun wasn’t enough, the after-hours parties continued till dawn on the second floor.
"It gives me a chance to see a few friends, do a little business, and have some fun," said Christian Amico from PornStarDollars.com on his time spent at the forum. "The vibe is low-key, which is nice. Not too stressful."
Besides the magnificent buffet, Saturday afternoon highlights included the Legal Review Panel, the Creating Video Content seminar, and a forum on the State of Technology. There was also an enjoyable Press the Flesh gathering with a Topbucks/Pluginfeeds get-together for good measure.
Sloth
As on previous days, many attendees congregated at the posh hotel swimming pool and chitchatted whilst relaxing on chaise lounges or drifting about on rafts. The hotel basketball court was the backdrop Saturday evening for the Final Four of the Lightspeed Dodgeball Tournament, which happened to coincide with the men’s NCAA Basketball Final Four. It was synchronicity at its finest.
Sponsored by Lightspeed, Yanks Cash, Adult Lounge, and World Wide Content, it was Porn City vs. YNOT in semifinal No. 1 and Net Billing vs. The Boards in semifinal No. 2.
Envy
After all was said and done – and the Jagermeister bottles empty – it was team YNOT (led by a fired-up LA Jay) who defeated The Boards, thus successfully dodging the balls and taking home the championship, presented by Steve Lightspeed himself.
Party highlights Saturday night included the Phoenix Forum Closing Reception, held poolside at the hotel, the Gameworks soirée hosted by Lightspeed Cash and Reality Cash, and a plethora of after-hours frivolities scattered about the hotel.
DRM Networks hosted a badly needed and much appreciated Bloody Mary Brunch Sunday morning, a nice send-off to attendees preparing to leave the desert hideaway that afternoon.
Gluttony
We’d be remiss in this particular post-show coverage to not make mention of one of the weekend’s finest accoutrements: the snack bars. Two snack bars, to be precise, set up like bookends on either side of the hotel courtyard. So lavish were these islands of excess that at first glance one might have thought there was a fee to be paid for access. But no, only an appetite for high-end calories was necessary. Assorted juices and beverages, fruits and yogurt, chips, cookies, ice cream, mélanges of granola, brownies, and as many wrapped candy bars as you could cram in your pockets were there for the taking.
It was quite an experience. One can only speculate on the madness that might have ensued were the vestibules of munching bliss open all night. More than one anonymous attendee was heard banging on the glass doors and weeping openly for snackage in the wee small hours.
Wrath
"I hate having everyone asking if I'm going to ‘their party’ and then talking smack about the other events happening at the same time," said Marc Womack, Chief Operating Officer with CJTRaffic.com of other webmaster shows he’s attended. "One of my favorite things about the Phoenix Forum is the way that there was only one large event each night."
Of course, as much as it may seem that pleasure was the driving force behind the Forum, business always came first—and sometimes with a vengeance. For Womack the show was a big success.
"As many shows as I've been to it's kinda crazy that this was my first
Phoenix Forum," said Womack. "The show certainly lived up to its reputation of being a great opportunity to spend face time with business partners without having the hustle and bustle that comes with the larger shows."
Although it was her first Phoenix Forum, Ami Desai, account executive for Ultra DNS, immediately recognized the value of being in the right place at the right time. "It’s a great networking opportunity that allows us to be introduced to a vertical that’s always expanding and exciting. We think we provide a service that can benefit the industry, and that’s why we’re here."
Indeed, there are as many reasons for attending the Phoenix Forum as there are attendees. But let’s face it—no one forgets the snacks.
