CLEARWATER, Fla.—For the 21st straight year, an entire industry came together for three days of networking events, seminars, exclusive parties, a packed tradeshow and an industry awards show. The Annual Gentlemen’s Club Owners Expo, held Aug. 20-22 at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, boasted one of the event’s highest attendance, including club owners and operators, DJs and other club staff, feature entertainers, industry pros and many more.
As is the case each year, the Expo’s highlight event was the 16th Annual ED’s Awards Show, held Aug. 21 at the House of Blues and sponsored by Anheuser-Busch. Anchored by awards show host, comedian Adam Hunter, and including special guest appearances by Motley Crue’s Vince Neil and Pantera/Hellyeah drummer Vinnie Paul, along with command performances by the four Overall Entertainer of the Year Nominees—Lacey Rain, Krystle Cummings, Christina Aguchi and Dakota Skye—the Annual ED’s Awards Show presented awards to the industry’s top adult nightclubs and feature entertainers. The two top awards—Overall Feature Entertainer of the Year and Overall Club of the Year—went to Christina Aguchi and Spearmint Rhino Las Vegas, respectively.
“With its fast pace, engaging special presenters and amazing feature entertainer performances—not to mention the great live music provided by Las Vegas’ own Brazen—this year’s ED’s Awards Show will certainly go down as one of the best ever,” said ED’s Associate Publisher Dave Manack. “We not only salute each and every club and entertainer who won this year, but all of the deserving nominees as well. It is our privilege to be the only national awards show for this industry, and we enjoy celebrating the best-of-the-best each year.”
The ED’s Awards Show is only one facet of this annual convention. This year’s “Money Expo” featured seminars dedicated to either making or saving club operators money right now, and boasted Expo keynote speaker Steven Hirsch of Vivid Entertainment.
The Opening Night “Game Show” Party at the Hustler Club saw feature entertainer Jayden Cole win the first-ever “Stripper Jeopardy,” while “bachelorette” entertainer Richelle Ryan was chosen by the “bachelor”—Charles Bass, co-owner of Babe’s Cabaret in New Orleans—during the “Dating Game.”
“We pack three days full of seminars, networking events, private parties and our tradeshow with the hope that every attendee gets their money’s worth,” Manack said. “We appreciate every single guest who joins our annual Vegas get-together, and we’re already looking forward to Expo 2014.”
The winners from the 2013 ED’s Awards Show include:
Overall Gentlemen’s Club of the Year
Spearmint Rhino, Las Vegas, NV
Club Chain of the Year
Rick’s Cabaret
Overall Entertainer of the Year
Christina Aguchi
Newcomer Entertainer of the Year
Darling Danika
Club Favorite Entertainer of the Year
Suzie Malone
Adult Movie Entertainer of the Year
Richelle Ryan
Miss ExoticDancer.com of the Year
Miss Mena
Hall of Fame
Hal Lowrie
Club of the Year/Northeast
Hustler Club, New York City
Small Club of the Year/Northeast
Kandy’s Gentlemen’s Club, Waterford, PA
Club of the Year/Southeast
Thee Dollhouse, Tampa, FL
Small Club of the Year/Southeast
Trophy Club, Florence, SC
Club of the Year/Midwest
Show Palace Gentlemen’s Club, Darien, WI
Small Club of the Year/Midwest
Deja Vu, Lansing, MI
Club of the Year/Central
Rick’s Cabaret DFW, Fort Worth, TX
Small Club of the Year/Central
Babe’s Cabaret, New Orleans
Club of the Year/West
Penthouse Club, San Francisco
Small Club of the Year/West
Fantasy Castle, Long Beach, CA
“Feature” Club of the Year
Cafe Royale, Farmingdale, NY
Club Employee of the Year
Toni Smith, Diamond Dolls, Pompano Beach, FL
General Manager of the Year
Ken DeGori, Gold Club, San Francisco
DJ of the Year
Jon “MC” Harmon, Penthouse Club, San Francisco
