If you were one of the lucky webmasters who had the chance to attend the inaugural Saguaro Soiree Awards during last month’s Phoenix Forum, then you already know what kinds of crazy antics went on there.
Co-sponsored by WEGCash and Paycom (aka Epoch), the Saguaro Soirees were created as a way to lend the forum a bit of glitz and glam, Hollywood-style.
Says Epoch Communications Director Rand Pate, “We wanted to give a party at an adult industry function like no one had done before—something very Hollywood-style, with paparazzi, that would give everybody a chance to brand themselves.”
Hosted at the Library, a sports bar across the street from the forum site, the Saguaro Soiree Awards paid tribute to the heart and soul of the adult Internet industry with special awards designed to honor industry webmasters. From Biggest Pimp (awarded to PimpProfits) and Worst Dressed (which went to IACash’s Kenny B,. who showed up wearing a toilet seat around his head) to the Bling Award for best red carpet entrance (awarded to Streamray’s Legendary Lars) and the Skin Award for the person who revealed the most skin (CuriousCash’s CuriousToyBoy), the categories gave webmasters a chance to strut their stuff, hawk their wares and kick up their heels.
“The event itself was so much fun—and I got a lot of business done for my company while fully enjoying the party,” says XonDemand’s Amber T., who walked away with the award for Best Cleavage. “It was a great event to kick back and let loose with my fellow dirty dot-comers. And I really am so flattered that the judges noticed [my cleavage] and voted for me! I can hardly believe it. I have to thank my Italian ancestors for those big-breast genes I inherited, because I would have never won if it wasn’t for them.”
In addition to red carpet arrivals (which were simulcast live inside the Library) and the awards, attendees were treated to appearances from celebrity impersonators who showed up as, respectively, Johnny Carson, Jack Nicholson, and the Church Lady.
Pate says the event was such a success that a monthly edition of the tabloid-style Saguaro Soiree e-magazine is in the works.
“There was a reason behind the whole thing,” he says of the event. “We wanted to let people know that, ‘Hey, there’s going to be a lot of residual P.R. from this.’ Everyone really seemed to like the party and are already asking us to do it again next year.”
“We wanted to put on a unique, grand event that would be remembered, as well as encored, for the Phoenix Forum,” WEGCash’s director of product development, Cory Wayne, tells AVNOnline.com. “Phoenix has become [a] staple of all adult industry shows, and between WEGCash and Paycom, we wanted to set the standard for events.
“There is a specific and defined draw to industry gossip, style, and the concept of fame,” Wayne continues. “We wanted to capture the essence of it and methodically blend it with a venue that offered attendees the ability to brand themselves and learn a bit more about people they may only know [from Internet message boards]. The red carpet allowed people the opportunity to be seen throughout the venue by attendees—and to show off their own products and business interests.”
Saguaro Awards: Winners
Best Cleavage - Amber (XonDemand)
Biggest Pimp - Pimp Profit Boys (pimpprofits)
The "Skin" Award – CuriousToyBoy (CuriousCash)
Sexiest Girl - Daisy Duke (SunnysMoney) and Claudia (Interclimax)
Sexiest Guy – Poppy (Jupiter Hosting)
Branding Award – LoriZ (TheAdultBroker)
Bling - Legendary Lars (Streamray)
Most Uncharacteristic - Aly (thebestporn.com)
Worst Dressed - Kenny (iacash.com)
