Though there were some stragglers, the majority of the GAYVN Expo exhibitors were ready for business by the time the AEE ribbon-cutting ceremony was done and the first of the attendees penetrated the far reaches of the expo hall.
Modeled upon last year’s popular GAYVN Pavilion, the 2005 GAYVN Expo presents the majority of the gay product companies in one area, and goes last year’s show one better with the introduction of the GAYVN Lounge. The Lounge, one of the few—if not only—places in the vast hall where attendees can sit down, has a deejay, areas for relaxing and doing business, and a special area where porn stars can sign autographs and chat with fans.
Ringing the immediate Lounge area are exhibitors Lucas Distribution, Channel 1 Releasing, TLA Video, COLT Studio Group, Hot House Entertainment, YMAC/AVI, Cybersocket, and Prerogatives.
First-time exhibitor Lucas Distribution is promoting its new Lucas title Manhattan Heat as well as new titles from Lucas Kazan (Decameron), Marcostudio (8 Inches 2), Titan Media (Horse: Fallen Angel 5, Back to Barstow). Company president Michael Lucas was especially positive about the GAYVN Expo and Day 1’s “Trade Only” policy. “I have done so much business today,” he enthused, “met many, many new retailers.”
Channel 1’s Rob Reimer echoed Lucas. “We always make hundreds of new contacts at the Expo,” he said. Channel 1 is looking forward to producing more titles by Chi Chi LaRue’s Rascal Video, now that LaRue plans to direct exclusively for Rascal. In addition to in-house brand Electro Video, and distributing the Unzipped Video titles, Channel 1 recently acquired distribution rights to Red Devil Entertainment movies.
At the COLT Studio Group booth, owner John Rutherford is promoting his studio’s blockbuster BuckleRoos, as well as its recent acquisition of U.S. mail order and worldwide distribution rights to the entire Bel Ami product line.
Hot House Entertainment’s Brent Smith reported great interest in that studio’s recent agreement to distribute the EuroCreme line exclusively in the U.S. EuroCreme’s DreamBoy, DreamBoy USA, BadBoy, and SpyBoy, are Number One sellers in the UK and Europe. The Road to Temptation is Hot House’s newest Steven Scarborough release.
Larry Bronco at YMAC/AVI has just released Highlights 1, a compilation of scenes from his popular Ikarus titles (and hopes to be releasing more Ikarus movies in the near future). TLA reports extrahealthy sales of its Tom Bianchi movie On the Couch 1-2, and is following this hit with the German title Night Lair.
And Robert Bass of Prerogatives is using the Expo to introduce ManMinutes, the first pre-paid online membership card. ManMinutes cards will allow consumers to buy access to a variety of adult online content without submitting credit card numbers and other private information over the Internet. ManMinutes is scheduled to debut in April with BelAmiOnline and three other partner sites.
