LAS VEGAS, NV—The annual Adult Nightclub & Exotic Dancer Awards Show—better known as the ED Awards Show—was held once again in concert with the annual Gentlemen’s Club Owners Expo in Las Vegas. Still the only international awards show dedicated exclusively to the multi-billion-dollar adult cabaret industry, these awards rank as the industry’s most prestigious for clubs, entertainers and club staff.
This year, the evening’s big winners included Sapphire Gentlemen’s Club in Las Vegas as Overall Gentlemen’s Club of the Year; RCI Hospitality/Rick’s Cabaret as the Club Chain of the Year; and Bellzora as the Overall Feature Entertainer of the Year. The show was held at the Criss Angel Theater inside Planet Hollywood, and was hosted by Comedy Central star and top comedian Chris Distefano. The show also included command performances by the three Overall Entertainer of the Year nominees Bellzora, Justice and Shar Zayn.
The ED Awards Show was the centerpiece of the three-day Gentlemen’s Club Expo, which featured three full days of seminars, a B2B tradeshow showcasing products and services for clubs, networking events, and lively parties. This year’s 27th Annual Expo included the first-ever “ED University” Training Certification Seminars, where expert speakers gave training seminars on very specific topics such as alcohol service, club security, chargeback protection and leadership. Other seminars discussed key legal issues facing the industry, and the Expo’s seminars were punctuated by a rousing Keynote Address by movie producer and band manager Andy Gould.
The Las Vegas Hustler Club hosted the Official Opening Night Party on Monday, August 12, and the three-story club was packed with convention attendees. Guests were treated to nine ED Award presentations ahead of the main Awards Show, as well as a special guest performance by 2018 ED’s Entertainer of the Year, the beautiful, talented Natasha Nova. The Expo came to a sexy close on Wednesday, August 14, with the first-ever $10,000 Lingerie Contest and Pajama Jam at Planet Hollywood’s Gallery Nightclub. Top winners from the lingerie contest included adult entertainer Reya Sunshine (First Place), Persia of Shadow Cabaret in Miami (Second Place), and Canadian feature entertainer Heather Heaven (Third Place).
Photo by Kris Kay of ED Publications
