EDISON, N.J.—After successful events in Miami Beach, Chicago and Los Angeles, controversy-attracting Exxxotica Expo returns to the courageous city of Edison, NJ from November 4 – 6 for its fourth year in the New York City metro area. Hot Movies presents the Expo, which will take place at the New Jersey Convention and Expo Center with an even more diverse line-up of stage shows, educational seminars, exhibitors and, of course, performers.
Exxxotica New Jersey made national headlines in 2008 when it was set to debut in the Northern New Jersey city of Secaucus. Within the week of its opening, city officials, led by the city's former mayor Dennis Elwell (who was recently found guilty of bribery in an unrelated case), and management from the venue, abruptly canceled the event four days before it was set to take place, forcing a last minute location change down the New Jersey Turnpike.
For the past three years, Exxxotica New Jersey has instead made Edison, NJ its home with three successful shows on the books. Lawsuits against the city of Secaucus, its former mayor and both the owners and the management company of the old venue are all still pending.
Additional public controversies trail the love and sex expo, including opposition from the previous mayor of Edison, NJ, national news incidents involving NFL players circling around the Miami Beach show and a newly-filed class action lawsuit surrounding the expo's "Ladies Free Friday" promotion. Yet despite the adversity, Exxxotica continues to thrive.
"Any time you have an event such as ours, you are going to get opposition," said J. Handy, director of Victory Tradeshow Management, the producers of Exxxotica. "We have certainly had our fair share over the 11-show history of Exxxotica in the various host cities, but we have not only opened our doors each and every time, but have had zero incidents and brought substantial revenue in a down economy to all of the regions. Our New Jersey attendee base comes to the event, cash-in-hand and ready to spend. They're true fans of adult and speak with their wallets."
A key feature implemented this year is the aforementioned "Ladies Free Friday," which allows women free entrance to the event on the first day of every show. This promotion has proven to be an overwhelming success and has dramatically increased both female attendance and exhibitor retail sales. In association with the promotion, Exxxotica has a new "For the Ladies" section on the website. The ongoing blog features daily updates regarding Exxxotica's numerous female lures, such as the male dance revue and sexual wellness seminars.
Attendees have the opportunity to upgrade to the popular VIP program, which includes a free Exxxotica messenger bag stuffed with hundreds of dollars’ worth of free stuff, a collectable t-shirt and free admission to the official Exxxotica after-parties.
"We strive to make Exxxotica an event, through and through," Handy continued. "It's not just a place to meet the stars and purchase merchandise from our eclectic group of vendors, but to have a great time with all of the sights and sounds which have made Exxxotica the most popular and successful show in the adult space. 2011 has been a banner year for us with launching a new Expo in Chicago and adding well-received components to all of the shows. Now we're looking forward to what will be our most successful Exxxotica Expo to date in New Jersey. We thank all of our supporters and those who continue to not only 'celebrate sexy' with us, but our First Amendment right to free speech."
