Marking its second anniversary at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the Gay Erotic Expo blew into town September 11-12 for a weekend of gay-sex industry exhibitions, entertainment and parties.
In what amounted to a giant gay-sex-and-entertainment bazaar, consumers wandered the aisles of the West Hall exhibition space searching for bargains (most vendors offered special show-discounts), freebies, product information and porn stars.
The two-day event's highest-profile draws, of course, were porn stars and porn companies; but the majority of the 50-plus exhibitors were from the erotic novelty, publishing, art, clothing and jewelry fields. Among them were Erotic Piñatas, She Rocks Leather, Good Catch! (novelties), Koala Swimwear, MovieMountain.com, Pulp Magazine and Anomaly Body Piercing.
Also exhibiting were Lollicock All Day Suckers, Natural Up (Viagra substitute), Minoru Erotic Art, Tom of Finland, Bonk Designs (fetish paraphernalia), ArtByHector.com, Stud Mall, Adam Gay Video XXX Showcase, HazeXXXperience (glass adult toys) and Club Oasis Massage.
| Click here for gallery. (GayVN Photos by: John Duede) |
Of the video companies, Falcon Studios and Raging Stallion Studios boasted the most elaborate set-ups. Lucas Entertainment and Global Media both made the trip from New York. Also on hand were ManSize by Private, Oh Man! Studios, Rad Video and 1 Distribution.
Most exhibitors brought along stars to sign autographs, pose for photos, chat with fans and perform onstage. Josh Weston and Dean Monroe were at the Falcon booth, while Michael Brandon, Mario Ortiz, Parker Williams and Steven Richards represented Raging Stallion.
Michael Lucas' booth was positioned right at the entrance. Super-hung Latino Fan Club favorite Viper and twink newcomer RJ Tyler signed for Global Media; Luciano Haas was on hand for 1 Distribution; and Jack Lawrence ("Be sure to tell them I'm straight") of JackLawrencexxx.com strolled around alternately in police and (revealing) firefighter uniforms.
Matthew Rush, Rob Romoni, Jason Adonis, Spike, Bret Wolfe, Andrew Addams and Lexx Parker were spotted in the hall, several of whom participated in the entertainment segments.
It was in the hourly entertainment segments that this year's expo outshone last year's in talent — and daring. The crowd adored Mztress of Ceremonies Cashetta and her sidekick, Lambert, both demonstrating wit and ingenuity as they introduced talent and coordinated giveaways.
Porn superstars enlivened the proceedings not just with their appearances — some also gave performances of a kind that L.A. is unaccustomed to seeing in such a venue. Michael Brandon, easily one of the most uninhibited men on the planet, brought a little bit of San Francisco to prudish Los Angeles ("and left a lot of it on the carpet," quipped one exhibitor after Sunday's performance). Only slightly more restrained, Michael Lucas gave a nightclub-style performance that thrilled admirers gathered at the front of the stage.
Produced by Consolidated Management Associates, the Expo is the only mainstream consumer show devoted exclusively to gay adult entertainment. The Los Angeles event is the second stop of a three-city tour. The opening was in Miami Beach in June, and the third stop will be in New York on October 10-11.
Presenting Sponsor for all three cities is GAYVN. The Major Sponsor category includes Frontiers Magazine, Adam Gay Video XXX Showcase and WebCaliente.net. Sponsors include Fab!, Falcon Studios, MovieMountain.com, Good Catch!, HX Magazine, Gay.com, Lucas Entertainment, Raging Stallion Studios, Stud Mall, Xodus Magazine, RentBoy.com, NetFlix and GayWebMonkey.com.
