ANME Expo Opens for Business

Exhibitors and buyers from all over the world began three days of festivities Monday at the ninth annual Adult Novelties Manufacturers Expo at the Sheraton Universal Hotel.

The late arriving crowd got a taste of the newest products that the adult toy and novelty industry has to offer as a record number of exhibitors took over the property.

Gonzo style adult entertainment appears to be steadily impacting the market, evidenced by Pipedream's immaculate display of the new Red Light District toys. The company promoted such items as the 1 in the Pink, 1 in the Stink Pussy and Ass set and the No Cum Dodging Allowed mouth-shaped vibrating masturbator. A toy called Rub One Out and the Anal Expedition Buttplug occupied another corner.

Monica Sweetheart, wearing a denim mini-skirt and showing off an all-over tan, signed at Pipedream, which unveiled the Monica Sweetheart Collection Monday.

"It's all of my favorites," Sweetheart told AVN.com. "They're more feminine."

Sweetheart said that her favorite toy was the High Tailin Rabbit, which like many of the pieces, comes in purple. She told AVN.com. that she returned from a four-month trip to Beroum in the Czech Republic a week ago and was "relaxed and fresh" and ready to shoot scenes.

Topco Sales clearly left nothing to chance with the design of its incredible Indoor Sports Bar booth this year.

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Some of the amenities inside included a foosball table, a pool table, four TVs mounted on the wall, a row of baseball pennants with various company names and of course, an open bar for guests – a Topco signature.

The attention to detail was so impressive that even the red, corner booth had pictures Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Budweiser No. 8 Chevrolet.

Each Topco representative wore a white Topco baseball jersey with red, white and blue trim. Topco also hauled in a plasma screen TV and a dartboard.

"One of our artists came up with it and we all voted on it, so we did it," Topco's Terry McGowan told AVN.com.

McGowan introduced some of the new products that Topco is promoting including the Hustler Silicone, Hustler playing cards, Hustler Condoms and the new Sex Tarts Lube. He said that Topco is particularly excited about the Climax Fruit Bomb that comes in at least five different attractive bottles.

Vivid Girls Tawny Roberts and Mercedez attracted attention at the industrial-themed, futuristic Doc Johnson booth. The giant room dividers within the structure included large images of Doc Johnson's Soft Sleeves and Ticklers. The finishing touches were the five built-in monitors in the back of the booth that played stylish Doc Johnson promotional clips.

Roberts, dressed in a hot pink top and jeans, signed posters of Tawny's Masturbator, the first piece in her toy line.

"I can't wait to see what else they have," Roberts, who signed an exclusive contract with Vivid last September, told AVN.com.

Roberts said that she was in the midst of planning her next Vivid shoot in Budapest, Hungary.

Mercedez wore a bikini top made of feathers and a Vivid necklace as she autographed posters of her first toy — a replica pussy and ass.

"I haven't even looked at the private parts yet," she joked.

The Latin beauty said she was in her second year with Vivid with three years remaining on her latest contract. She said she has moved back to Corpus Christi, Texas after living in LA and would be appearing at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Virgin Megastore in Hollywood for the launch of "How to Have a XXX Sex Life: The Ultimate Vivid Guide."

California Exotic Novelties President Susan Colvin and Director of Marketing Al Bloom stayed busy meeting with buyers at their multi-faceted, open booth. Cal Exotics, which also will visit Australia this month, has returned to the show armed with new items such as Justine's Jelly Glitter dong and the EZ Bend Stud that features Lonnie on the package. Cal Exotics also built a separate section for its entire Shane's World line and of course, the Digital Playground Virtual Sex Toys/Jesse Jane Collection.

Las Vegas Novelties Inc. and Kama Sutra/Peekay.com shared one wing of the main ballroom. Kama Sutra came to the show with a line of purple vibrators and lube.

Roxie Johnson, the head of sales for Las Vegas Novelties, told AVN.com that Monday marked the public debut of the Ice Dong, which is meant to be placed in a freezer before use. She said that LVNI has entered into a licensing agreement with the patent holder.

LVNI also displayed a bondage kit that included ankle and wrist straps, a blindfold and paddle. In addition to the Ron Jeremy and Sean Michaels lines, the booth also featured merchandise from Dreamboys U.K. and Mike South.

Johnson said that the new Rattler vibe illustrates the advances the company has made with electronics. Another convenient item in the LVNI arsenal is the Spa Kit, which consists of two massage oils and bath salts and has company co-owner Serenity on the package. In addition, LVNI displayed a double dong that weighed one pound and comes in five different colors and the Sex in the City Vibrating Lipstick with Vivid's Roberts on the box.

Geoff Aran, the president of Kammo Productions which produces ANME, said early in the afternoon, "I can't breathe right now. It's been such a busy morning. A lot of buyers showed up early and we were swamped."

Aran noted there are four different places on the property this year that are housing over 100 exhibitors. This year's event is different because some booths are positioned on the rooftop garden and others in the terrace suites alongside the pool like they were two years ago. Aran said there were 35 exhibitors upstairs.

Meanwhile, Bill Margold worked the Free Speech Coalition table, offering patrons the first glimpse of his new stuffed bears, ducks and monkeys that fit on top of a computer and were on sale for $10 apiece or three for $25. His signature bear says "Censorship is Unbearable."

Margold said he would like to see the age of legal entry into adult increased to 21; he supports implementing intravenous drug testing and is also strongly in favor of a porn tax that could give the industry "legitimacy."

He told AVN.com that John Holmes would be honored on his 60th birthday on Aug. 8 at the Erotic Museum in Hollywood at an event called "Fit for the King."

The ad line for the night is "Spend an evening with those who knew him and those who blue him."

"He is the most important person is this industry. This is not about hero worship. This is about legend realization," Margold said. "He is the one name synonymous with the history of this business. … There is no future within the present if we fail to pay homage to the past."

One of the executives making the rounds was Bob Wolf, the general manager of The Adult Supersource, which encompasses General Video of America – West, Erotech Corporation, Profit Pak and San Oak Distributors in San Francisco.

"The smaller guys are what I’m most interested in," Wolf told AVN.com near the booths in the Studio Suites. "… I'm doing our clients a disservice if I don't come down here to see what's new and what's innovative."

He noted that a Chasey Lain pussy from Wildfire began generating buzz at an ANME show a few years back.

Meanwhile, Elbow Grease, which made the original lube 25 years ago, launched its new product geared toward women, Encounter, at the show.

"There is a warming action to it," Vice President Nef Martinez, who was joined by Director of Sales Irene Campana, told AVN.com.

Meanwhile, Elbow Grease founder David Mazer broke the news that his lube recently won the Bronze Medal from the France-based magazine RemAides, which evaluated the best lubes in the world.

Kimberly Wilson, the president of Inpulse Pictures, the new company geared toward women, told AVN.com that her first release, Velvet Thrust, was moving impressively well

"I have had distributors calling me asking for it," Wilson said, adding that the company is waiting for broadcast masters for the VOD platform before it launches Inpulse TV sometime this fall.

Cousin Stevie, director of Cousin Stevie's Pussy Party 1-3 and co-star of Showtime's Family Business, also made the trip to Universal City. He and his cousin Seymore Butts intended to promote their new toy lines with Pipedream.

Performers Randy West and Trisha Uptown, Video Team President Christian Mann and Red Light District owner David Joseph were also spotted.