If any place seems ideal for gay webmasters to congregate for a major networking shindig, it’s Hollywood, Fla. From the opportunity to do business while sipping appletinis poolside to the view of shirtless studs drifting in and out of the ocean in skimpy shorts, the summer Internext convention would seem a perfect destination for any gay webmaster looking to increase revenue.
So, where the hell was everybody this year?
While hetero programs were represented in droves on the show floor, gay webmaster attendance was down—way down—and it was a fact not lost on their colleagues.
“I was a little disappointed,” says Stephan J. Sirard, chief executive officer of adult talent company FCF Agency. “It was smaller than I thought it was going to be—there were less gay people than I thought there was going to be. It was a little puny.”
However, while it seemed like the gay crowd was giving Internext the cold shoulder, there were many gay programs represented. While Maleflixxx was the only gay-specific company on the show floor this year, companies such as Braincash, PussyCash, and SilverCash did send gay representatives to mingle with other program owners. Many companies simply opted not to set up booths this year, instead choosing to do most of their business during meetings. In fact, calling Internext Summer a bust for gay webmasters would be inaccurate, as the truth is quite the opposite according to gay webmasters who did attend.
“Internext was actually a really successful show for us,” says Maleflixxx’s Mary Gillis. “We brought a smaller group down, but we had a great time and did some fabulous business. It’s not just a swapping of business cards; you actually get to sit down, think strategically, make a commitment to the company that you’re talking to, and you go home with a very specific deliverable that came out of the meeting.”
Maleflixxx wasn’t alone. “My experience was really good,” says Braincash’s Mathieu Nolet. “The people were networking more. It’s good to get out of the office and put a face on the ICQ personality. The return on investment will be worth it.”
Ditto, says NakedSword’s affiliate manager Holly Ruprecht: “It was a great show for NakedSword all around. We were able to get in and talk to the partners that we wanted to talk to and really bond with them. We did two big deals that we’re excited about.”
Sirard says he met with several companies who were interested in promoting the upcoming BuddyProfits.com, a new gay program formed from a partnership with GammaCash. “They came to me because I’m gay,” Sirard jokes.
Meanwhile, smaller sites—like the straight-guy themed BukBuddies, which was represented by chief executive officer Derek, president Tyler, and webmaster Scott—benefited from the lack of a larger gay presence. “We’re lucky that there’s no other competitive site here, so we can shine a little bit better,” Derek told me during the 2Much.net-sponsored booze cruise, which BukBuddies co-sponsored. “We came prepared. We’re getting more exposure, we’re meeting people we might not have met otherwise, and we’re having a hell of a good time.”
CorbinFisher’s Brian Dunlap agrees. Fewer gay people meant more exposure—particularly among some formerly reticent straight webmasters. “I definitely met more new people that I don’t think I would have met otherwise, and I’ve gotten a lot of relationships out of it—especially with companies on the straight side,” Dunlap says. “It seems odd to say it, but the lack of a gay webmaster-specific party forced people to go to the other parties and meet a bunch of people that we wouldn’t normally meet.”
For PrideBucks’ Harlan Yaffe, Internext Summer also represented an opportunity to leave partying behind for a renewed focus on the bottom line. “This isn’t porn camp. We’re not here on vacation; we’re here to get work done,” says Yaffe. “The show and the growing acceptance within the straight community to embrace gay traffic solidified the old motto ‘you snooze, you lose.’ Being that there weren’t as many gay companies to approach at the show this time, I was happy to take their business—and I did.”
For those who missed out, fear not. There’s always Vegas in January.
