Proving nobody parties like the adult industry parties, the second night of Internext played host to a few soirees, meet 'n' greets, and networking get-togethers—and no expense was spared, considering some of the entertainment and the lavish spreads.
Doing it well in total New York Pimp 'N' Ho style, the Players Ball at the Empire Ballroom oozed rough-and-tumble 'street cred.' Rapper-turned-actor-turned-rapper/actor Ice Cube performed, as some attendees relaxed and nursed drinks. Others on the dance floor grooved to the beat, while at the outer rim of the rectangular, black-and-red velvet room, go-go girls kept onlookers interested in the beat. Putting a cap on a day spent learning the ins and outs of the adult Web, Internext guests blended into the surroundings, soaking up the scene and digging the nightlife.
Meanwhile, down in the Jasmine Banquet Room of the Mandalay Bay, audiotext company UTEL Networks treated guests to a sumptuous buffet—replete with sushi, jumbo shrimp, and delicacies from the East—and an open bar, the line for which continuously grew throughout the night. The atmosphere had a buzz about it, as webmasters, affiliates, and technical professionals hobnobbed about the day's events and future deals in the making. "It's just starting," said Patrick Dalal, president of WineSingles.com, a personals site aimed at oenophiles. "So far, it's been good networking and I've met great key contacts, quality people."
Still, the fun was just beginning, as the second night at Internext meant another raucous evening for gay webmasters, who made their way back and forth between two equally festive parties.
At 9 p.m., PornTeam.com and FuckThatTwink presented the "Gay Amateur Porn Party" at the Blue Moon Resort, a popular destination for traveling gay men. Held "outside" in a heated tent pitched over the pool, the party featured an open bar sponsored by Gay Braincash as well as live-sex performances by several models from FuckThatTwink.
The party started off rather quietly, but by 11 p.m., it was in full swing, with the pool area swarming with webmasters and porn fans alike.
Back at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay, Cybersocket and its several presenting sponsors offered the second of three Gay Webmaster parties in a swank presidential suite on the 62nd floor of the gorgeous hotel. Porn stars in hot pants worked the crowd, which feasted on several tasty hors d'oeuvres and enjoyed an open bar.
"It's about community-building," Cybersocket President Morgan Sommer said of the event. "The reason why we do this and try to bring all of these diverse sponsors together in one place is community-building, so that we can essentially stop the 'pissing contest' and focus a few hours during each show on spending time with each other and find out what the measure of each person is and develop relationships."
Citing the success of the previous night's "Gay Webmasters Party" at the Piranha nightclub, Sommer said, "What I saw was men and women of whatever description dancing and having fun. It's one of the first webmaster parties that I've ever been to—let alone that I've ever produced—where I just saw people having raw fun, and that makes me feel good. In the end, I'm going to go home feeling like we did a good job and that our sponsors felt represented."
Those sponsors included Epoch (presenting sponsor); Adult Webmaster Empire (diamond sponsor); platinum sponsors Video Secrets, NakedDollars, and Hot Desert Knights; and gold sponsors GayWebmasters.com, GAYVN, YouLoveJack, GayHotMovies, Fleshlight, DirtyBoyVideo, Badpuppy, GayGreenbacks, and Commerce Gate.
