Internext kicked it up a notch on day two.
Although the issue doesn't seem to be as prevelant as it was at other recent shows, 2257 hit the main stage on Saturday with the most well-attended seminar of the show thus far.
And hey, guess what? There are just about as many answers now as there were two months ago. That is to say, not many.
"Unfortunately in some cases we don't know what the answers are yet," GFY marketing director and panel moderator Eric Matis told the room.
The Free Speech Coalition communications director Tom Hymes gave the crowd a rundown of the deposition hearing in Free Speech Coalition v. Gonzales, which took place August 1 and 2 in Denver and is widely considered a success in the industry.
"I think everyone in this room should be extremely proud in the way these attorneys presented themselves," Hymes said.
"They were intent upon arguing for everyone from the smallest webmaster to the largest company."
Cue applause.
Attorney Rob Apgood, who also sat on the panel along with nine others, cautioned the crowd that the FSC's motion for an injunction, which should be decided upon in no more than three weeks according to attorneys, isn't the final solution to 2257.
"If we win the FSC case, and I believe we will, it's not the end. It's the beginning," he said.
Day two's other seminar highlight was the obscenity panel, who largely warned the audience that the government's ultimate goal with the updated 2257 regulations is to get obscenity convictions through stacking charges, and then dismissing 2257 charges in exchange for a guilty plea on an obscenity charge.
"What they're trying to do is get the conviction for the more politically popular casue and go to Morality in Media and say look, we are getting results," Apgood said.
"As being in the adult industry becomes more mainstream, we're experiencing more of a backlash from right-wing conservatives," FSC executive director Michelle Freridge said.
But hey, this is a porn convention and it isn't all about dodging government bullets, although it appears that iBill is still dodging some bullets from elsewhere.
The payment processor has a presence (and a booth) on the show floor as part of their effort to bring the company back from the dead under Interactive Brand Development, who took over the company in January, management.
However, webmasters are still doing a double take at iBill's presence. There was almost a constant stream of attendees stopping by asking iBill reps if they were paying webmasters.
"We've paid out $30 million since March," was the standard response.
There were other entertaining diversions at the show as well. Cleary, the sexiest beast to make an appearence on the show floor on Saturday was Harry, the Hustler orangutan who was making the rounds with the LFP crew and constantly stopping to pose for photos with the ladies.
"Just looking for a little viral marketing," Flynt Digital marketing director Laurel Hertz said.
Well played, Hustler, well played.
It's also getting hard to ignore the Tom Hymes/Connor Young vs. ICM Registry battle royal that's coming Sunday morning during the dot-xxx seminar.
Let the countdown begin.
