The Phoenix Forum has confirmed its arrival.
With a record number of attendees – reportedly upwards of 1,200, compared to 650 last year – CCBill’s get together in the desert is clearly one of the must-attend events of the calendar year.
Although it’s no longer the intimate gathering everyone loved when it was young, the forum has managed to keep in touch with the reasons why people enjoy it.
With much of the industry in one place, the forum provided a glimpse into what’s really going on these days. Most people are serious about business, and this was clearly one show where partying took a back seat to what’s important. During the day the courtyard of the Tempe Mission Palms was flooded with attendees having meetings, chatting, or getting acquainted, and there were more than a few good ideas exchanged.
Another notable trend was the noticeable mainstream presence. It wasn’t large, but there were people with mainstream businesses looking to partner, or who already have partnered, with adult companies. There are, of course, those in adult looking beyond the borders of this industry as well.
Phoenix also provided its fair share of opportunities to have fun. From the city’s many strip clubs – at one of which “AVN Afternoons” co-host Aimee Sweet made an unannounced special guest appearance – to events like the Lightspeed dodgeball tournament (somehow won by the crew from IwantU) and the Porn Poker Tournament, which now comes with (some particularly bad) karaoke—there was always something with which to unwind after a long day in the sun. Also in the mix were the Epoch and WEGCash red-carpet bash at the library and JBM’s afternoon gatherings at Hooters along with several sponsored dinners, the largest of which closed down the show Saturday night and was put together by Platinum Bucks and DeeCash (think band, ice sculptures, 700-odd people).
All together it was a pretty impressive and successful mix. With all the activity crammed into three days, you can bet there are a lot of people who aren’t going to be at work today.
Until next time…stay, classy Phoenix Forum.
