There are events that you remember forever—like where you were when John F. Kennedy was shot or what you were doing when the World Trade Center was attacked. Maybe it was the first time your partner told you he or she loved you—or the first time you had sex. For many folks in the gay adult industry, attending the first-ever GAYVN Summit in San Francisco will become one of these iconic moments.
I know it has been said that "there are just too many damned shows going on," and it indeed seems like every time you turn around, a new three-day extravaganza is announced. However, with the exception of last year's Gay Phoenix Forum, there haven't been many—or any—shows devoted to the particular needs of the gay industry. This is what made the GAYVN Summit such a welcome and historic event. It wasn't just that the show catered to "the gays"; it brought together gays from both sides of the adult industry. For the first time, webmasters mixed and mingled with video content producers in a show of true convergence.
There, I said it—the dreaded "C-word." But, if there were ever a time to toss that oft—dare I say "over"—used word around, this was it. "The video and Internet businesses slowly have been molding themselves into the same creature for years now," said Channel 1 Releasing Chief Technology Officer Tony Rios. "There was a great mix of both at the show, and that was great. Both sides of the business can and will learn a lot from each other, and the summit gave them the opportunity to do that."
Rios' comments ring true. And yet, there are still those who would ask, "Do we really need another gay-specific show?" I find it amusing that somebody would question the need for a second gay-specific trade show, as if one company should be able to put together a show that encompasses every single aspect of what we do. That such a question would come from webmasters who are busy putting together the umpteenth straight-guy-seduction site or yet another site devoted to guys jerking off while watching porn on a dirty couch is really the ultimate irony.
As Jet Set Productions' Mark Havonek told AVN Online, "The GAYVN Summit has been long overdue. I think [by its] being a gay show—and not part of a general adult show—the focus was very target-specific. The gay market was able to focus on its business and find solutions to our unique product and audience. It created an environment for everyone to do some really serious work in our industry."
However, is it really considered work when there's so much fun going on? Between all the parties and the Kathy Griffin-hosted GAYVN Awards show that capped off the two-day event, it seemed all I ever accomplished was standing around with a drink in hand and carrying on some kind of conversation about, well, porn. Evidently, though, business did get done…or so I'm told. "Business went better than expected," claimed Maleflixxx's Mary Gillis. "Because of the breadth of attendees, we met new and existing clients, strengthened relationships, and signed some deals. Some press releases will be sent out as a result of this summit very shortly."
"Good participants take care of making sure they get what they need from a show," Rios posited. "I saw that happening. I certainly did what I needed to get the value I needed from the show."
Obviously, this is all well and good, but for me, this show wasn't just about the convergence of Internet with brick-and-mortar businesses, or even about the business deals. Rather, I view the GAYVN Summit as a much-needed validation of the power and potential of the gay adult industry. For years, we've been the "other guys" at shows, the ones who had to work twice as hard to convince the rest of the industry that our product would make them money. The summit proved, without a doubt, we are a force with which to be reckoned in and of ourselves.
Were there glitches? Sure. No first effort of any kind is perfect, and there always will be room for improvement. Nonetheless, for me and many who attended, the first GAYVN Summit will be something to remember forever—and, indeed, to try to recapture. "The bottom line is that everyone pulled together and it all worked out," Havonek remarked. "It's a catch-22: I left wanting more time; yet, if we had more time, maybe I would have wished that it had been shorter. So, the good news is that I can't wait until 2008."
That makes two of us.
