It's over, thank goodness. Now we can all go back to our regular lives and jobs, get some sleep, and sober up at least briefly. But isn't Internext fun while it lasts? This January's show was... well, different from it predecessors. For one thing, it was in a larger exhibit hall at the Sands Expo: 180,000 square feet contained more than 150 exhibits. According to Internext show manager Renee Johnson, the number of pre-registered attendees grew by 30 percent, but in the larger facility, crowding wasn't an issue.
The attitude was different, too: more subdued, more businesslike. Gone were most of the over-the-top stunts witnessed (sometimes with a rare mixture of amusement and horror) in years past. While "the bad boys of the Web" haven't exactly left the building, they have cleaned up their acts.
"It's been a very business-oriented show," Johnson said as things were winding down. "People have become really serious. The adult Web business, and consequently the show, has evolved. It's not just about the girls anymore."
As if consciously supporting Johnson's statement, an inordinate number of suits populated the show floor from Jan. 5-7. Booths were redesigned to reflect a more mature perspective on a more mature industry.
"[Exhibitors are] trying new tactics," Johnson said. "Girls are signing in booths, but they're not necessarily dancing. Instead, the booths are being used to seal business deals."
Exhibitors from both mainstream and adult companies agreed.
"This is an extremely professional group this time," said Attorney Eric M. Bernstein, who sat on one of the show's legal panels and manned a booth hawking his law firm's services. "[The show] has a very different feel, even from last year. There are more mainstream exhibitors. Attendees and exhibitors both seem to be looking at this industry more as a business instead of a hobby; their attitudes are more realistic."
"We've been very, very busy," said Lee Ali, business development manager for wireless firm Adult Services Network. "We've signed lots of deals with U.S. Webmasters who have European exit traffic." His sentiments were echoed by representatives of JVC, Toshiba, and Real Networks. "We had really good traffic at our booth," noted Joe Cook, a product manager for Toshiba America.
According to Toshiba's booth mate Zach Moos, CEO of California-based mainstream Web hosting firm Zaantek, "The show was great. We had no idea what a tremendous response we would receive to some of our new hosting and outsourced customer support services. The first day was a little slower, but it picked up after that."
"I have noticed the show gets much more corporate and tame each time," he continued. "It was interesting to see more mainstream companies then I have in the past."
Raj Patel, director of marketing for Danni Ashe's new Web services concern, DHD Media, was pleasantly surprised by it all. He's only been with DHD Media for a couple of months, he said, and this was his first experience at Internext. "I did not expect the traffic and the quality of leads that we've gotten," Patel noted.
For Luke McCoy, program manager for PureCash, the show was exciting, tiring, and well worth the time. "This was one of the better shows I've been to," he said, noting that he's attended a total of five. "We got more business out of this one than any of the ones in the past."
DAY 1
The customary throngs seemed slower to materialize, but that was most likely due to the cavernous size of the new facility. Things got rolling pretty quickly after the initial rush at the registration center, though, and by noon crowds on the show floor were thick. All manner of affiliate programs, Websites, technology providers, and interested fans manned booths or wandered the show floor with purpose. Old friends who hadn't seen each other since last January's extravaganza greeted each other with hugs and kisses, and new relationships were cemented early on.
"The turnout for the show really portends of great things to come for the adult Internet this year," show manager Johnson remarked hurriedly, just before dashing off to check on one of the myriad details for which she was responsible. Conventions don't run themselves, and Johnson's job was just beginning.
AVN Online caught up with Joan Irvine of Adult Sites Against Child Pornography, whose first-day experience echoed that of most attendees we spoke with. "We're having a great show," Irvine said. "We've had so many people come to the booth! Everyone's been checking out the new things we're doing and what we're about."
Paul Pastori from XXXcontentdirect.com was even more impressed with the turnout. "We're having a blast," he said. "This is has been an excellent show for us. We made all of our money in one day!"
Adult celebrities spotted on the show floor included the ubiquitous Ron Jeremy, Krystal Steal, and Jenna Jameson.
DAY 2
Busy. Simple adjective, yes, but it's an apt way to describe the goings-on Jan. 6, the second day of Internext. After a late Monday night of carousing for most attendees, the show floor was quick to swell Tuesday morning as the convention really kicked into high gear.
The line at the VideoSecrets booth was quite extensive. That was no surprise, since Jenna Jameson was signing autographs and posing for pics. Club Jenna signee Krystal Steele was also on hand, taking time to visit with fans.
Between signing glossy 8X10s and posing for photos at the Hustler booth, Laurie Wallace said the show was going very well. "It's awesome. Tons of fun," Wallace told AVN Online. "I love having the chance to meet the fans." Other notables signing for Hustler were Gina Lynn, Justine, Alysa Lovelace, Ander Page, and Lauren Phoenix.
"The show is great, but my head is killing me," commented KSEXradio DJ Wankus, who was broadcasting from the Adam & Eve (www.adameve.com) booth. "We really like being up front with Adam & Eve. We're having a good time."
Model Neriah Davis made her first trip to Internext, and was signing at the Candid Hosting booth. "I'm so happy. I have so many new affiliates and signups," she said, adding that she was excited to finally have the chance to put a face to so many names she corresponds with via e-mail.
John Lee of Candid Hosting said his company's global cacheing and global load-balancing strategies had been well received, with many big names in the industry joining up as beta testers.
For Mark, from the three-year-old free site Tera Babes, cruising around the show floor meant catching up with old friends and finally meeting many of the girls who have gallery pages listed on his site.
DAY 3
Wednesday may have been the "short day" of the show - the floor closed at 3 p.m. - but it was far from short on enthusiasm. Even after three late nights of partying hearty, everyone was up early and in their appointed places on time. The gay Webmasters, who always have way too much fun and bear the red eyes to prove it, were still talking about the gay and lesbian Webmaster panel held the previous day and basking in the glory of the Cybersocket Web Awards from the night before. "It's all about diversification and convergence," remarked Karl Edwards, president of Bedfellow.com. "We're trying to sell real products to real people - and nobody gets it."
Others hadn't quite let go of their party experiences, either. "We went to CrazyHorse 2 last night, and it was crazy," said Mr. Voice from Smut Doctors, "but there weren't any horses. There were a couple of cows, though." Only in Las Vegas....
Each year, new faces from foreign countries join the world's largest adult Webmaster trade show. One of this year's foreign newbies, Visit-X.com, was thrilled with the scope of the proceedings and the reception it received. "We are Europe's largest mature video live chat community," said Visit-X rep Christian Kohler. "This is a great show; thousands of boys and girls. We came all the way from Germany for this show. This is my first time in the U.S., and Las Vegas is a great place!"
Of course, legal issues were on everyone's mind, as they always are. After the midday legal update seminar addressed current trends in law enforcement, attendees seemed hopeful but more determined than ever to fight back against what some see as official oppression of freedom of speech. Attorneys at the show represented both the "John Ashcroft is coming to get you" and the "just CYA and you'll be fine" camps. Rob Apgood of SharkTank.biz fell into the latter contingent: "The [Department of Justice] has focused a great deal, if not most, of their current budget on investigating terrorism and terrorist-related issues, so there's not as much budget for these types of cases as there was in the past. We're not seeing a concerted effort to erode constitutional freedoms."
As the show floor closed, attendees and exhibitors alike hurried off to one of the apres convention affairs scheduled for that afternoon, and show manager Johnson heaved a sigh of relief. As she took a moment to catch her breath, she revealed that like the industry, Internext will be making some changes, too. "We're launching a redesigned Website for the show," she said. "It'll have a totally new look; be more user friendly. Be sure to keep an eye on it for things to come."
