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Living up to it's reputation of being the
redheaded stepchild of the video industry, the porn world held it's annual convention for
video retailers, hidden in the shadows of the mainstream video world of the Video Software
Dealer's Association convention. For years, the porn world was a part of the yearly
gathering of Mom and Pop video retailers, to showcase it's wares alongside the likes of
the major Hollywood studios. Well, maybe not alongside. More like hidden in
the back of the convention hall behind a dark curtain that was manned by at least one
security guard at all times.
Finally, the stigma of associating with flesh peddlers got to be too much for the VSDA
and the Powers-That-Be decided that they would do just about anything to rid themselves of
these invading porn mongrels. Apparently, the garrish, glittery, minimalist costumes
that the porn girls took attention away from the garrish, glittery, minimalist booths that
non-porn retailers were operating.
Never one to shy away from such things (either that or the industry as a whole didn't
realize that they weren't wanted there), the adult industry returned to Las Vegas this
year, without an official invite from the VSDA promoters, to put on their own mini-VSDA
convention.
Entitled the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo, the
convention, which ran right alongside the mainstream VSDA for three days, was hosted by AVN Magazine, generally recognized as the Hollywood
Reporter/Variety of the adult vid industry.
Set up in a spacious hall in the back of the Venetian Hotel and Casino, the Adult Expo,
in a weird coincidence, was situated right between the mainstream VSDA convention on one
side and a gathering of pre-adolescent Jon Benet-like beauty pageanters in their own
convention hall.
While attendance was fairly tepid in comparison to many of the other industry
convention, the number of visitors to the AVN Expo kept pace with the VSDA convention.
Many of the video store owners in attendance noted that adult video was their bread
and butter and was the only thing that allowed the smaller, independent stores to compete
with large national chains like Blockbuster Video.
Most all of the industry heavy-hitters, like Vivid Video, Wicked Pictures, VCA, General
Video of America, and New Sensations, hosted giant booths that promoted contract girls and
upcoming video and DVD projects. One of the show's sponsors, Video Team, dropped out
of the show at the last minute, although company owner Chris Mann did business out of his
briefcase while wandering around the convention floor.
No convention is complete these days without appearances by Bill Margold's Free Speach
Coalition booth and Sharon Mitchell's AIM Health Care. Both were aided by regular
contributors like Christi Lake (Free Speech) and Tony Montana (AIM) as well as a number of
newcomers to the biz who were anxious to help out while gettind exposure.
Perhaps because of low attendance, plans are underway to combine the VSDA and Adult
Entertainment Expo with the annual Consumer Electronics Show, held each January in Las
Vegas. |
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Vivid Girls
Digital Playground's Tera Patrick
Domonique Simone and Minka
New Vivid Girl Kira
Exotic newcomer Gina Lynn
The always-delightful Dee
Stephanie Swift
Wicked's Devinn Lane
Click
here for more photos from the show |
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