An Open Thread To AVN & Internext...

[Greenguy]

I wanted to start up a legit & not-so-bashing thread where we can all express our issues with the way that the current AVN Internext shows are run/handled.

So let's get some questions posted & hopefully Far-L will have a rep from AVN on tomorrow night's Radio Show where we can get some answers.

No bashing - no rants - serious questions only

***

I'll start it off....

Why is this year's Internext running at the same time as the other AVN show?

I realize that it's usually before the other show & that the date of the New Year aren't helping things, but why not have the webmaster show after the AVN show? (Jan 9, 10 & 11)

[RawAlex]

Dear AVN:

Webmasters are not poor. They are also not so stupid.

We don't really need to be in vegas during the busiest time of the year. You could probably get our rates a little lower if you ran the show over newyears. The prices for new years are lower. December and January are also the coldest months in Vegas, which means many of the attractions and such are NOT open.

We really don't need to be in Miami in August. It is a million degrees, 100% humidity, and it is summer pretty much every else in the northern hemisphere. It is plenty hot here in Montreal, so why go to the 7th inner ring of hell?

Quite simply, your event dates are all backwards... and they don't match up with the reality of our business.

My suggestion? Let's try Miami in March or April, and let's try vegas in September or October.

Those who are attending the show in Vegas this year are paying premium, top, highest possibly dollar for place that, 30 days later, would literally get on their knees and suck to get that many people into a hotel - and at about 1/4 of the price. That would be more than enough of a saving to pay a little bit more to be in Miami at a time of the year when it is truly worth going.

Jamming the January show up against the holidays and scheduling it based on CES is good for your retail trade (read raincoaters and droolers) who pay $25 at the door to come in and line up to SEE pornstars in person. It doesn't really help an industry function. It makes it harder to plan for a new years party, it makes it harder to justify taking time off at christmas (because then you are going to also take the first 10 days off of january to get the show done), and generally it gets in the way of real life.

Make it attractive for webmasters to attend, and they will attend. Make it attractive for webmasters to attend, and more sponsors will spend more money to get more exposure to those webmasters. Can you imagine a Vegas show with 10-15k attendance? I can.

Alex

[emmanuelle]

Dear AVN

Why must I pay $125 to attend the AEE show as 'trade', where Joe Spanker can attend for $40? Since industry professionals are loathe to carry badges that say 'fan' on them, could you not institute some sort of screening process other than budget?

Could I maybe start receiving my AVN subscription again? It seems that you guys have some trouble finding me, but the people to whom you sell my mailing info don't seem to share those same problems. BTW- Why on earth is AVN Online available in corner stores? Do we really need to educate surfers how things work behind the scenes?

Do I need to be somebody special in order to participate in the AVN Awards? No, I am not an advertiser, but it would have been nice to have had one of my repeated requests for access to the nomination section responded to. As a result, my client's video could not be entered.

Did you miss my $4000 in Florida? That's what I had budgeted to bring myself, marketing manager and a model like in previous years. We had a delightful time spending the money on another opportunity that was better value for my business instead. Maybe next summer things will focus on things important to webmasters and we can all be friends again?

[Tommy]

AVN is making truck loads of money on these shows and it seems like they really dont care or bother to check in to what the industry wants or needs

just what is most profitable for them


its to bad we cant organize our own shows

organized by REAL webmasters for webmasters

[DangerDave]

I just wish they would put a fucking remove link in their goddamn emails!

DD

[Greenguy]

I'm starting to think that everyone's a bit too jaded for my "No bashing - no rants - serious questions only" request

[docholly]

beware the hijack:

Originally Posted by Tommy

its to bad we cant organize our own shows

organized by REAL webmasters for webmasters

We can!! and I think its something maybe we should look into for the future.. where the greatest goods for greatest dollars are spent.

Dear AVN:

I'd like to know why the expo passes are so bloody expensive. I attend between 50-75 trade shows per year and the most expensive one was 95.00 because I was booking it only 1 month in advance.

With the expense of traveling and staying here at PEAK season which Alex pointed out, this is just one more padded expense that is out of line with the logistics of the show.

Note to show producers: The Orleans has a huge conference facility, it's off the strip and the hotel and surrounding places *Palms, Rio, gold coast* could certainly handle the number of webmasters who are attending. If you MUST put the shows at the same time as CES/PPAI and AEE .. why not put us in our own area where we can do some business.

[Jim]

I will save mine for tomorrow

[emmanuelle]

Originally Posted by docholly

If you MUST put the shows at the same time as CES/PPAI and AEE .. why not put us in our own area where we can do some business.

But then they wouldn't get all the spankers & wankers paying $200 for a pass to our show, play pimp for a day and load up on sponsor swag.

[GonZo]

Originally Posted by docholly

beware the hijack:



We can!! and I think its something maybe we should look into for the future.. where the greatest goods for greatest dollars are spent.

Dear AVN:

I'd like to know why the expo passes are so bloody expensive. I attend between 50-75 trade shows per year and the most expensive one was 95.00 because I was booking it only 1 month in advance.

With the expense of traveling and staying here at PEAK season which Alex pointed out, this is just one more padded expense that is out of line with the logistics of the show.

Note to show producers: The Orleans has a huge conference facility, it's off the strip and the hotel and surrounding places *Palms, Rio, gold coast* could certainly handle the number of webmasters who are attending. If you MUST put the shows at the same time as CES/PPAI and AEE .. why not put us in our own area where we can do some business.

I wish you fuckers would quit giving up the Orleans.
You know they wont have it there cuz its not where the cool kids stay. Which is why I am there.
GG I can answer your question pretty easily. They have that show at the same time because its in their best interest.
They dont give a fuck about the webmaster community except for twice a year.
Why do you think Aly left?

[DangerDave]

Originally Posted by Greenguy

I'm starting to think that everyone's a bit too jaded for my "No bashing - no rants - serious questions only" request

That was me being calm and the reqest is deadly serious...

DD

[Ramster]

Dear AVN

1 - Since you scheduled our webmaster show at the same time as the AVN and CES shows why couldn't you reserve a large number of rooms at a reduced rate? (Maybe even for those of us that return to these shows each year at least as a reward)

I booked in August 5 months in advance and am still paying $319 a night.

2 - Have you made more restaurants available for us to eat at? I'm sure with 3 shows going on it will be hours to get a seat in the restaraunts.

Since this isn't a rant thread I won't talk about that fact that I have to fly to Vegas a day early to be sure I get there on time and that I have to take the red eye out on Sunday night because EVERY other flight out is booked in the day thanks to the large amount of people there for all these shows.

[RawAlex]

Ramster, don't forget that Sunday is in the top 5 for all time airport outbound traffic in a single day in Vegas. The CES show is ending, people have to get back to the office on Monday, and everyone goes out on Sunday. My advice? Check in EARLY... WAY EARLY.

Alex

[Tommy]

Originally Posted by Greenguy

I'm starting to think that everyone's a bit too jaded for my "No bashing - no rants - serious questions only" request

No bashing - no rants
you didnt really mean that did ya ??

[Ramster]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

Ramster, don't forget that Sunday is in the top 5 for all time airport outbound traffic in a single day in Vegas. The CES show is ending, people have to get back to the office on Monday, and everyone goes out on Sunday. My advice? Check in EARLY... WAY EARLY.

Alex

Yeah no doubt. My flight was almost sold out so sleeping comfotably will be a bitch. I'll have to be drunk before I board so I'm good and tired.

The only good thing is it is a direct flight from Vegas to Montreal. Then a short layover and the 40 minute flight to Ottawa. Home by 10 am.

[docholly]

Originally Posted by GonZo

I wish you fuckers would quit giving up the Orleans.
You know they wont have it there cuz its not where the cool kids stay. Which is why I am there.

hey!! Who you callling a "Fucker", Willis? I'm a FUCKEE.. dammit..

seriously.. our part of the trade show needs to be at least somewhere joe schmodunky can't get into.. dammit..

[Greenguy]

Far-L just emailed me & Farley from AVN should be on the show with him tomorrow night, so keep posting

[GonZo]

Originally Posted by Greenguy

Far-L just emailed me & Farley from AVN should be on the show with him tomorrow night, so keep posting

Since its a good old beatdown... lets fast forward to this summer and wind up more bitching....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10338589/

[Linkster]

As long as the sponsors keep paying for booth space and advertising at this show there will be a profit for AVN - and they will not change a thing - it would be ridiculous for them to change.
Based on their rep who did show up on another board asking who was going - I see that 95% of the answers were sponsors - followed by a few psuedo-webmasters that are what I call hanger-ons. Its amazing that this info will go back to AVN and they will think everything is fine with that response.

Now the thought that AVN would really care about WMs and their input - why should they? They make the money they want - they get exactly the response they intended - no reason to change.

The changes can only occur if one of two things happen - first - they have to want to change (thats out)
second- the change is forced - and with the WM community that is not going to happen because everyone keeps feeding the money into them and they just keep taking it.

If AVN really wants to cater to WMs (which based on the feedback that has been posted and not acted on for the last three years indicates they dont)
then they will get a rep out into the WM community who can change things this year - not 5 years down the road. But all indications are that that is also never going to happen.

I personally have made suggestions to AVN reps for at least four years in person at shows, and every time the exact same answer is given - we will look into those ideas - and then 3 days after the show the ideas vanish into thin air.

This will be the last show for me(run by AVN) - the only reason I am still going this time is I cant get my money back.

[Ramster]

Linkster
I agree with everything you said.

As you know I am more of a paysite owner now and if I was not I most likely would NOT attend. These shows surely have benefit me over the years from meeting other webmasters and making friends. Also from meeting guys who run TGPs that I submit to daily.

This show now caters to the programs and the whales so to speak.

I will be going to Phoenix and more smaller shows in the coming year. Miami? I doubt it very very very much. Unless it is inexpensive as I like treating the shows as a vacation too.

The good thing about AVN doing all this is the small shows in LA, Phoenix, San Diego or where ever will get more exposure and more real webmasters attending.

[zoezane]

I have attended both conventions over the years and this one is interesting for sure. I read the posts and thought that organizing an show like AVN for Internet Cyber Starletts and web masters would be great. I know the porn stars will always be porn stars and I dipped into it with my safety in mind BUT my personal opinion that many Internet amateurs are Cyber Stars. Real amateurs real people. Many do not have an avenue to do traditionaal distribution. Hum? I have had fans complain about booking flights and myself I was so busy working on my site I just booked last night. I am in and will be to many of the parties but going a day early. Cyber the hubby will drive in and make it to the goti party. Ya it is all about the money with AVN/Internext.

[Surfn]

Are you the same Zoe I had help me on SexySurfn TGP in the 90's?

[Greenguy]

Please, let's keep it to questions & not rants.

It's gonna be really hard for me to ask questions to Farley tonight on the show based on some of these posts.

[Far-L]

I am looking forward to this.

I have a question... How many people, besides those who have stated here otherwise, have actually talked directly to AVN about their issues and not just griped on a board about them?

[GonZo]

Originally Posted by Far-L

I am looking forward to this.

I have a question... How many people, besides those who have stated here otherwise, have actually talked directly to AVN about their issues and not just griped on a board about them?

Ill step up to that one Farrel.

I spent the better part of the first half of this year talking directly to Aly when she was with AVN concerning the Florida show.