What I got out of Vegas

[T Pat]

I worked out a few problems in my head during the drive, got some good feedback from Useless, Red Cherie and Greenie that alone made the trip worthwhile, the laughs and being with people that spoke the same language and had things in common with me was an added bonus

I want to thank Ramster, Greenguy and DocHolly for all the Booze and Food, I won't say I'll never drink again but I guarantee it won't be soon.

My take on the board members I saw in Vegas
Useless didn't disappoint, damn that guy is funny and I was pleased to discover that we have some theories in common.
Preacher won't just blindly take directions like Useless, but mark my words he's going to make a real name for himself in this industry.
DocHolly once again proved to me that she is just a genuine sweetheart.
Mr. MaryLou is like a rock doesn't change a bit and we get more pearls of wisdom out of him at OTB than in person, although I have to admit I did coax out a biggy from him ;-))
Ramster is one class act (I was going to write one fucking class act but he's to classy for that)
Greenguy is a real down to earth person, to me he is fun to watch because I always get a mental picture of the wheels turning in his head when I'm with him.
D2222 I don't remember ever having that much enthusiasm or being that young, but you made an allie in me, if there's anything I can do let me know.
Red Cherie and Mad Hatter are the nicest couple I've met in a long time, the kind of people that within minutes you feel like you have known for years and wish that they lived closer.

I talked to Chop this morning he is alive and well, just so busy with his main stream projects he has no time

Red Cherie and Useless I'll get those PM's out to you before I go to bed tonight, right now I need a nap

[Tekster]

Now I an really jealous; you got to meet everyone and it sounds like you had a good time besides.

Next time I will make sure I go, even for one night like you.

[Greenguy]

And no one farted

[babymaker]

hey, here is a curious question, what is the total cost to attend one of these shows, buying people drinks, food, hotel, reg fee's etc, and if you arent a program owner is it really worth it other than social?? Of course social is great and can be a big benifit, now that i have been doing much better and am fultime the last 2+ years I am anxious to hit a show or two, but wondering if blowing "$$$" money on a show as opposed to putting same into ad spots and other things i know work, if I might wait another year I really want to go. Then of course there might be more expenses for me being BabyMaker! lol, to make it fun, might have to invest in a bunch of over-the-top pimp suits

[RedCherry]

Some of my thoughts on Vegas -- figured I'd jump in here too.

T Pat. Awww, thanks for the kind words. I really enjoyed meeting you and your wife. And the tips you gave me made me feel like this -->|goodidea I too wish you guys were closer, you are the kind of people I'd love to have over for dinner and talk business.

And UW was funny as hell, but I have to admit a LOT nicer than I ever would have thought he'd be after seeing some of his posts on the board.

DocHolly I've known now for awhile, and she is such a sweetheart, and after listening to all you do in your life, you make me want to take a nap. I don't know how you do it girlfriend.

I also agree about D2222 it is wonderful to see young people so enthuastic about their program. But they have to learn not to be shy when telling an older woman what niches they have in their program. It is just biz guys, lol.

Greenie and The Bitch, wow thanks for all the food and water. (ok, that sounds funny, but they can all tell you I wasn't drinking anything but lots of bottles of water). I didn't get as much time to chat with you too as I'd like, but you are the best and I'm looking forward to spending more time with you in July.

That is all that is coming to me right now, my head is spinning with all the things I want to add to my sites.

[T Pat]

Originally Posted by babymaker

hey, here is a curious question, what is the total cost to attend one of these shows, buying people drinks, food, hotel, reg fee's etc, and if you arent a program owner is it really worth it other than social?? Of course social is great and can be a big benifit, now that i have been doing much better and am fultime the last 2+ years I am anxious to hit a show or two, but wondering if blowing "$$$" money on a show as opposed to putting same into ad spots and other things i know work, if I might wait another year I really want to go. Then of course there might be more expenses for me being BabyMaker! lol, to make it fun, might have to invest in a bunch of over-the-top pimp suits

I am one cheap SOB and have never felt like I had wasted money going to Vegas to meet board members.
The next show is XBIZ Summer Forum in July and it's a good show with lots of meals and drinks paid for.
$150 for the show, rooms last year at the hotel were in the $130 a night rang (Useless Celtic Tiger and I stayed off site and saved like $50 a night). I find the biggest expense is what is spent on gambling

[Greenguy]

Originally Posted by babymaker

hey, here is a curious question, what is the total cost to attend one of these shows, buying people drinks, food, hotel, reg fee's etc, and if you arent a program owner is it really worth it other than social??...

The XBiz one in July is well worth it. I think it's $150 for your badge, which gets you into all the seminars (2 days worth), free drinks for 2 hours each night at the casino bar, lunch for 2 days & breakfast the morning the event ends.

The Hard Rock is reasonable - around $100-130/night (but like T Pat said, you can find cheaper places & spend $20/day on cabs)

Assuming it's just you for 3 days, you're looking at $550 + airfare ($200?) and then money for 2 meals a day (your 3rd is comps from XBiz), drinks & gambling.

(the gambling one always seems to throw my budget way out of whack )

For AVN, I'd guess $300 for the badge, $200-250/night for the room at the Palms, money for 3 meals a day.....you're already about $500 over XBiz.

[Toby]

Conference registration, airfare, hotel (split cost with a friend), meals, drinks, and other misc. for Internext Miami in '06 set me back about $1600. For Cybernext Expo Tampa '07 I spent about $1200.

[LeRoy]

Thanks for the kind words Red Cherry and T-Pat.

I didn't get to meet Ramster

Funny thing is...I didn't come to this place find friends . I had no idea what was in store for me.

More good times. I promise

[tyre71]

What I got out of Vegas...oh wait I didn't get to go

Some of us poor porn peddlers (say that 3 times fast) were up to our eyes in html (or as my wife calls it "Lining up Asses")

Sounds like you guys had a blast.Guess I'm going have to get off my ass and get to the next one.

[docholly]

For me, Internext Vegas is always a blur. the timing is terrible since it falls directly after CES. So, personally I just use the time to hang out with my board buddies.

Xbiz on the other hand is not only a great value $$ wise but it is very well organized with relevant seminars and lots of time for getting together and discussing business.

It was great seeing everyone and I'm glad everyone had a great time. I was a little scattered at my organization but look at it this way.. we were bar hopping thru the Orleans..

Also, let me just say I saw a historic moment in porn history when UW & XXXJay actually shook hands. Don't let UW fool you.. his board bark is far worse than his bite--just ask Preacher.

[Preacher]

What I got out of Vegas... other than what I already said here: Vegas Morning Thread.

The thing that amazes me most is the need for people to comment on how much Useless Warrior and I are alike. Two grown men with shaved heads and facial hair can no longer walk hand-in-hand down a casino without people assuming that they are two gay twins.

Let me say this loud and clear, we are different!

I think I can better explain our differences with a picture rather than words, so please view this image!

Thank you!

Love Preacher

[Preacher]

Oh, and I got to meet my favorite pornstar of all time...

(and no, she obviously is not the one in the picture!)

[Useless]

Originally Posted by T Pat

Preacher won't just blindly take directions like Useless

He WILL and he will like it! Ok, that's not true. He and I get along very well, but I'd say that the only thing that we truly have in common is a dark, twisted sense of humor. We're friends, but we don't currently have any common projects, nor have we ever. And for the record, he snores much, much louder than I.

D2222222222(ad infinitum) is a super nice guy, but he smiles too much. I'm always disturbed by anyone who appears to be in a constant state of enjoyment. I'm always miserable, so why is D2222 smiling? Of course, both Preacher and his redheaded metrosexual friend will tell you that D2222 made this trip a much better experience for me by going out of his way to drag a scantly clad nympho away from the bar and bringing her to me. By the way: I showed my wife the YouTube video you posted and she said, "I didn't think that she'd be thaaat skanky." So next time, find a classier web whore who is willing to molest me.

RedCherry is an absolute doll. She's a beautiful woman with a wonderfully warm smile. Though I can't disclose the finer points of our conversation on SEO and link listing, I can tell you that she and I plan on bringing a wrath of fire and mayhem upon those who dare to have more traffic than us.

MadHatter made the single greatest impression on me. By appearance alone, you'd never be able to judge the man inside the shell. He's a broad shouldered figure - a fighter's build with tattooed arms. Combine that with the bald head and goatee, and you're dealing with an imposing man. People who are accustomed to assessing threat or "sizing up" other men would rather fight a 20 year-old with a similar build. A sixty year-old man with type of structure is typically the kind of guy that you'd better knock out with the first punch or else he is going to punish you severely. However, when MadHatter speaks, you realize that you are dealing with an extremely warm and welcoming person. He's intelligent, a true thinker and philosopher. His words, his smile and his eyes communicate to you a man who has an amazing understanding of, and relationship with, the world around him. This is a man who enjoys life and living and talking to him makes you want to reach that same level of enlightenment.

My buddy, DocHolly, is a real sweetheart and a great hostess. I don't even know what people do who don't have DocHolly to keep everyone connected.

T Pat is always insightful. Like me, he doesn't like to show all of his cards on the board, so it's nice to sit and chat with him and have the opportunity to discuss hard-earned information and accidental discoveries. And you have to love how laid back Pat is. I've never been comfortable in my skin. Seeing how Pat and MadHatter carry themselves makes me think that type of transformation must occur with age and experience.

Who is this Ramster person? He's obviously a very friendly, knowledgeable and successful guy. And as much as I like him, I never really say much to him because I don't think we have anything in common. Preacher, who is a far better business person than I am (as if that's saying much), picked on me for having access to a guy like Ramster and not picking his mind for nuggets of wisdom. But I'm not a networker and I don't think I have anything to offer someone like Ramster in return. I simply like seeing board friends and showing them that I'm not a psychotic keyboard warrior. I'm just psychotic.

I'm still mad that MML got on the calendar. Why would they choose him when a sexy, sexy man like me would make such a wonderful cover model? It was nice to see the MaryLous again, even though MML tried to throw me in by mentioning the links to a certain site while I was talking to Jay. Next time he does that, I'm popping his tires.

What is there to say about Greenie and the Bitch? They've always been incredibly kind and generous to me, and you've no idea how much that means to a guy like me. Thank you, guys.

[T Pat]

My favorite Vegas Picture

[bluemoney]

I was hoping for a story involving a "spinner"

[RedCherry]

Wow UW, that has to be the most eloquent description I've ever read of myself or MadHatter. Thanks alot. I felt like I had known you for years and so enjoyed talking to you. Your sense of humor is wonderful, and your insights to business really had me thinking about what changes I need to make on my sites. You and T Pat got me thinking alot about how I could make my sites more appealing to the search engines...now I just have to figure out the coding so I can do it.

Man, I can't wait for July!

[docholly]

Preacher: Per our discussion regarding the appeal of anime etc.

Here is a pic one of 'da dawg's" friends did.

[MadHatter]

.....I sure had the time-of-my-life at the get together at the Orleans! What a pleasure spending time with truly quality people, it was the absolute greatest!
I get caught up in the daily pursuit of new projects and the attempt to keep on top of daily chores...to the point of almost hermitism (is that even a word?)....!
Spending such quality time with T Pat and lovely wife, Useless Warrior, Preacher, Docholly, D2222, Greenie and his sweet wife, and MML and Marylou was certainly a joy! Ginny and I are mighty anxious to see you all again in a few months at the Xbiz get together, what a terrific time we will have then too!
I want to thank Greenie and Docholly for the great food and drink too.....and again, thank you all for the conversation and company!

....and thanks again for all of the kind words gang.....you are all wonderful people, and I am certainly privileged to know you! :-)

[bDok]

I can say this was the best internext I've been to yet. I've only gone to vegas internext a couple times and one san diego show where all I did was smoke with tone loc before he performed. Not much business to be done there. I think it's one of those things where you really have to try to line up at least a couple meetings a day before hand.

Then when you don't have meetings to try to tell yourself that even though your in vegas you should try to focus on going places where you can still party but work on business. I know one night later I just stopped caring about business around 3 or so in the morning and decided bowling, drinking, and watching sloppy strippers in the king pin suite was so much more fun. Amazingly enough it turned out to be the aebn room and ( i looked for bishop greenguy) found this cool girl erin that is going to help me out with our aebn stuff. Then a girl from netbilling I needed to speak to about something actually showed up. So managed to salvage something out of that night.

Was great meeting some of the board members I met and would have liked to have been at the other meet up to hang with a lot of the other members that were hanging out. People I met from this board are class acts for sure and I look forward to spending more time with you guys down the road.

I did gamble but nothing like I normally get into. While I did come away making a little money to cover a good portion of my out of pocket drinking and food expenses I still kinda want more. Not really more money, but more time really going on a nice 2-4 hour gambling haze where I can really get comfortable.

[Useless]

Originally Posted by babymaker

hey, here is a curious question, what is the total cost to attend one of these shows

I paid $252 for my round trip flight, $150 for my hotel stay (split the cost with Preacher) and spent around $300 on drinks, meals, cabs, etc. (had a couple of dinners at someone else's expense). It's probably worth spending more and staying at the venue rather than being cheap like me and staying at a less expensive hotel. Getting a cab in Vegas is fast and easy, but it would be less aggravating to not need to travel to where the sexy people are. Also, the more you pay for a room, the prettier the people in the casino will be. (there's a correlation there)

Business-wise, it probably doesn't make sense for a guy like me to go to shows. I'm not going to go out of my way to network with sponsors because they really don't have anything to offer me. If their reps are too lazy or too stupid to approach me, or too busy giggling with each other, then I assume that me and my enormous traffic flow are not needed. I'm really beginning to think that these shows have become nothing more than a meeting place for programs to discuss up-sells with each other. That, or they are all really shy. At this show, I didn't have a badge, so maybe they thought I was just another lurker. But I wore my badge constantly at Xbiz and never had a rep say more than 'hi' to me in passing. If you are particularly outgoing and are willing to fish for reps yourself, you could do so. Tell them your name. They'll say, "who?" Then they'll give you a mouse pad or tshirt and thank you for promoting them even though they've never heard of you and really wished you hadn't interrupted the conversation they were having with their fellow pimps and bullshitters. It's sad to say, but I honestly think that I'd make a better rep at a show than the ones I witnessed talking amongst themselves at the bars. But I do have an every sale counts attitude.

On a personal level, I think the shows are great. If you want to meet and drink with the unpretentious anti-pimp members from GG&J, or even the douchey surfmasters from GFwhy, the shows can be a lot of fun.

[Preacher]

Originally Posted by Useless Warrior

If their reps are too lazy or too stupid to approach me, or too busy giggling with each other...

Yeah, it kind of surprised me to see all the affiliate managers sitting with other affiliate managers, and there should be more reps willing to introduce themselves and whisper sweet nothings into my ear -- that's how my Epoch rep won me over (the cocksucker)!

I do a little bit of introducing myself when I can, but when I walk near reps that are talking to other reps I'm not going to butt in. I walked up to the bar to grab a beer and the bartender was working the other side so we're waiting a bit and I say hi to the guy next to me and ask him what he does. He was in hosting and asks me what I do, and I told him "I'm an affiliate." He laughed and said they need more of those at shows because there's really no one for them to pitch to at the shows anymore. Then he left without saying another word.

One way to avoid the random wooing is like BDok said, set up meetings with companies you want to meet with ahead of time, or just stand in the bar and offer free drinks as apparently most reps are alcoholics. |drunk|

[Ramster]

Hey all, it was good to see you guys and gals again and some for the first time. In the short time we did enjoy a few drinks it was fun. Hopefully we get to party it up a bit more next time and chat some more biz or otherwise.

I am really hoping to make the July XBiz show so let's try to hook something up then. XBiz is much much cheaper than Internext by FAR. There is a Comfort Inn across the street from the Hard Rock that is cheap. You can room up with someone. You can go the cheap on meals. Talk to sponsors before you go and you may get invited to a dinner or 2 so that can save you money as well.

[docholly]

In addition to the Comfort Inn, there is the Terrible's Casino up the 'street' from the Hardrock that averages about 50.00 per night. For me, in the summer, it's a bit far to walk but if you are really looking to save money this is a good value.

[papagmp]

Shit - I wish I had been able to attend. July may work but summers are so crazy for me that I won't know till 3 days prior.

Work takes me through Vegas 2 to 3 times a year but finding a way to get all the schedules to match doesn't always work.