Trade shows, why don't we let in the general public?
 

This industry spends a fortune getting itself in front of the surfer, online. I would also think of all the porn delivery methods we need to build consumer trust the most.

The mainstream porn industry has a show and a day or two is set aside for the trade, then they let in the general public. They are mostly aiming at people walking into a sex shop, we are aiming at anyone with a computer. They largely have the trust of the porn consumer, not sure we do but it can always be improved. Meeting us could do that.

So why don't we split our shows and let in the general public after the trade has done it's business?

Paul, in the past Fay Sharp (and myself and some other partners for a while) ran a show called "Adultdex" that ran the same time as the comdex show in Vegas. The first couple of years of that show were not bad, but it was downhill pretty fast.

I can tell you one thing I learned from the experience: Most of the companies involved in online porn were at the time VERY dependant on the affiliate model and the exit console model of business. 99% of them wouldn't have a clue (outside of spamming) of how to actually sell porn to a surfer.

In the meantime, the same companies were spending 50k plus per show to have fancy ass booths to impress webmasters.

The AVN "video show" is a different animal because of the nature of the business. While the retailers are the ones who actually sell the porn, the studios and the stars are really the people who count in it. They have always (since the start of the business) marketed their products directly to the general public, even though the retailers (and now PPV /cable / sat) are typically the points of sale.

Put it another way: Very few internet companies have branded themselves as a concept, outside of companies like Lightspeed, Bang Bros, or similar. Most of the online brands people know in porn are The Hun, Persian Kitty, Tommy, Greenguy, Worldsex, etc. Few of the major companies have actually actively branded themselves with the public, which makes public shows a very strange experience for them, something that they don't really know how to handle.

That might change over time, but our current business models are just not in sync with dealing with the actual public.

Alex

Great reply Alex.

Do you us changing?

Let's say that Pussy Cash has their big booth on the floor at the January Internext show - you think they want to take it down after a day or 2 & put up some sort of I'm Live booth foir the next day or 2?

Why mix the webmaster show with some sort of public adult website spamfest?

Why do you need to change the booth?

Why mix? Easy one, public relations. In the mainstream they seem to do it and with big budgets, getting porn stars to sign autographs is not cheap. They do it to get people to buy DVDs and it works. I think it's time we started to think a bit bigger, or am I too premature?

1. Do you think we could convince a large number of potential customers to travel to a trade show where they can meet their favorite webmasters, designers or even on-line personality? Consumers have to spend money to get to a trade show so there needs to be some motivation and I'm not sure that exists. Sure a few might spend $1,000s on a trip to meet an on-line model or two but I don't think that's the typical customer.

2. Most of us have spent their entire sales and marketing career on-line and may be very uncomfortable marketing in a face to face environment. While I've spent 20 years of my former career in front of crowds educating, selling and marketing I don't think that's our typical profile.

Bottom line: Currently I think the consumer prefers the anonymity of the on-line transaction and probably doesn't have the desire appear in public. Those of us selling to the consumers probably don't really want the face to face communications.

I think the answer is simple
The same reason we don't want surfers here. I can't think of another real trade show that would want consumers attending.

Do we really want the consumer to listen in on how we intend to make money from them?

1. So you've never been into the AVN in Vegas or Venus in Berlin. Lot's of fans and THE MEDIA turn up.

2. Good point, some people would be best kept in the background. :D

Bottom line is consumers love to meet the DVD porn people, Ron Jeremy, Sean Michaels, Jemma Jameson, I rest my case.

I understand the fear of some people meeting surfers and explaining why we, as an industry, have invaded their computers. But if it's such a good tool for the DVD porn side why not us? Or can't we grow?

So a consumer turns up on your booth and you start talking to him about traffic, rev share and PPS.

Sir Moby has a good point, maybe some of us aren't ready to meet the public.

Only pulling your leg, the idea is to promote the site not give him a lecture about how we make money. He's not interested in that, he wants to meet the guys who live the life, the girls who drop their panties and just be around us.

Trust me I've done this and it works.

I agree. Why would I want to go to a show and answer surfer questions? I already answer tons of them online. And like you mentioned why have them peek at what we will be trying next?

You know, I'm starting to think this is a great idea!

I'm sure that surfers would love to meet the people from these companies:
365Billing.com
AdultBizLaw.com
AdultBouncer.com
AdultChamber.com
Blue Frog Mobile, Inc.
CashFlow Consultants
CCBill
EasyCarrier Communications
Epoch
Eric M. Bernstein & Associates, LLC
Gallery Traffic Service and Choker Traffic
iBill
Jupiter Hosting
Merchant2020.com
my2257.com
Netbilling Inc.
PayAsYouClick.com
Piccionelli & Sarno
PreCharge Risk Management Solotions
Reflected Networks
RoboMail
Safe Charge LTD
Searchboxxx.com
SegPay
TrueCompliance
Webmaster Central Inc.
Webmasters Direct
WTSbank.com
YNOT Network LP

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Paul, I guess another way of putting it is that webmasters shows are like plumbing shows... most people don't give a crap about spigots and elbow pipes (unless the ones in their house are broken or leaking), but they do care very much about the wall colors and the furniture.

Webmaster shows is plumbers talking to plumbers.

Now, I do see great potential for online companies who choose to brand themselves going to shows like the AEE / AVN show and doing the public part of the deal. I can see potential in this for a company like Lightspeed (because they have already branded themselves online and because they are now selling DVDs), but most of the plumbers would not be interested, IMHO, in exposing themselves to the public.

Alex
International Plumbers Union.

Greenguy, funny enough inside the AEE show there are companies that make duplication equipment, peep show movie house equipment, and other nuts and bolts kinds guys. a couple of years ago they moved them into an "industry midway" that required a show badge instead of just the drooler stamp to access the area. This seperated the public from the non-public section of the floor (a couple of years ago that was about 20% of the AEE show). I haven't attended for a couple of years, so I am not sure how or if this has changed.

Alex

Paul, I think you'll find that a very small percentage of the webmasters that frequent this forum regularly fit into that category. I certainly know that there aren't any girls dropping their panties around me on a regular basis.

Heres the reason I would not want to do it. If I built up a personna on my site and that's not really me how do I overcome that let down? I mean if some people show up at a show and expect to go out partying, getting laid, drunk, etc maybe with me or other WM or personalities. They would be talking to the wrong guy. I'm 35 years old and not that I'm old but the last thing I want is a few more nights like the ones I had in the early 90's. It's hard to live up to a dream, let alone someone elses view of you.

I can see your point, there are people who would be out of water talking to people who pull the chain. :D

It would only work for some to be at the front.

I'm curious now. Does anyone here "live the life"?

I had thought we were all just nerds sitting in front of our computers.

Except for Cleo and her tranny adventures, of course.

I wouldn't attend such a show myself if there would be surfers. Why meet them? Aren't we making enough money and want more? My humble opinion is that successfull adult webmasters make enough and like this type of bussiness mostly because of it's "private nature", the privacy that exists between the porn seller ( webmaster ) and the porn buyer ( the crowd ).

And also as someone mentioned earlier, surfers pretty much like buying porn online because of the privacy of the transaction.

I guess the only life I live that even comes close is I met a camgirl online and married her lol. I drink jack and coke but dont do coke. I smoke weed sometimes. And when you combine all of them, you get a 35 year old guy who has no problems with seeing dildo's and vibtrators laying around in the living room and bedroom and at times gets so drunk he gets yelled at when he forgets the cam is on and decides to sit on the bed and watch tv while she is taking a break. Sweet naked boobies and thight asses in thongs are a very day visual here thus it has become just another day lol.

I really do pound my meat...no lie

grandma, there are any number of fools (especially younger) with a bit of money and a desire to be a "pimp" or a "playah" or whatever they are calling it this week. They live in their mom's basement but drive a leased mercedez with overpriced rims and wear oversized basketball shirts and "party madly". They really believe that they got the life. It is funny to spot them at shows, mostly because they are usually gone by the next show.

Alessandro, just like any business, I don't think it is YOU that the surfers would want to meet, but rather to be exposed to your product. So that would mean probably a decent booth, some booth bunnies, some give aways, promotional materials, CDs with free logons, whatever. I don't think a row of webmasters sitting in chairs signing autographs for the fans would bring in many people... :)

This sort of thing might start to happen if the programs ever feel that they can market themselves directly better than they can through the affiliate system.

Alex

"Still Fly" by BIG TYMERS

[Baby :]
Whats up Fresh , its our turn baby

Gator Boots, with the pimped out Gucci suit
Ain't got no job, but I stay sharp
Can't pay my rent, cause all my money's spent
but thats ok, cause im still fly
got a quarter tank gas in my new E-class
But that's alright cause i'm gon' ride
got everything in my momma's name
but im hood rich da dada dada da

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Not the big red eyes guys ( from the nights spent in front of the computer building pages, galleries, free sites, submitting etc. ) would be the attraction, not even for autographs as you say :)

Did my pocket protector give it away?

As for this topic...why on Earth would anyone want to meet the surfer in any capacity. I kind of think its like The Wizard from The Wizard of Oz, you don't want the surfer to see what's behind the curtain, because they'll most likely be disappointed.

Also the general hypocrisy of most of the surfers...I mean, they'll go buy porn memberships left and right, but they vote and publicly support fools that want to take that right away. So, how many porn surfers would actually show up? The porn industry in general is a dirty little pleasure porn surfers will only take in from the false anonymity of the net.

Why would you make a false statement like that Paul? Aren't you a legitimate business man that's above making false statements?

What on-line female personality gets 1/2 the attention that Jenna, Briana or Tera does?