Signing up for Internext

[emmanuelle]

Many of those who actually DO something in this industry are the ones who will suffer and be excluded based on financial issues.

The amateur website owners- you know, the ones who put their heart, soul, and personal (and intimate) pics on the web- it used to be that they scrimped and saved all year long, to be able to attend the show. It represented the only opportunity to network, shoot with other web girls, and most importantly- LEARN. Hell, I flew to Vegas before opening my first paysite and the education I received there was invaluable.
In the past, many amateurs would learn to cut corners- stay at the Holiday Inn and hike up the street; eat at Denny's instead of the Grande Luxe... Whatever it took, but good golly they could do it! You know what? Nobody pays for their passes either. They're far too insignificant for sponsors to want to cultivate. These people work damn hard to earn the extra money to purchase show badges.

The webmasters who are slaves to their autosubmitters, who pray that something works to keep those (sporadic) sponsor checks coming in. The tgp and link list owners that we all rely on for our traffic supply... The people glued to their desks 15 hour days, growing their home based businesses- nurturing them like small children, trying to think 5 steps ahead... Also people who pay thier own way. People who work damn hard, and still refuse to see the shows as a vacation, but as an important opportunity to make those crucial contacts that will hopefully make next year just a little bit easier.


Sadly, it is no longer possible for those who have not yet reached a significant financial benchmark to participate, be educated, and be motivated by those that went before them. Our 'trade shows' have become elitist soirees designed as an opportunity for major players to pat each other on the back...


I get a quiet chuckle in the last weeks preceeding the shows. I watch people scramble to find someone they can piggyback off of, 'represent', or just beg for a pass. These people would never dig into their own pockets to attend a show. They simply will not attend unless someone else pays the bills. Yet these are the people at all the shows, while so many others cannot.

</rant>

[Far-L]

I have a completely different perspective.

I have had a good working relationship with AVN for years.

In the past, AVN worked with us to be able to provide a discounted rate for amateurs. They went out of their way to help and give people that can't afford it easily an option. We wanted to create focused roundtable discussions and they were very amenable to all our suggestions. I would say they are more than willing to find the ways to make the show worth every penny.

Most mainstream events cost far more. I spoke at Digital Hollywood and the walk in price was $695. The hotel was much pricier (though admittedly not off season).

The opportunity to network at the show was, is, and will always be what you make of it. In my own experience, every single one of their shows has brought me business and been full of opportunity. IMO, any event big or small is what you make of it.

I know from previous experience that the hotel likes to make bank and that is not something that AVN has any control over. But let's face it, there really are not that many hotels that will gladly accomodate a bunch of pornographers even though we are actually less obnoxious than other conventioneers.

People always suggest doing a different show. Some pull it off but ask any of them it is not easy. AVN tries hard to be a resource to the entire adult industry and it is no easy task either. They might make some missteps along the way but they have always been proactive to address issues. Ultimately, imo, they are focused on on providing a benefit to the industry and doing it at a fair rate.