Friday, Feb 12, 2010    Text size: 

Sponsored by eMerchantPay, GTBill, CE Cash, OrbitalPay, VideoSecrets, DatingGold, RealTouch and AdamEveCash, XBIZ LA was held from Feb. 9-11 at Hollywood's luxurious Sofitel Hotel, where the three-day event brought in hundreds of attendees from around the world and was capped by the annual XBIZ Awards ceremony.

The pre-event festivities kicked off with the hallmark golf tournament and coincided with the annual Cybersocket Web Awards which honor the best in GLBT adult entertainment.

A new attendee orientation helped those who have never been to an XBIZ event to maximize their productivity. In fact, a large percentage of new XBIZ event attendees were noticeable, including many mainstream entrepreneurs and corporate reps making their first forays into the adult business realm, making this a worthwhile introduction.

This audience was focused on business, and as likely to be pursuing or offering adult mobile opportunities as they were likely to be attired in suits or casual business wear — providing a backdrop for XBIZ LA that was far removed from the over-the-top excesses of earlier generation industry events, and which poignantly illustrated the maturation and ongoing elevation of our industry. If you didn't know this was "a porn show," you would not have guessed it by either the appearance or conduct of the attendees, or the event's presentation.

With so many new faces, the XBIZ Speed Networking sessions proved as popular as ever, giving participants a quick and easy way to fill their rolodex with fresh contacts, while the CommerceGate sponsored welcome reception allowed for more in-depth meetings and conversations — as did the return of the Porn Poker Tour for another round.

Despite the fun had by all, the corporatization of porn isn't something that will happen, it is something that has already happened, and at XBIZ LA 2010, the evidence was plain to see — as rather than playing "beer pong," attendees participated in a slate of information packed standing-room-only seminars. Sponsored by WorldWideContent and Mansion Productions, the seminars featured top experts covering even the most tried-and-true topics from fresh angles that offered real value.

From the changing taste of adult entertainment consumers to the key distribution channels of today and tomorrow, to sourcing, securing and converting today's porn consumer, the seminars packed a punch. Whether you wanted to know how to maximize your billing options or what the future holds for the porn industry, the panelists provided insights with a global perspective.

Attendee value was also bolstered by the demo sessions which showcased the latest and best in adult industry products and services. Mansion Productions showed its extensive software line, including the new MPA3 Standard — which they raffled three licenses for.

EroticVision.TV also showed its system for creating the IPTV interface and "back-office" services that allow the delivery of HD or SD content to the Roku DVP among other devices and platforms; while Elevated X provided a glimpse into its proprietary content management system, outlining its benefits for growing cash programs and other sites.

Exit-Chat wowed attendees with its innovative "save a sale" SMARTagent solution that employs artificial intelligence along with brand-approved messaging to engage departing customers; while AEBN showed off its Real Touch interactive device which brings the latest in haptic technology to the adult space and provides new revenue streams for affiliates and content producers.

The range of products and services on display marked an increasing need for operators to evolve their offerings in order to remain competitive in what is still a challenging market; with the survivors of "the good old days" meeting the future of the industry at XBIZ LA.

One example of this shift in the marketplace was illustrated by two of the show's demo sessions, where veteran adult powerhouse TopBucks held the latest in its series of mobile seminars which showcase the program's market-leading outreach to new and prospective affiliates, providing a high level of ongoing education and mutually beneficial partnership building — familiar faces offering a wealth of experience and valuable information, with the comfort of "being amongst old friends."

And then there was MiKandi — a group of relative newcomers to the industry, these "new kids on the block" are hitting the adult mobile app marketplace hard and fast, with a slickness of execution and apparent thoroughness of concept that has rarely been seen in the industry. The cohesiveness of their team was apparent during their demo session and the seemingly practiced way in which offhandedly "naughty" remarks were tossed made it clear that titillating tamer corporate boardrooms was their natural habitat. This observer was impressed and found in this company a clear vision of where the industry is headed.

And they are not alone.

XBIZ LA marked a dividing line between the past and the future of adult entertainment, and almost perceptibly defined the present with a feeling of "phew, that's over — now let's get busy with this…" The future learned from the past at XBIZ LA, as much as it lit the way for the past's survivors to follow — and in this observer's opinion, no one left this event without having the feeling that we've turned a corner and that our industry's future prospects are looking up for forward-thinking operators.

Indeed, many discussions at the DatingGold sponsored luncheons and around the venue held hints at increasing revenues and new business initiatives providing incremental revenue growth as the industry embraces the market changes that have been thrust upon it over the past several years.

A new "show and mix" feature provided a venue for vendors to highlight their offerings and for increased networking opportunities, while the Free Speech Coalition updated the industry on its latest initiatives at its annual membership meeting.

The visible evidence of industry change was also apparent at this year's XBIZ Awards, which brought Tinsel Town glitter and glitz, along with a much more upscale approach, to the famed Avalon, for a true Hollywood red carpet event which honored the best in adult entertainment. Followed by The Player's Ball, this annual gala formed the perfect ending to an incredible conference.

XBIZ will return to Las Vegas in June of 2010 for its next event. Stay tuned for details.