Top manufacturers Doc Johnson, California Exotic Novelties, Topco Sales, Nasstoy and Pipedream Products have partnered to present the invitation-only ANME Founders Show, which is limited to exhibitors and buyers and is at the same venue as next week’s XBIZ State of the Industry Conference 2009.
“We wanted to make this much smaller, limited to 50 or so exhibitors,” ANME Founders Show spokeswoman Val Jones told XBIZ. “This definitely will be more ‘old school,’ complete with a cocktail party and dinner and pool party.”
“It’s a great place for manufacturers and qualified buyers to network, preview new products and get a first-hand look at what the future of our industry looks like,” said Jones, who noted that the group is gearing up to send out invitations shortly.
ANME organizers have scheduled it to go in direct competition with one of the largest adult and novelty trade shows, AVN Novelty Expo, or ANE.
The ANME Founders Show precedes the ANE, slated for July 13-15, which will once again be held at the Sheraton Universal and Hilton Los Angeles hotels at Universal City, Calif., just 15 miles away.
ANME organizers are renting 8’x10’ booth space for $3,000; meanwhile, ANE booths for the same size run $2,650.
Doc Johnson’s Chad Braverman told XBIZ that the organizers — his company as well as California Exotic Novelties, Topco Sales, Nasstoy and Pipedream Products — are only planning to show their wares at one expo.
“The expectations for ANME are great,” he said. “Only time will tell if there is room for two events.”
“We are very excited to get back to a show that is specifically targeted to doing business with qualified vendors and manufacturers. This is the only show where we’ll be presenting all of our new product lines to the masses.”
Pipedream Products’ Nick Orlandino echoed Braverman’s take and said that the show is focused on bringing the “quality and intimacy our segment of the adult industry deserves.”
“You’re going to reconnect with lots of old friends — and probably make some new ones,” Orlandino said.
So far, in addition to the organizers, ANME already has signed up Allure Leather, B. Cumming Co., B Swish, BeAMonstar, BMS Enterprises, Brass Head/Inferno Lingerie, Classic Erotica, Empowered Products, Finger Fitting Products, Golden Triangle, Hott Products Unlimited, Intimate Toy Times, Kama Sutra, Kalan LP, Kheper Games Inc., Lover's Choice Romance Products, New Concepts, O'My Products Inc., Paradise Marketing, PJUR Group USA/Lucopm USA, Sportsheets International, System Jo, Trigg Laboratories, Vibratex and Evolved Novelties.
ANME, which brands the expo as “the show and tell of adult novelties,” has launched a website at ANMEFounders.com.
AVN’s Tony Lovett, who runs AVN Novelty Expo, did not respond to XBIZ’s request for comment by post time.
