A crowd of executives, agents, stars and webmasters, dressed to impress, found their way up Sunset Boulevard to the red carpet and entrance to the trendy club, which offered outdoor bars and tents with heaters outside the main indoor area with its sunken mingling area surrounded by a raised level of private tables and a second-floor mezzanine also filled with private tables.
The air was filled with music and chatter as go-go dancers boogied on elevated platforms and the walls were splashed with projected lights and images of patterns and logos of platinum sponsors MetroContent, CommerceGate and GTBill.
The ceremony itself, hosted by mainstream comedian Chris Wylde and Adam & Eve contract performers Kayden Kross and Bree Olson, honored achievement in fields including adult Internet, adult video, adult novelty and adult retail as well as individual achievement including Erotica Preservation and Strategic Alliance of the Year.
The first presenter, a pink-wigged Vicky Vette, introduced herself saying "Hello, I am VickyBot. Your penis will now be assimilated," reflecting the air of casual debauchery before handing out the Best Video Chat of the Year award to Video Secrets.
Receiving the award for Web Retailer of the Year, Stockroom.com, company owner JT said, "I started Stockroom.com in 1988, I took it online in 1989. This is our 20th year online. It's nice to see the adult Internet is a little bit bigger now. When I got in, there were like five people. Next year, hopefully, Affiliate Program of the Year."
"Content is king once again," said Wasteland.com's Colin Rowntree, presenting the award for Achievement in Original Web Content to Kink.com.
A slimmed-down Chi Chi La Rue leaned into the microphone and confided, "For those of you who were wondering what GLBT means, it means gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender," to the cheering crowd before giving the GLBT Award for Industry Contribution to Cybersocket, and then accepting it himself "because they're obviously in the bathroom doing something illegal."
Veteran performers Nina Hartley and Tom Byron presented the Best New Starlet award to Digital Playground contract performer Stoya.
"It seems like only yesterday that I was best new starlet," Byron deadpanned.
Jenna Haze, accepting Female Performer of the Year, thanked her fans "for enjoying me being such a slut" and said "everybody get drunk and fuck —because that's what I'm going to do."
John and Karen Stagliano presented an Achievement Award for Erotica Preservation to VCX President David Sutton, who told webmasters that "classics convert better than anything. It's awesome."
The ceremony concluded with Free Speech Coalition Executive Director Diane Duke presenting the FSC Leadership Award to Kink.com and ASACP CEO Joan Irvine presenting Service Recognition awards to Stormy Daniels, Tera Patrick and Evan Seinfeld for their help in promoting the ASACP message with public service announcements.
The evening's festivities were the conclusion for the annual XBIZ '09 Conference, which was held Feb. 10-12 at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills, Calif.
Other attendees included Adam & Eve founder Phil Harvey, Ron Levi, Sunny Lane, Mr. Pete, Joanna Angel, Ashlynn Brooke, Lisa Ann, Lexi Lamour and Ethan Cage, Kevin Blatt, Jenny Hendrix, Rodney Moore, Joel Lawrence, Tom Byron, LFP President Michael Klein and Hustler Vice President of Business Development Theresa Flynt, Dennis Hof, Renee Perez, Adella from Digital Playground, Belladonna, Free Speech Coalition Membership Coordinator Joanne Cachapero, Devan Cypher, Jeff Marton, agent Derek Hay, Carmella Bing, Jessica Drake and Brad Armstrong, Jax from SugarDVD, Sophie Dee, Chris Charming and Anita Blue.
