LOS ANGELES — Castle Megastore CEO Mark Franks, who revitalized the Castle brand after taking over its leadership in 2003, will deliver a special keynote address at the upcoming XBIZ 360 Retail Conference, set for Jan. 14.
With more than 26 years of experience in the adult industry, Franks has been a market leader in video production and distribution in the U.S. and abroad.
He also co-founded, built and operated a toy manufacturing facility with global distribution and has owned and operated a mail-order business, chain retail stores, show clubs and video distribution in Australia.
In February, Mark Franks was profiled by Bloomberg’s BusinessWeek website as one of the top CEOs in the adult industry, where Castle Megastore was described as the "Best Buy-equivalent of sex stores."
“I am extremely honored to be the keynote speaker for the 2015 XBIZ 360 Retail Conference,” Franks said. “Adult retail is a fascinating, challenging and ever-evolving business. I am excited for the opportunity to participate in such a prestigious industry event. I will share my thoughts and experience on the past, the present, and the future of adult retail with reference to the Castle Megastore story.”
Castle Megastore was founded in 1987, and now has corporate offices and a distribution center in Phoenix. Castle currently operates 17 stores in five states, including Arizona, Alaska, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington, amounting to 145,100 square feet of brick-and-mortar retail space.
“With fierce passion and remarkable vision, Mark Franks has established Castle Megastore as a standard-setting industry leader,” XBIZ President and Publisher Alec Helmy said. “An ultra-charismatic company leader, he has the unique ability to organize spirited teams and rally them toward an ambitious goal. To me and countless others, Mark is simply inspirational."
In 2012, Franks was the recipient of the Retail Pioneer special recognition at the XBIZ Awards. The prestigious title recognized Franks’ powerful impact and lasting influence on the adult retail industry.
With the announcement of his award, several key figures from the pleasure products industry proclaimed their admiration of Franks, lauding his contributions to the industry as being “admirable.”
Pipedream Products CEO Nick Orlandino applauded Franks revival of the Castle Megastore brand, saying he watched Franks “bring his company back to life and turn it into a viable and outstanding retailer of adult merchandise.”
“As one of the industry’s most preeminent leaders, Mark Franks continues to inspire his colleagues and leads Castle Megastore with an inspiring forward-thinking approach,” XBIZ Associate Publisher Sara Ramirez said. “His keynote at the upcoming XBIZ Retail Conference is sure to leave attendees with a refreshing outlook of the business.”
The XBIZ 360 Retail Conference is designed to decode the future of sexual health products through unparalleled seminars, keynote presentations and exclusive special events.
For a limited time, XBIZ 360 attendees qualify for an exclusive group rate of only $199 per night at the Andaz Hotel. For more information, visit XBIZ360.com.
