MIAMI — With Thursday being the last full day of the 2016 XBIZ Miami, attendees enjoyed a wide variety of leisure, learning and networking opportunities in the Florida sunshine, at what has become a widely acclaimed show that is setting a new standard for success.
Coinciding this year with CamCon, XBIZ Miami brings the summer’s most important industry event to the elegant SLS Hotel on South Beach from May 31 through June 3. With access to the hotel restricted to registered attendees only, the event provides a safe “adults only” venue where sexy shenanigans rule.
Once again, early risers’ XBIZ Miami experience kicked off with Chaturbate’s Early Morning Java Jam, revving up attendees with complimentary coffee and networking. XBIZ’s Connection Advantage also swung into high gear, uniting several prospective clients with relevant service providers; while the fast-growing XBIZJobs.net and exclusive Career Corner added an impressive number of new employment opportunities from top-tier companies, as business owners and job seekers increasingly embrace this groundbreaking service that is quickly proving to be invaluable to adult industry professionals.
Hosted by Chaturbate, Women In Adult presented an executive “ladies only” keynote address by SegPay CEO Cathy Beardsley, who discussed the challenges she faced in catapulting startup SegPay into one of the industry’s most dynamic players. Beardsley oversees day-to-day operations and long-term strategic planning for the company, providing attendees with an experienced businesswoman’s first-hand insights.
WIA also offered industry girls a chance to unwind with a private yoga session, providing them a unique opportunity for developing deeper relationships and new business by networking with their peers.
All attendees had a chance to relax and network, with CAM4’s Poolside Networking and OrbitalPay’s Poolside Pampering returning to SLS’ Hyde Beach on Thursday, providing the perfect backdrop for casual meetings, cocktails, conversations and more. Other aquatic activities included SGM's Pool Beer Pong Tournament, and a refreshing dip in the pool's cooling water, while the hot Miami sunshine provided perfect weather for this outdoor-centered event.
Refreshment was also on the menu with Fetish Hits’ Afternoon Glow Energy Hour providing a boost to attendees’ attentiveness, which was most appreciated by those who needed to focus on the information presented in XBIZ Miami’s exclusive workshops and educational seminar series, sponsored by NETbilling.
ReviveAds’ Mark Bauman demonstrated the firm’s patent-pending ad block prevention, which recaptures lost revenue from the increasing number of consumers (currently pegged around 22 percent) that are using automated systems that prevent website ads from displaying. ReviveAds directly integrates with TrafficHaus’ powerful real time bidding platform, driving traffic acquisition and boosting revenues for users of the advanced ad network.
For those that prefer sand to water, Traffic Stars’ South Beach Futbol brought soccer in the sand to this unique team-building experience, which combined sexiness, sunshine and sports, as onlookers cheered their favorite competitors. For another blast of fun, a rousing round of Twister sponsored by Mobius Payments, added to South Beach’s sex appeal and offered a treat for onlookers and participants alike.
Known for its innovative seminar series sponsored by NETbilling, XBIZ Miami’s Thursday sessions offered an insiders’ look at some of the industry’s hot button topics.
The first was a forward-looking view of virtual reality, which sought to show if it is “Hot or Hype?” with the consensus that VR is here today, and will eventually transform not only how consumers view and interact with adult entertainment, but with their personal relationships, work life and more. Moderated by XBIZ, the session featured adult VR pioneer Ela Darling of CAM4VR; HoloFilms’ Anna Lee, Todd Glider of BaDoinkVR, Naughty America’s Ian Paul, Lee Bond from AliceX and Joel Kapp of Webmaster Central, as they explored the present and future of VR and the opportunities it presents to the industry.
Next up, XBIZ Miami presented a look at the current state of adult billing, with industry experts including moderator Kenny B. of Your Paysite Partner, along with NETbilling’s Wendy Nelson, Karen Campbell of OrbitalPay, Webbilling’s Ines Petersen, Chris Rodger of Payze, CCBill’s Gary Jackson, Inovio’s Len Garcia, and Raja from ChargeBack Help. These industry insiders informed attendees about the latest in payment processing strategies and regulatory issues, covering a wide range of topics.
XBIZ Miami’s final presentation was the popular “State of the Industry” mid-year snapshot, featuring an elite group of industry leaders revealing the top issues on their radars at this point in 2016. Moderated by ICM Registry’s Steven Winyard who engaged the panelists in a lively conversation, the seminar was a Who’s Who of professionals that included attorneys Corey Silverstein of Porn.law and Larry Walters of Walters Law Group, along with Brad Mitchell of MojoHost, CherryPimps’ Jack Avalanche, Michael Reul of TrafficPartner, and JC of Paysite Partners. This esteemed group sits at the pinnacle of their individual market segments, providing immense value to attendees as they reveal the challenges of their day-to-day operations and projections for the future, in this executive session.
Once the educational sessions were over, it was time to get down to the business of pleasure, with what is sure to become one of XBIZ Miami’s most talked about and requested future events: CAM4’s smoking “Wet & Wild” T-Shirt Contest. Featuring a selection of buxom beauties vying for a $500 prize, this high-energy event was hosted by CAM4’s Nikki Night and Gamelink’s Jeff Dillon.
The XBIZ Sunset Social, hosted by Grooby, MojoHost and Affil4you, brought XBIZ Miami attendees to Hyde Beach for another refreshing round of cool cocktails and more, preparing partygoers to enjoy the evening’s activities — highlighted by CamCon’s exclusive “Fan Day,” which provided a chance for fans to meet their favorite performers in person at Miami’s popular E11EVEN Rooftop.
The E11EVEN nightclub was also center stage for the XBIZ / CamCon Closing Party, where attendees reveled in the sexy and sophisticated show club, closing out 2016’s premier summer events in South Beach style.
XBIZ Miami concludes Friday with a farewell mimosa, when attendees say goodbye to one another and make plans to follow up on new business, and to meet again in the future.
Stay tuned for details of the next XBIZ event — the highly anticipated inaugural XBIZ Berlin, presented by TrafficPartner — set for September 11-14, 2016.
