LOS ANGELES — XBIZ is pleased to announce that Dr. Carol Queen, Good Vibrations staff sexologist, pleasure community historian, and curator of the Antique Vibrator Museum, will deliver the keynote address at the 2026 XBIZ Expo.
With a career spanning five decades, Queen has shaped cultural conversations around sexuality through her writing, public speaking, media commentary, and community education. Her books, including “Exhibitionism for the Shy” and “The Sex & Pleasure Book,” have guided countless readers toward a more informed, affirming understanding of intimacy.
In her keynote, Queen will challenge the pleasure products community to reconsider what sex-positivity truly means.
“I really want people to think of sex-positivity not just as a brand asset (though it is) or a way to describe sexual enthusiasm, but as a deeply useful lens to help us think about how U.S. society responds to sex and so often gets it wrong,” she explains. “Originally it was a way to think about sex and diversity, as well as our needs for good information and supportive professional services — and adult stores really pick up the slack for many people who don't have enough access to those things. Add in a couple of kicked-up battles in the culture wars, and I'd argue we need it more than ever.”
Queen will also address the evolving landscape of technology and consumer education.
“I think people will be tempted to use AI in more varying ways, and of course that could be interesting, but that technology is only as good as the information it's been fed,” she notes. “I think sextech is on a roll. And as usual, we will be pivoting both to address customers' needs and recognize their low-information areas — which means we and our staff members have to be up to that task.”
From her early contributions to sex-positive culture to her groundbreaking work with the Center for Sex & Culture, Queen remains among the influential voices in contemporary sexuality discourse. XBIZ Expo attendees can expect a keynote filled with insight, context and forward-looking guidance for the future of adult retail, education and innovation.
XBIZ Expo is set for Jan. 8–12 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel and will feature a hybrid “3D” format that allows qualifying brands and buyers to participate in person or virtually online. Registration is now open to verified industry professionals, with the expo culminating with the 2026 XBIZ Honors awards ceremony.
For event information, visit XBIZExpo.com.
