AMSTERDAM — After a stellar debut on Friday, Day 2 of the inaugural X3 Amsterdam fan expo kicked off on Saturday afternoon with a palpable buzz of excitement running through both the crowd of fans streaming through the door and the stars poised to greet them at the booths and signing tables on the expo floor.
The Amsterdam Passenger Terminal was once again the scene of the world’s biggest creator expo, making its first appearance on European soil after achieving dazzling success in Hollywood for five straight years — and counting.
Just off to one side of the entrance, several of the X3 Amsterdam All-Stars engaged in meet-and-greet sessions. Among them were Clea Gaultier and Little Caprice.
As her time on the greeting carpet wound down, Gaultier exclaimed, “That was such an intense hour of signing and meeting fans!”
Gaultier, who has been in the business for 11 years, said that she tries to put a lot of energy into showing her fans that she appreciates them.
“ They are very affectionate and caring, and I give a lot of love because I’m extremely grateful,” she shared. “I think there are a lot of fans who are a bit lonely, and we, the porn stars, are their support.”
Overcome by emotion, Gaultier added, “I’ll stop here because I am going to cry.”
Caprice also reveled in the royal treatment accorded her by her admiring fans.
“We are treated like stars,” she said. “It’s great.”
Not far away, the DarkFans devil mascot danced and cavorted in the aisle in front of the entrance to the company’s booth, beckoning fans to enter. Inside, DarkFans Event Manager Sara D enthused about the landmark expo.
“I love the vibe and the great organization behind this fan event,” she said. “I see nothing but professionals showcasing the excellent work they do, from platforms and agencies to, of course, the models. DarkFans is exhibiting to showcase fetish and kink content across Europe, and this is a fantastic opportunity to gain exposure in a cosmopolitan city.”
Nearby, at the PAYSITE booth, company founder Kenny B, a veteran of the Los Angeles X3 Expo, praised the decision to combine X3 with the XBIZ Amsterdam show under one roof.
“I really like the new format of having XBIZ and X3 together,” he said. “It’s fantastic out here, and the crowd has been great.”
In the screening room, director Danny D and the cast of his Digital Playground feature “Clash of the Vikings,” including stars Catherine Knight and Amirah Adara, welcomed fans to a viewing of a short, SFW version of the movie.
“Obviously, it is a lot better when the sex is in it!” Danny D joked during the Q&A following the screening. He also spoke about the difficulty of getting the project completed on a tight shooting schedule.
“We had three days in total to make this,” he revealed. “So it was long days and a lot of work crammed into a short time. As I’m sure most of you know, the sex scenes themselves take quite a few hours to get done, with all the photos and the actual sex. And there was softcore to shoot in this, as well as the hardcore. But we managed to squeeze a lot in.”
Back on the expo floor after the screening, Adara and Knight both gushed about the overall X3 Amsterdam experience.
“I didn’t know how it was going to go because it’s the first time,” Adara said. “I wasn’t expecting so many people because it’s a new thing. But people are queuing for me, and I’m so happy to see all of them coming to get pics.”
Exclaimed Knight, “I love it! I love meeting my fans in person. Also all of the other performers. It’s a bunch of people from the industry, which feels like family. We collaborate, we shoot, and we have a good time and make money.”
Over at the Lustery booth, site founder Paulita Pappel put the emphasis on human interaction.
“In times of AI with everybody doubting every image, there’s nothing better than being with someone in the same room and getting a real connection in real life,” she attested.
For Pappel, the big advantage of X3 is the way it boosts branding and visibility.
“People come not necessarily because they know us, but rather by walking over and discovering us, which is a positive thing,” she said.
At the FanCentro booth, model TieMeUpTess, in black heels and fishnets, was similarly impressed by the event.
“This is the first time that FanCentro has attended an X3 expo,” she said. “We recently changed owners, so it’s great to let the fans know that we’re active again here in the Netherlands.”
Later in the evening, Little Caprice Dreams director Marcello Bravo screened his feature “Mr. Nice,” the story of an adrenaline junkie with a gift for understanding women, which stars Bravo’s wife, Little Caprice, as well as Alexis Crystal and Sofia Rivers.
Making the movie, Bravo explained, involved everything from drone cinematography and snowboarding sequences to Maldives location shoots, all over the course of a year.
“How much money do you think this movie cost?” Bravo asked, before supplying the surprising answer: “Seven thousand euros.”
Back on the show floor, Bravo enthused about the talent on hand.
“Having the American girls who’ve made the trip here, among all the European girls, has been really fantastic,” he said. “People have come from all over the world. I’ve met more people who’ve traveled in for the event than even the locals.”
Performer Coal Daniels was one such traveler, having flown in all the way from Portland, a trip that he said paid off.
“Being a cowboy, a lot of Europeans really want to work with me because it’s so different,” he said. “Everybody seems to be in a friendly mood. Yesterday was fantastic because I got to mingle with all the creators. Today is even more energetic.”
Added Alexis Fawx, who also made the trip over from the U.S., “I’m so glad I’m doing this event this year. I hope we do it every single year. It’s been really cool to meet all of the traveling fans and to make connections with everybody.”
Creator Lola Rose also praised the event’s “very friendly atmosphere.”
“We get to meet each other and have a good time,” she said. “It’s especially great to meet all of the fans from North America.”
Performer Mick Blue reflected fondly on his own X3 Amsterdam experiences.
“We’re in this beautiful city, Amsterdam, and people are still coming in,” he said. “It really shows what kind of impact we have on the world. Not just at the expo, but all over the city. We go out for dinner, or just walk through the streets of Amsterdam, and so many people stop us. They want to take a picture or just tell us how unexpected and great it is to see us here. It’s really nice.”
As Day 2 of the first-ever X3 Amsterdam fan expo came to a close, and the many performers, creators, company reps and fans exited into the slight chill of an autumn Netherlands evening, there was excitement and optimism in the air. It was clear from their conversations that they were already looking forward to next year, anticipating the return of this new European edition of the event.
