Page 20 - AVN August 2013

‘O’ Awards set to take place in Las Vegas during January shows
AVN Media Network has set the date: the fifth annual “O” Awards will take place
Wednesday, January 15, 2014, during the AVN Novelty Expo in Las Vegas.
The awards ceremony will be part of an entire night dedicated to the pleasure prod-
ucts side of the adult industry, as ANE will host a product showcase event and an indus-
try networking party that evening as well.
“The entire evening will be dedicated to the pleasure products side of the industry,
which will give attendees a chance to meet, mingle, do business and celebrate the best of
the best the industry has to offer with the ‘O’ Awards,” said Sherri L. Shaulis, senior edi-
tor of pleasure products for AVN.
To mark the five-year milestone, AVN has added new categories to the “O” Awards to
better reflect what the softer side of the industry has to offer. This year, Outstanding
Packaged Lingerie Line and Outstanding Costume Lingerie Line will join the 16 cate-
gories from last year, including Outstanding Product for Women, Outstanding Product
for Men and Lifetime Achievement.
“The lingerie sector of the industry continues to do well, and we wanted to recognize
that with this year’s ‘O’ Awards,” said Janet Gibson, chief operating officer of AVN.
“The added categories reflect the biggest areas of growth we’ve seen in recent years.”
A complete category list and information on the pre-nomination process will be pub-
lished in the coming weeks.
The AVN Novelty Expo takes place January 15-17. It is one of four events—the AVN
Adult Entertainment Expo, the AVN Novelty Expo, AEE Fan Fest and the AVN
Awards—hosted by AVN as part of the AVN Show.
For 2014, all of the same education, networking and entertainment elements that
went into making AVN Show 2013 such a successful and memorable series of event will
remain in play, but the show organizers have also planned some very special additions to
the schedule that are designed to add lasting value. Once again, Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino Las Vegas will become ground central for this annual gathering of industry lead-
ers, outstanding talent and the fans who adore them.
For trade, badges are now on sale at early bird pricing. The Expo Plus Badge includes
entry to all AEE and ANE exhibits, all seminars and the keynote presentation. The All
Access Pass also includes entry to the many official parties.
Rooms at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas can also be booked now.
For more information, visit NoveltyExpo.com.
For sponsorship information, contact Sara Harter at sara.harter@avn.com.
EVENTS
The Sex Awards Names Kayden Kross Host, Changes Venue
Digital Playground contract star Kayden Kross has
been chosen to host the inaugural presentation of
The Sex Awards, the adult industry’s first consumer-
voted award show to be broadcast on national televi-
sion.
“I’m honored to be chosen to represent something
so new—and already with such a broad audience,”
Kross said. “It’s a huge compliment.”
The official 2013 Sex Awards website is live now,
allowing fans to vote online through August 25 for
their favorite stars, sites and products in various cate-
gories.
“As social networking and online technology has
evolved, it has made the fan a much more immedi-
ate part of our lives and our success,” Kross offered.
“It would make sense that an awards show would
finally give the voice to the fans as well.”
Kross has plenty of experience interacting with
the camera, fans and mainstream media; the
Penthouse Pet, centerfold and two-time cover model
co-hosted the 2010 AVN Awards, and helms her
own show, Krossfire, on Playboy Radio.
On the mainstream side, the Sacramento-born
Swedish-American beauty has appeared on G4’s
Attack of the Show, A&E’s Family Jewels, Cinemax’s
Life on Top and AMC’s Breaking Bad, among other
shows. She will also have a co-starring role in
upcoming film The Hangover Games. In 2011,
CNBC named her one of the industry’s 12 most
popular porn stars.
Adding to Kross’ performance credentials is her
writing; her short story “Plank” appeared in the
2012 anthology Forty Stories: New Writing from
Harper Perennial, and she is a regular contributor to
Complex magazine.
Organizers of The Sex Awards have announced a
venue change for the live event due to overwhelming
industry support and a high demand for attendance.
The recently renovated Avalon Hollywood on Vine
Street, directly across from the famed Capitol
Records building, will be The Sex Awards’ new
home.
“We underestimated the kind of response we were
going to get from the adult industry,” said Paul
Fishbein, president of the X3Sixty Network, which
is producing the show alongside AVN Media
Network, the company he founded 30 years ago.
“We needed to make sure we had seating for all of
the industry and talent, and now we do.”
Fishbein cites the beauty and character of the
Avalon as another reason for the switch.
“They’
ve totally re-done this classic concert venue
and made it comfortable and modern, without los-
ing the character of the building,” he said. “There
are great areas for people who want lounge-type
boxes with sofas and bottle service, as well as theatre-
style seating, opera boxes, standing room at the bars,
and a lounge-style seating in the balcony with per-
fect views of the stage.”
The invitation-only event is open to all adult tal-
ent and industry personnel. No tickets will be sold
to the public for this event. The Sex Awards will be
broadcast nationally in January 2014.
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