Page 46 - AVN September 2016

MILESTONES | Epoch Epoch will toast a historic milestone as an
industry leader in global payment solutions
when it hosts its 20th anniversary party at
Webmaster Access Amsterdam.
The bash will kick off at 9 p.m. on
September 16 at the Sea Palace, the first
floating restaurant in Europe—a landmark in
the heart of Amsterdam.
The three-floor eatery, which specializes
in Cantonese cuisine, is within walking
distance from the DoubleTree by Hilton, the
host hotel for the 12th annual webmaster
conference.
Epoch is the first billing company in the
adult sector to reach the two-decade mark.
“So we’re going to celebrate this milestone
with our clients and everyone else whose
been with us through the years,” said
Harmik Gharapetian, vice president of sales
and marketing for the company, which is
based in Santa Monica, California.
“We’re the only one in this sector that’s
| By Dan Miller
Occasion 20th anniversary bash set for Webmaster Access
”Epoch is like a family.
Over 50 percent of
our employees have
been with us 10 years
or more now.
— Harmik Gharapetian,
Epoch Payment Solutions
hit 20 and is still around. It’s going to be a
huge night with drinks, appetizers, music and
giveaways.”
The party is open to all Webmaster Access
attendees but an early arrival is suggested as
the capacity for the Sea Palace is 600 guests.
“We wanted to pick a place that was close
to the main hotel of the show that was
easily accessible. It’s about 500 feet away,”
Gharapetian said, adding that Amsterdam is a
one-of-a-kind place.
“With all the little bridges and waterways
in Amsterdam it’s just a unique city. It’s
very lively. It’s a Vegas-type atmosphere
there, always lit up and crowded with a lot of
different things to do.”
Epoch helps clients all over the world process credit card, debit
card and a multitude of other payment types by leveraging its banking
relationships to provide payment gateway, one-time and recurring billing,
24/7/365 billing support customer service as well as data storage, all in a
secure environment. It also customizes the payment form in 17 different
languages based on the customer, accepts all major card types as well as
a number of regional payment types, and bills customers in their local
currency.
Now in his 17th year with Epoch, Gharapetian said he could not be
more proud of the way the company has evolved.
“To me, Epoch is like a family,” he said, noting the Epoch staff consists
of more than 130 professionals in the U.S. and abroad. “Over 50 percent
of our employees have been with us 10 years or more now.”
Epoch, which will officially surpass 20 years on October 1, will
continue leading the way in its next era, Gharapetian assured.
“Innovation has been what has gotten us to 20 years,” Gharapetian
said. “We’ve never sat back and said we’ve reached the mountaintop. We
always ask ourselves what else do we need to do to improve on what we
already do? I think innovation will be our driving force for the next 20
years.
“We’ve been the first in the market to do most of the things we’ve
done. Whether it’s the back end, reports, processing or affiliate tracking,
we’ve been pioneers. ‘Innovation’ would be the key word for the future.”
The executive said he’s been attending Webmaster Access Amsterdam
since the beginning.
“Webmaster Access is the European show to be at,” Gharapetian said.
“Just like us, it was there before everybody else.”
—Dan Miller
Vixen
(Continued from page 44)
LEGAL NEWS
A peek behind the paywall at Vixen.com reveals Lansky’s confidence about the site launch is
warranted. The debut scenes are lavish mini-features presented with narrative context and knockout
technical prowess. Rain and Reid are sheer delights as bored best friends who turn each other on when
they take a surreptitious skinny dip in the neighbor’s pool. And when Mick Blue shows up as said
neighbor, they ask him to join in. “Don’t be a bitch,” Rain says right before they pull him in the pool.
In her hardcore debut, Sunderland looks irresistible as the 18-year-old daughter of Evan Stone,
who sees her chance at last to seduce her father’s longtime friend, Mick Blue. Fortunately, dad has to
go for groceries, giving Blue the chance to take Sunderland’s porn cherry in a scene that begins with
Sunderland placing his hands on her epic natural breasts. It’s a performance that earned Sunderland the
title of Vixen Angel—an honor the site will bestow each month on a different performer.
Other performers featured in scenes that average between 35 minutes to an hour fit Lansky’s
aesthetic: young, natural beauties with minimal makeup and simple yet elegant attire. Among them are
Sydney Cole, Bree Daniels, Blake Eden, Leah Gotti, Kimmy Granger, Nina North, Anya Olsen, Lily Rader,
Crystal Rae and Veronica Rodriguez. Male talent is of the Euro stud variety: in addition to Blue, Cristian
Clay and Jean Val Jean are in the rotation.
Speaking on the success of his brands and his team over the past year, Lansky said, “The brands have
truly attracted a fantastic and talented group of people who refused to create cheap, boring adult films.
Without the belief of our team that we could create a successful studio, the adult industry might not be
where it is today. I am so proud of our little company and that our unique films and brands have won
every major adult award, 16 alone this year. It’s humbling. We also did something almost unimaginable
in times of free porn and rampant piracy: Our studios won the hearts and fierce loyalty of fans around
the world—people love Blacked and Tushy. We are still in the very early stages but through transparency
and constant communication with our audience we intend to do the exact same with Vixen.”
He added, “We have so many exciting projects and innovations to deliver—this year is going to be
incredible. The power created by Blacked and Tushy should be used to create more value for fans and
more ways for adult performers to express their art, and that’s what we did by creating Vixen.com.”
46 | AVN.com | 9.16