Page 46 - AVN March 2017

FEATURE
MORE, MORE, MORE
AVN Expo enjoyed a growth spurt in 2017, with upticks in fan attendance,
star power, booth sizes and number of exhibitors
AVN SHOW 2017
The 2017 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino hit
the mark in all the most important metrics. There were more fans, more stars
and more exhibitors, creating a happy, buzzing show floor from the moment the
ribbon was cut on January 18.
Standing alongside AVN Media Network CEO Tony Rios, MyFreeCams model
Stefanie Joy took a pair of giant scissors and officially opened the four-day
convention, presented by MyFreeCams.
The 22-year-old Arizona native said she couldn’t wait to experience her first full
AVN Show.
“I was only here at AVN last year on one day for two hours. So this is my actual
first AVN,” Joy said. “I have a lot of people coming to see me, too. I’m going to be
at the booth every single day.”
MyFreeCams.com expanded its presence this year with a spacious booth in
Muse Hall and in the entrance area, accommodating more than 500 cam girls.
The AVN Expo also featured hundreds of adult performers and 200-plus
exhibitors showcasing their products and services.
In addition, the national media came out in force for this year’s event, including
reporters and video crews from outlets such as Vice, Yahoo! News, Tech Crunch,
HuffPost, Vocativ, the Los Angeles Times, the Las Vegas Review Journal, MSNBN,
CNBC, Engadget, Esquire and Getty Images.
Throughout Muse Hall and Artist Hall, fans and press mingled with performers,
directors and webcammers. Inside The Joint, adult studio Evil Angel occupied
prime real estate on both sides of the stage, while AEBN had booths lining the
main entrance. In between were aisles and aisles of performers, greeting fans at
their agents’ booths and other exhibitors.
In The Joint, Nexxxt Level Talent Agency executive Jonathan Morgan observed,
“The first day is pretty good. The girls are all chipper, they’re all excited, they
haven’t gone through the days of partying, the days of drinking, hanging out with
friends, the long nights of drinking.”
The veteran adult director turned talent agent added, “Last year the fans were a
little bit standoffish. They didn’t know: ‘Am I supposed to walk up? Do I have to
buy something?’ It’s like a people aquarium: They look and every once in a while
tap on the glass. Now, they’re getting a bit more proactive. They’re coming to the
girls, they’re talking with them. The girls appreciate the interaction because they
want to mingle with their fans, they want to have a conversation with the people
purchasing their stuff.”
ATM|LA owner Mark Schechter observed, “So far so good. If I compare the
early Wednesday start to last year, it’s a little better than last year. There are more
fans here this year. We’ve got about 40 girls signing for us.”
“This is the toughest week of the year,” agent Mark Spiegler said. “Normally
we have 10 or 15 girls working a day, and I get the info ahead of time. Now we
have about 30 of them, all working at the same time, some of them more than
once. I’ve got a million things to do all at the same time. It’s hell week. All of the
girls are signing, at least one place, some of them twice. Plus getting them here,
making sure they find the booth. I walked the floor so I know where the booths
are so when they call me and they’re lost. ... You gotta think ahead.”
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