Page 20 - AVN Intimate Summer 2018

Ready for the Guests Poolside at the 2018 Spring Warehouse Show.
educational guides for customers and workshops for customers who own brick and mortars.
One of the directors of marketing, Peter La Mantia, who is spearheading a lot of customer
education initiatives, says, “In the last year, we have seen a shift toward education and
relationships, which we started being more cognizant of in early 2017. … For ECN, it’s about
being a partner to our customer, not just their distributor.”
In January of this year, ECN launched a free vendor resource portal, where customers can
access marketing materials from a number of top manufacturers in the industry. ECN adapts its
business model to the increasingly online world, yet still retains its relationship with brick and
mortars. “If you don’t evolve, in any business, you die off. Our distribution process is constantly
in flux, always adapted to better accommodate our partners,” says Anthony Pingicer, director of
marketing on the East Coast.
The dedicated staff is another pillar of ECN’s success in the adult industry. The working
environment seems to be a positive one, considering many staff members have been on board
for more than a decade. The head of human resources has been with the company since its doors
metaphorically opened in 1995. The longest-tenured salesperson has been with the company for
more than 30 years. In 2017, four employees hit the 20-year milestone, adding to the handful that
hit that milestone in years prior.
“We are regularly trained by manufacturers on
the latest and greatest items, and we pass that
knowledge to our customers on a daily basis.”
—Anthony Pingicer, director of marketing (East Coast)
Not only do employees seem to like ECN, the customers seem to like the employees. Vice
President Lynda Mort received a StorErotica Award nomination for Executive of the Year in 2018,
an award designed to honor innovators and leaders in the adult industry. Mort modestly credits
the recognition to being “surrounded by an amazing team, and our growth and success has
everything to do with the collective efforts of all.”
She adds, “In the last few years, ECN has had to grow and adapt new practices and
procedures to meet the demands of the market. Our success always come back to listening and
integrating the needs of our customers. When we can solve their problems before they have
them, we know we are on the right track.”
The staff takes great measures to stay informed about products and trends and they even host
regional training sessions where they invite local retailers and vendors for both networking and
continued education.. The first event of 2018 was held in Austin, Texas, and was considered
20 | INTIMATE | SUMMER 2018
a success by the ECN team. Pingicer explains,
“We are regularly trained by manufacturers on
the latest and greatest items, and we pass that
knowledge to our customers on a daily basis.”
He also says that ECN hosts regional events
throughout the year with trusted vendor partners
so retailers can learn about new products and
brands in more intimate settings.
ECN attends a handful of trade shows each
year, keeping the crew up-to-date on the newest
products from vendors and manufacturers. The
salespeople also accompany customers on the
show floor, listening to their needs and increasing
inventory when applicable. ECN regularly
attends the industry’s largest trade shows,
everything from the AVN Novelty Expo in Las
Vegas to eroFame in Germany.
Not only do ECN staffers attend trade shows,
they also throw their own: the IVD|ECN Fall
Show. This year marks the company’s fourth
annual event, with invitations going out to some
60 manufacturers to meet and network with more
than 200 retailers, buyers and shop owners. The
three-day expo allows attendees to get one-
on-one time with manufacturers and studios,
support from IVD and ECN sales staff, and
network with other retailers.
Denise Young of Blush Novelties says that the
show helped strengthen her relationships with
partners in the adult novelty business and gain
feedback on her own company: “The IVD|ECN
Fall Show provides the perfect space for this.”
Another vendor, Austin Ferdinand of
CalExotics, says that attending the Fall Show
helped draw attention to his company. “Being
able to showcase our product in the main room
contributed to our success and drew large crowds
throughout the entire show,” Ferdinand said.
The last three years the IVD|ECN Fall Show
was held in rural Stowe, Vermont. For this
September’s show, ECN will move the event to
sunny Orlando, Florida.
Aside from a customer-service-oriented
business model and a reward-based working
environment for their staff, ECN also values
humanitarian efforts. After Hurricane Harvey
struck the gulf coast, ECN partnered with adult
novelty retailers Love Shack to distribute relief
to the area. All three office locations sent over
necessary supplies to a Love Shack location in
Lake Charles, Louisiana, to be distributed to East
Texas areas that had been affected.
“ECN went above and beyond and provided
a trailer full of boxes filled with essentials [that]
will help our Texas friends recover after this
tragedy,” a Love Shack rep said. “We couldn’t ask
for a better partner to do this with.”
Frank and Michael understand that with
success comes great responsibility. Because of
this, and their own core values, ECN is proud to
support many charities at a local and national
level, from cancer research to LGBTQ rights and
more.