opinion

Face time for a virtual industry

Happy Autumn. A great time of year visually in many parts of the world, including my fair Southern Colorado front range. I can remember a time in the late 90’s when the industry used to salivate at the thought of the fall season arriving for exciting business reasons. At the time, the second biggest rush of new PC’s hitting the market (and therefore multitudes of new internet users) annually was the back to school season. Lots of college age folks unpacking new machines bundled with AOL, CompuServe, AT&T Worldnet and other lightning fast dial up ISP’s. Lots of curious new users typing in domains for the first time and gaining access to the world of the safest sex possible, online from home.

Maybe a strange segue, but I like to reminisce about these times as I get ready for a busy season of trade shows. I do like to plan ahead to make best use of face time, one of the most valuable resources to help your business. I just returned from the Island Gathering in Curacao and the 1st ever Gay Phoenix Forum. Both events seemed like a tremendous success on the whole. Personally, I found the days spent at these events to be fantastic.

The value of face time when doing business on behalf of web sites and internet companies cannot be ignored. If you know the products & services you represent or own well and you can take the time to learn how best to fit what you have within the needs of potential clients and partners, trade shows in our industry can be your best friend.

Putting aside the issue of sponsorship, having booth space, etc., focus on the value of going to shows yourself or sending staff to ‘work the floor’. While I can excitedly remember my first show in January of ’99, I also remember feeling overwhelmed not knowing who to start talking to and how to understand each person or company’s element of involvement in the industry food chain. While the show was still productive, I have made it a point since to come prepared, researching people, companies, industry trends, etc. to have something new to discuss with people as often as possible. All these years later, it still takes some planning and prep to accomplish the goals set for a specific trade show.

While many people in the industry believe in the value of the show, many also perceive that you cannot get any substantive business done. I disagree and in fact have generated some of the best deals I have ever worked on specifically at the shows. As we get into the season for the bigger shows again, I recommend highly that you sit with your team or in front of a pad of paper and a pen to determine what goals can be set for your time away from the office. There is absolutely no doubt that virtually any business in this industry can yield great benefits from face time with industry peers, but there is no such thing as something for nothing. Expect to invest some time to be best prepared for the output of your time spent at these industry events.

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

Creating a Stellar Content Calendar

In the fast-paced world of content creation, staying organized is crucial for success. One of the most effective ways to do that — while also leveling up your content strategy — is by creating a content calendar.

Megan Stokes ·
profile

Electric Novelties Execs Reflect on Company Origins, Mission

When Zach Goode first crossed paths with Electric Novelties over 20 years ago, both he and the company were deeply entrenched in the apparel world. Goode was handling sales for a friend’s novelty T-shirt company, Sik World, while Electric specialized in sexy lingerie and clubwear.

Ariana Rodriguez ·
opinion

The Benefits of At-Home STI Testing for Talent

In the adult industry, regular STI testing and sexual health checkups are a mandated necessity. For many performers, however, testing resources are not as accessible as they should be. One solution is at-home testing kits. Traditional STI testing requires a visit to a doctor’s office or clinic, but all of that is changing with the convenience of home STI testing, which is transforming sexual health management.

Andreas M. Kogelnik ·
profile

Sensual Distributors Ltd. Blends Real-Life Love Story, Passion for Pleasure Biz

This local brick-and-mortar is a “mom and mom” operation led by co-owners Alana Thompson and Angini Singh, a lesbian couple who overcame their country’s strict, religious culture to create a sexual wellness boutique that serves their unique community.

Colleen Godin ·
profile

Q&A: Mathema Kitten Rises to the Top as Clip Creator

As the only child of older parents who strongly encouraged her to prioritize academics, Mathema Kitten grew up spending a substantial amount of time on her studies. Working to meet her folks’ high expectations, she spent little time around people her own age and felt shy and challenged in navigating relationships with peers.

Alejandro Freixes ·
profile

WIA Profile: Rae Threat

Threat is completely self-taught. Shooting nightlife was how she learned photography and honed her skills, experimenting with ways to shoot low-light action shots without a flash. She notes that these nightly adventures also helped her acquire social and networking skills. One thing led to another, and she soon found herself working in the adult biz.

Women In Adult ·
opinion

How History Drives Marketing Strategies Today

Thanks to the efforts of activists, sex educators and members of marginalized communities, products like sex toys, lubricants and adult films have become much less stigmatized, and much more visible and accepted in the public sphere today.

Hail Groo ·
opinion

BAFTA Nominations Highlights Importance of Gender-Neutrality

While the Brit Awards have paved the way for gender inclusivity by introducing gender-neutral award categories, it has recently been confirmed that the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards will not follow suit.

Scarlett Ward ·
profile

VerifyMy Seeks to Provide Frictionless Online Safety, Compliance Solutions

Before founding VerifyMy, Ryan Shaw was simply looking for an age verification solution for his previous business. The ones he found, however, were too expensive, too difficult to integrate with, or failed to take into account the needs of either the businesses implementing them or the end users who would be required to interact with them.

Alejandro Freixes ·
opinion

How Adult Website Operators Can Cash in on the 'Interchange' Class Action

The Payment Card Interchange Fee Settlement resulted from a landmark antitrust lawsuit involving Visa, Mastercard and several major banks. The case centered around the interchange fees charged to merchants for processing credit and debit card transactions. These fees are set by card networks and are paid by merchants to the banks that issue the cards.

Jonathan Corona ·
Show More