HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — A persistent light drizzle could not deter the massive throng of fans snaking their way around the historic Hollywood Palladium and up the street for several blocks, or dampen their excitement to get inside and start enjoying the assemblage of stars, wild events and new technologies on hand Saturday as Day 2 of the 2024 X3 Expo kicked into gear.
Upon stepping onto the main event floor, one of the first sights to greet attendees was the fan-favorite YourPaysitePartner (YPP) booth, centrally located and bustling with talent and visitors throughout the day. YPP, a premier purveyor of website solutions for clip store owners, models and producers, provided signing space to several of its partner sites, including Seth Gamble’s LucidFlix, Brad Newman’s S3XUS, AltErotic, PurgatoryX, FreakMob Media.
The indisputable star of the YPP booth, however, was Ricky’s Room, brainchild of multitalented Ricky Johnson. After exceeding expectations for what a creator-led paysite can achieve and becoming an audience fave and critical phenomenon — all in less than two years — Ricky’s Room returned to X3 Expo for the second year in a row.
“We are so happy to be here with our partner YPP,” Johnson enthused. “Having us here works as a showcase, because if you’re a performer and you want to have your site be managed, you come over to YPP. We’re a family.”
The Ricky’s Room friendly takeover of the YPP booth featured a red-and-black color scheme, the site’s signature red-satin-sheeted bed and one of the most star-studded lineups of signing talent in the entire expo: Kylie Rocket, Blake Blossom, Alexis Tae, Ivy Lebelle, Angel Youngs, Kazumi, Jewelz Blu, Nicole Doshi, Connie Perignon, Emma Magnolia, Baby Gemini, Lacey Jayne, Jenna Foxx, Morgan Lee, Willow Ryder, Anna-Claire Clouds and Erotic Medusa, among others. Some performers took advantage of the red bed to offer PG-rated lap dances on the show floor.
“As we’re speaking right now, Gem Jewels is writhing on some very, very lucky fan,” Johnson marveled in appreciation of the very close-by display of pro twerking. “There we go! Next year we’ll have two red beds. Yeah, more beds!”
Rocket testified, “I love the fans, the bed and just meeting and networking. Every now and then, I just get on the bed and take pictures myself! A lot of performers just come over here and hang out too, since they know Ricky so they know it’s going to be very chill.”
Rocket also praised Johnson’s site for offering content that she described as both “very sexy and very raw.”
“When Ricky just asks me to shoot or do his booth, I always say yes,” she added. “He’s just awesome.”
Lebelle, who traveled all the way from the East Coast to sign at the Ricky’s Room booth, shared the enthusiasm.
“For the last three years, Ricky is the only person that I shoot for, aside from my own content,” she revealed. “We have amazing chemistry and the way he shoots the women is so stunning. He makes us all look absolutely perfect. I was honored when he asked me to sign.”
Newcomer Gemini, who only recently began shooting pro adult scenes, seemed dazzled by the star power at X3 Expo.
“It’s honestly exhilarating,” she said. “It’s so meaningful, seeing all the people I know and admire. The show and Ricky’s booth are a really good environment. It feels good on the heart.”
Tattooed breakout sensation Perignon also made her X3 signing debut at the Ricky’s Room booth.
“I didn’t really know what to expect, but there’s been a consistent line for the whole day,” Perignon said. “It’s really awesome! I’ve done at least 20 lap dances in Ricky’s red bed. X3 is way different from other shows, because it’s more intimate and you get to really feel all the fan interactions.”
The always ebullient Doshi was also fully X3-pilled by her maiden experience at the show.
“A lot of fans usually just see me on the screen when they’re watching my videos,” she said. “But when they come out here, and they bring gifts for me and get my autograph, I can give them lap dances — and get close enough to tell that they are getting very happy!”
To kick off the first stage event of the day, the announcer summoned gamers, fans and talent to come watch the Mario Kart competition. Projected onto the ultrabig screen from a Switch console, the iconic racing game lit up the Palladium as competitors Jane Wilde, Elly Clutch, Chloe Foxxe and Kiara Cole swiveled joysticks while hooping and hollering with competitive zeal.
After dozens of turtle shells, lightning bolts and power-ups evened the racing field, it was Clutch who finally edged out her fellow racers, appropriately proving herself a “clutch” performer. All of the women took a bow before the flashing of cameras after the intense series of grand prix matches.
In the Palladium’s swank and storied Champagne Lounge, now temporarily converted into a state-of-the-art screening room, attendees flocked to X3 Expo’s exclusive screenings and Q&A with filmmakers for some of this year’s most cinematic XBIZ Awards contenders.
Wicked Pictures was represented by Seth Gamble’s “Reckless,” an ambitious action saga — in every sense of the word “action.” The director and some of the cast shared the secrets of high-octane, mainstream-aesthetic adult filmmaking with a very inquisitive and enthralled packed audience.
“The questions were so smart,” Gamble reflected after the screening. “The fans really showed up! They wanted to know highly specific, sometimes technical things such as how I chose the colors and did it have anything to do with the emotion of the scenes. They asked me really interesting things about casting too.”
Gamble revealed that, unlike other directors, he likes to cast his movies before he writes them.
“With ‘Reckless,’ I had this weird vision that I wanted these specific people — including Ivy Wolfe and Kenna James,” Gamble noted. “When it came to male performers, it was me, Lexington Steele and Tommy Pistol specifically — we’ve all been around a really long time, and you’ve never really seen a project where we all work together. So it was really about trying to find an ensemble cast that was just epic and people who are really proud of what they do. The fact that everybody was available was such a miracle!”
Although he stressed that in the ensemble cast of “Reckless,” everybody is a lead, Gamble nonetheless reserved particular praise for co-star Ivy Wolfe.
“Ivy is an anomaly,” he mused. “She has the kind of star power that you rarely see in this business. She just has an energy that I’ve never experienced in the industry. She’s so talented and she’s such a sweet soul and human being. I’m just grateful that there’s trust between us and that we’ve been able to make all these amazing projects together — and we will continue, with my new site LucidFlix.”
Front and center on the show floor, Chaturbate COO Shirley Lara surveyed her vibrant domain: a slick central screen-laden installation surrounded by broadcasters simultaneously dazzling adoring stream viewers and engaging with the mega crowd of in-person fans as well.
“For a relatively new fan show such as X3, the fact that it has entered the market space and grown year after year like this, it’s amazing to see,” Lara said. “Chaturbate is here for the fans and content creators. X3 is doing phenomenal for us.”
This year’s edition of the annual cosplay contest was hosted by Naked News’ flirty blonde good-vibes tornado Eila Adams, gone uncharacteristically brunette for the occasions as an extra-sexy version of Wonder Woman.
“Strut your stuff, show everyone why you should win!” she exhorted the participants, who included a pink-bikinied Barbie, a fan-favorite “Femboy Hooters” employee, a Harley Quinn, a soft-spoken Leeloo from “The Fifth Element,” several Marvel and DC superheroes — naturally — and other inventive creators with a penchant for DYI costuming. Adult Time ambassador Leana Lovings creatively explained that she was dressed as “the embodiment of e-girls and fantasy fulfillment everywhere.”
Lulu Tofu, in a short red jacket that identified her as Misato Katsuragi from “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” made it to the final showdown between the two most popular costumes — but was ultimately edged out by the veritable powerhouse of cosplay events: the peerless Chrissy LeBlanc, who chose to embody Beetlejuice and had the entire Palladium crowd chanting that magical invocation, you guessed it, three times.
“I am a big fan of Halloween and horror movies,” LeBlanc explained after the fans cheered her to victory. “I saw that ‘Beetlejuice 2’ is coming out later this year, so I got something in the works to prepare for that. I just had this idea in my head of having sandworms eating my legs, and I couldn’t get it out of my head so I just had to make it happen for X3!”
The reward for her efforts, sandworm stockings and all? A cool grand, courtesy of X3.
“The thousand bucks will come in handy!” LeBlanc said. “I really want a tattoo sleeve — I want a harem of hot mermaids all over my arm.”
The roomy and comfy Adult Time booth offered creators and performers an oasis of calm amid the sparkling hubbub of the expo floor. Deliberately low-key, the area was designed by Chief Creative Officer Bree Mills and her team with a tip of the hat to the brand’s signature minimalism. A plain couch, clear logo and midcentury modern kidney-shaped Scandinavian wood coffee table doubled as the setting for branded vertical-video content-making for social media marketing — further testament to Adult Time’s reputation for efficiency, outside-the-box thinking and marketing savvy.
“Rather than doing a traditional signing booth this year, we felt that since we got a bunch of really good people here repping Adult Time, we’d give them a cool place to hang out,” Mills explained. “We have been doing social content and bringing people to us, because it’s a chill space.”
Among the aforementioned “really good people” were Adult Time ambassadors Lauren Phillips, Siri Dahl and Leana Lovings — plus Alison Rey, a sought-after performer in her own right as well as Adult Time’s social producer, tasked with generating promotional material on-site in real time.
Gamble was also on hand here for part of the day, repping the brand with a dapper Adult Time jacket.
“I’m a Gamma Films contract person and I’m here representing Adult Time, and one of their companies that I’ve been with now for almost four years,” Gamble offered. “We’re just here saying hi to fans, doing interviews, showing up for the company that we all love. It just feels like you’re in your living room with your friends! We can talk about ways to collaborate with each other. This company is all about figuring out ways that we can really elevate talent together — and each other.”
In between interviewing a parade of creators for Rey’s camera, redhead stunner Phillips took a moment to enthuse about her X3 experience.
“I got here and it was packed already! I’m super stoked to see everyone here, all the fans and everyone I know from work. It’s so impressive seeing such a great turnout for all of us! I was just talking to Seth about his ‘Reckless’ screening, which I made sure to attend. I got to learn how he views acting and directing, and how he does his job, which is very inspiring for me.”
Dahl joined the conversation to declare the Adult Time booth “the best booth in the whole expo!”
“Hello! We have a lounge, and we’re chilling and we’re making TikToks and I get to talk to fans who come by,” Dahl explained. “I can be very overwhelmed by crowds, but I love this — X3 makes it work. It’s a great event for creators. There’s a reason that I’m only doing X3 Expo this season. I love the venue. I love the space. I fly to LA especially for this and the other XBIZ events, and all of my fans know that they’ve got to get tickets to come here if they want to see me. I’ve had a line just constantly since I got here!”
Back in the Champagne Lounge, the second screening of the day, Digital Playground’s military thriller “Machine Gunner,” got underway. Following the screening, director Ricky Greenwood was joined by stars Kayley Gunner, Kira Noir, Nicole Doshi and Damon Dice for a follow-up Q&A.
“I wanted to pay homage to action movies from the ’80s, with a mix of action and humor,” Greenwood explained.
Noir talked about the training that went into the filming process.
“I had a blast doing this!” she raved. “This was the first time I was ever on a movie with a stunt coordinator, so I had to learn how to throw people through tables, and smash bottles over people’s heads, shoot guns — that was incredible!”
Gunner, a U.S. Army veteran and former real-life machine gunner, discussed why the project was so close to her heart.
“For those of you who don’t know, the military is really important to me,” she said. “So this is one of my favorite projects that I’ve ever done since being in the adult industry. Ricky Greenwood crushed it. He was amazing, the cast was amazing. Leaving the set was really sad for me, because it felt like I was back in the military with my comrades. A team.”
Doshi talked about working on her first feature.
“I was so lucky to be a part of this,” she said. “It was my first time doing something so big, so of course I was nervous. It was so cold during the day when we were shooting, everyone was in these heavy jackets. But as soon as the camera was rolling, everybody was ready!”
On the event floor, piracy protection service BranditScan offered another star-festooned booth. Top creators such as Natasha Nice, Lacy Lennon, Little Puck, AstroDomina, Cali Caliente and Ema Karter drew in fans and encouraged colleagues to check out the company’s special deals for onboarding content creators seeking to protect their valuable IP.
“Our booth is all about the community,” explained BranditScan Client Relations Manager Jessica Hookimaw. “Give them water, give them snacks, whatever they need — especially somewhere to hang out that is peaceful! We’re really proud to be here at X3 Expo offering creators free brand protection for a month. No one in the industry has ever done this. Our full premium plan is available for creators right here at zero cost — and we’re confident that after the first month, they’re going love it so much that they’re going to stick around. At the end of the day, we do what we do for the models. We love them. We exist for them.”
Nice testified, “I loved signing for BranditScan today. Their booth was so fun and had so much traffic, so I’m hugely thankful to their team. And I got to see Lacy again and take pics at their selfie wall with her! This edition of X3 is even better than last year — I barely stopped signing autographs long enough to take pics for my socials. My fans truly showed up and made me feel so special. I’m so thankful to each and every single one of them for showing me love and literally bringing me my flowers — and Red Bulls too. Amazing turnout!”
Up on the main stage, Dahl once again deployed her impressive interviewing skills, offering a revealing look at another of this year’s X3 Icons: Kendra Sunderland, the world-famous “Library Girl.”
Naturally, Sunderland retold her fabled origin story, to the unsurprising delight of the X3 crowd.
“I was camming and I liked to do a public show, and I wanted to do more than stick my titties out at a Starbucks,” she admitted mischievously. “So I went to my college library and I did a naughty webcam show there. And then later on, somebody posted it online with my full legal name, and then because of that I got arrested for masturbating in a public library! So that’s how I got here.”
Dahl asked her how much time she has spent at a library since officially becoming “Library Girl.”
“Not a lot!” Sunderland laughed, before disclosing that she actually went back to the scene of her “crime” for a calendar shoot.
Sunderland also shared some lessons learned and advice for fellow creators.
“I am my own boss, and I don’t have to do anything that anyone tells me to do,” she affirmed. “I can do whatever I want. And I think every person in this industry should feel that way. They should never feel pressured to do anything. And be yourself!
Heading downstage to meet and sign for fans, Sunderland stressed how thrilled she was at seeing herself on the X3 billboard in Hollywood.
“That just made me so happy!” she gushed. “I just love seeing the same fans that have come to see me year after year at the show. X3 is just more fun, and since it’s in LA, it’s just easier for the fans to come and meet us.”
Elsewhere, in the exclusive Brazzers lounge, contract star Noir reclined with some Liquid Death.
“This has been the biggest X3 yet!” she said. “It has been so fun getting to meet fans in the Brazzers booth, and I love that I get special time with the X3 VIPs. I think this show will just keep getting bigger and better. Capping off this fun weekend by celebrating the past year at the XBIZ Awards is the ultimate cherry on top.
The Brazzers booth continued doing brisk business across from the star-studded lounge, with the tireless Angela White patiently welcome her multitude of fans in a line that snaked around several other booths.
For those interested in going behind the scenes on a major production, an intimate screening of the documentary-style Adult Time film “How Women Orgasm” took place in the Champagne Lounge, which a crowd of curious attendees filled to standing-room-only capacity.
After a brief introduction by XBIZ Managing Editor Alejandro Freixes, who described her award-winning repertoire and films, Adult Time’s Mills previewed the planned Q&A featuring the many cast members on hand, and shared some news.
“We will ask questions afterward to have a real self-pleasure session,” Mills promised. “Though you’ll have to watch the entire movie for the actual result! And we’re happy to reveal that starting next week, we’re officially turning this project into a podcast.”
As the featured performers watched each other answering interview questions onscreen, they laughed and offered words of support.
Afterward, the cast came up to answer a variety of live questions from audience members. Lauren Phillips, Leana Lovings, Alexis Tae, Victoria Voxxx, Casey Calvert, Brittany Kade, Siri Dahl and more were on hand to provide illuminating advice on everything from how to communicate with partners who are missing the mark, to how to deal with the challenges of being on medication that inhibits orgasm.
By the front stage, Jennifer White and Lulu Chu held court, offering merch and enticing fans with the chance to snap photos together, as well as purchase signed posters, and movie titles from top studios like Evil Angel and Wicked.
“I’m so excited to be back at X3!” White said, hands on her hips and commanding attention in a revealing black outfit with mesh. “I truly love meeting and interacting with my fans. They really are the sweetest and so incredibly supportive!”
Chu, fresh from her own triumphant screening the previous day, offered, “X3 is an awesome opportunity to meet new people and interact with fans! I had an amazing time watching the screening of ‘Feed Me’ and can’t wait until next year’s expo!”
Leana Lovings sidled over from the Cosplayground booth, in a comic-book-ready bodysuit.
“X3 is something special,” Lovings said. “When you get onto the show floor and see all of your fans, all the companies you’ve worked for and all your fellow performers in one spot, it’s this feeling that everything you’ve done and everyone you’ve met has all led to this day. I’m happy to represent Adult Time and Cosplayground today!”
Industry powerhouse Ana Foxxx is a perennial huge draw with the fans, and she came ready to take no prisoners in head-to-toe Playboy gear.
“That’s the least I can do for them,” Foxxx confided. “There’s so many brands I represent, but Playboy gives me the most clothes so I don’t have to worry about how I get dressed every day! You know, I’m a simple person: they give me clothes, so I wear them. I love my bunny panties, shorts, shoes — even the earrings!”
Any brand that wants to have performers as ambassadors, advised Foxxx — a consummate businesswoman — should be equally generous with its swag.
“If you want your ambassadors to rep your brand, give them the tools to do it!” she counseled.
Foxxx added she is always excited to be at X3 because it gives performers such an ideal venue.
“They look amazing!” she said. “The glitter, the ass, the titties — it’s fucking phenomenal. I’m very happy to be here once again, seeing all my fellow performers doing their damn thing.”
In the signing area, prominent spots were occupied by some of the most iconic veteran creators and performers in the industry, including Phoenix Marie, Vicky Vette, Tera Patrick, Romi Rain and other indisputable marquee names.
Marie shared her appreciation for the more intimate nature of X3 Expo compared with other fan-centered shows.
“We can really see who we share our fans with,” she explained. “For a lot of the LA-based talent, it’s a lot easier to be here than to travel to see fans, and they also feel more welcome here. The vibe is really more relaxed, which both we and the fans appreciate.”
Vette had complimentary words for the organizing staff and X3 Expo.
“I’m impressed, year after year after year, at how they always outdo themselves!” she said.
Displaying a vast array of her branded products, including custom-molded body parts, and promoting her influential creator network Vette Nation Army, Vette delivered a compelling pitch.
“What am I giving the fans?” she asked rhetorically. “Myself! I’m giving them my mouth, my ass, my pictures, my T-shirts, my beanies, my hats, my everything — most of all, my love!”
Vette heaped special praise on the X3 fans who turned out, and how they comported themselves.
“They are so well-behaved and respectful,” she said. “At some other shows, I was practically molested, and it really turned me off of doing shows for a long time! But because it’s XBIZ-organized, I’m here.”
Stage right, Grooby’s Kristel Penn talked about the renowned trans studio’s expo experience, as well some big news.
“Our big thing was to announce our 2024 brand ambassador, Cloudy Vi,” Penn shared. “And also to bring all our performers up to the stage, so it’s been really wonderful. We’re having so much fun! The fans have been great — the girls are all having a good time, the guys are all having a good time. It makes my heart so happy!”
Back onstage, Dahl was joined by Kira Noir, this time in her capacity as an X3 Icon, for the final interview of the event.
The two started by bantering about their intimidating, gothy outfits, before Dahl went on to rave about performing with Noir.
“I was just saying backstage, we’ve done one scene together, and it still lives on in my mind forever!” Dahl revealed.
“You shoved my face deep into your ass, and you kept it there, you held it there!” Noir replied. “It was beautiful.”
Dahl then asked Noir what inspired her to get into the industry.
“My favorite stars, before I got into the industry, were Skin Diamond and Stoya,” Noir said. “So I first started doing photo sets, pictures I took myself, and posting them myself, because that’s how they started. And it just blossomed from there.”
Talking about early lessons that she could pass on to new performers and creators, Noir discussed the importance of not being too much of a perfectionist.
“I learned to be way less critical of myself,” she said. “Whenever you have a job where your product is your body, it’s easy to fall into the trap of being really hypercritical of your appearance, your voice, how you interact with people — to the point where it’s not even beneficial anymore. I’ve realized that even if I’m not always my own type, other people like it.”
Dahl mentioned that she gets lots of questions from other female performers and fans about what Noir is like to shoot with.
“People always come up to me, and they’re like, ‘You’ve shot with Kira Noir! What’s she like? I have a massive crush on her!’” Dahl shared. “It’s all women, by the way, all saying ‘I’m so fucking gay for Kira Noir.’”
“That makes me so happy,” Noir responded, giggling. “If you are a gay woman, and you want to sit on my face, please fuck me!”
Out on the event floor, reigning XBIZ MILF Performer of the Year Reagan Foxx signed and posed for pictures with a long line of fans.
“I’m having a great time!” she said. “It seems like it’s more lit up this year, there’s a lot more people. The energy is a little bit brighter. I love it!”
She also talked about presenting at an awards show for the first time, at the XBIZ Awards the following evening.
“I have never presented,” she said. “Mainly because I have a fear of speaking! I totally bombed my acceptance speech last year, so I’m hoping that presenting will help me with my fear of speaking in front of people.”
At her table in front of the stage, Chanel Camryn found herself hemmed in on all sides, standing on a chair while she discussed how much she was enjoying the expo.
“It’s fucking amazing!” she raved. “I’ve gotten to meet so many new people this year! I wanted to make lots of money while I was here, and I wanted to meet everybody, show face and have fun. These expos are always so inviting, and it’s really nice to see all of the performers together in one place.”
Over in the Champagne Lounge, Vixen Media Group screened the final feature of the event, director Derek Dozer’s “Influence: Vanna Bardot,” starring the reigning XBIZ Female Performer of the Year.
Following the screening, Bardot and Dozer took the stage for a Q&A that was quickly commandeered by a very enthusiastic fan.
“That movie is 4 ½ hours long?” the long-haired gentleman shouted from the audience after Dozer made an offhand remark about the length of the sex scenes. “That’s like a season of ‘Yellowstone,’ brother!”
Bardot talked about shooting the feature’s lengthy naked foot-chase scene.
“It was so funny!” she said. “I’m used to being naked on set, but to actually be running naked while everyone else is clothed was crazy. Shooting that chase scene took a long time, and it was already like 2 a.m. when I was chased into the van. It was freezing cold outside, but we had to get that scene done, because we had all those extras there and we were in a residential neighborhood. The doors were actually swinging open, back and forth, in the back of this moving van. All I could think about was how funny it would be if we were turning out onto the street and somebody happened to be going into their house and they see me, naked, in the back of a moving van. That would have been hilarious!”
“It would have been like ‘Jackass’ at that point!” the enthusiastic fan shouted. “A Johnny Knoxville stunt!”
Added Dozer, “She was hauling ass! She did all of her own stunts!”
“I actually pulled my back,” Bardot added. “I had to go to a specialist after!”
Outside in the main hall, even as things started to wind down, there were still big-name performers meeting and greeting the fans.
Perennial award winner and certified all-girl fan favorite Charlotte Stokely, one of this year’s four X3 Icons, sported her signature “Catherine Deneuve of porn” style, from her impeccable movie-star hair to her chic gown.
“Everyone is having such a great time,” she effused. “Everywhere I look, I see things that really stand out to me — and I mean both smiles and hard nipples! Honestly, I’ve also seen a few hard-ons, I’m not going to lie.
“I’m having such a wonderful time connecting with my fans and I’m so honored to be one of the X3 Icons,” Stokely continued. “I am so proud of my fellow Icon girls: Kendra, Violet and Kira. We’re a family, like sisters — but like horny, porny sisters! We’re even closer now because we have this wonderful memory and bonding moment to share together. I look forward to seeing who’s going to join us next year!”
Another fan favorite of long standing, Brittany Amber, warmed up the room with her contagious smile.
“Oh my gosh, I’m about ready to take some hot pictures with some hot fans!” she exclaimed.
Asked about what makes Amber so special, one of her fans blushed before his favorite creator and offered a shy, “She’s really down to earth.”
As the fan left her table, still ruby-cheeked from the affectionate exchange, Amber reflected on it as one of those sincere, special moments of connection that only X3 can provide.
“I do love what we just saw more than anything,” Amber said. “I’m so happy right now at my table! I have this permanent smile on my face, for the whole weekend.”
As X3 Expo reached its conclusion, the exhausted but satisfied throng of fans spilled back out onto Sunset Boulevard. The hugely packed event was finally at a close, and everyone walking out seemed to have a huge smile on their face.
