UK Adult Entertainment Weekend

[Mysteryman]

I've been carefully reading the posts on both Erotica and the Awards event with a professional interest.

I didn't attend either event as I'm not in the business and couldn't be in London that weekend anyway - but I am a retired events organiser with over 30 years experience in running conferences, seminars, awards ceremonies, trade and public exhibitions around the world, including running my own events company.

Whilst the two events are organised individually, they have the potential to form the nucleus of a major UK Adult Entertainment Weekend - but the industry needs to get its act together.

Let's first look at Erotica and get the complaint posted here out of the way. Whatever the shortcomings of the event, the show owner has had to tread a fine line to get the show accepted by both the venue and the authorities. The licencing rules, be it in London or anywhere else in the UK, for an "adult" show are ridiculously tough.

As to the incident regarding distribution of literature, the show owner, or even the venue, seems to have had a clause in the contractual agreements regarding distribution of literature. The show owner obviously thought that a breach of the clause had taken place and had a right to rectify the situation to his satisfaction. The methods he reportedly used certainly would not have been mine and would seem, judging by the reaction, to have been counter productive to a greater degree than anticipated.

At the moment, the show is almost the only outlet in the UK market. If it isn't what the industry wants/needs then it will eventually die. Meeting the needs of both the industry and the public, within the current laws and bye-laws, will need patience, persistance and not a little pushing at the boundaries but, before anyone can even begin to put a worthwhile show in place at a major venue there is the need to secure finance in the region of ?200K to cover deposit, build costs, stand sales, real marketing to the public, insurance and contingencies. Of this the the organiser needs to accept that at least 25% could be lost if the show does not take place or takes place but fails to attract enough exhibitors/visitors.

On the other hand, a succesful show should bring in at least a 30% profit from stand sales, entrances, sale of brochure advertising and sponsorship.

The organiser needs to secure an understanding with the venue and a WRITTEN agreement as to what is and is not permissable within the bye-laws and this needs to form part of individual stand sales contracts.

Adult entertainers should be contracted by the organiser to promote the show and attend - in addition to those contracted to individual exhibitors.

Above all, any new show needs real commitment from the industry with early booking of stand space and attractive stand design and on stand product promotion.

The industry is Londoncentric but the audience is country wide and beyond. A Midlands or North West venue should be looked at as well as those in London as, for exhibitors and visitors from the rest of the UK, London can be expensive when travel, hotel, meals and show entrance are added together and a look at a demographic map of the UK would show that both Birmingham and Manchester have equal catchment areas to the London venues - thus the success of many shows at the NEC which used to be London based and the success of GMEX in attracting national shows.

Any organiser should, even before launching the first show, also visit shows in Europe and the US to pick the brains of the organisers and look at how they are run and what works and doesn't. Successful exhibition organisation is both an art and a science and has to be done professionally to succeed and ensure longevity.

Unless there are people in the adult industry with REAL experience in the field I strongly suggest that if the industry wants a show geared to its needs it finds a professional organiser who will run (not own) the event for a fee and perhaps a percentage of the take.

Turning to the Awards event, first off congratulations to the organiser for having the guts to put the event together. From most of the comments and the photos it looks to have been fun and reasonably well put together. However there were obviously problems.

Most people, in all walks of life, think that organising a meeting, dinner, awards ceremony etc. is easy and can be done part time. Generally they do things at the last minute, forget essentials until panic measures are needed to rectify a crisis and generally learn "on the hoof".

Not a recipe for a healthy heart or an ulcer free digestive system.

If the industry wants a ceremony to take its place and be recognised as something other than "another cheaply run dirty mac brigade event" it needs to find the right venue, preferably link the awards to the aforementioned exhibition and even cross fund and cross market the two events.

Nominations should be open to all (lack of attendance as an excuse for not considering a performer for an award is just petty - but all nominees should make EVERY effort to attand) and real kudos should attach to each award.

Should the public be able to attend? This is difficult. Publicly inviting celebrities who, through embarrasment, don't turn up is counter productive. Private invitations are a much better route. I can think of a number of celebrities who have publicly admitted having large porn collections who, having made the admission, should have no problem in attending. As for "the man in the street" the hard truth is that to maintain a front of exclusivity and glamour the "lager brigade" (no, I'm not being elitist - just practical) who form a percentage of the audience, need to be excluded just as the ordinary man in the street doesn't get into the Oscars.

Sell tickets to the public by all means but at at least double the price of those sold to the industry.

The venue needs to be fully aware of what may take place (see the published "adult content" photos) and be comfortable with the aims and freedom of the event. Above all the venue needs to add to the glitz of the ceremony.

Two events with great synergy - should be owned by one industry acknowledged and funded organisation and run by a professional team under contract.

That, I believe is the way forward. Other industries do it all the time - for the adult industry its harder due to British legislation but it shouldn't be impossible to achieve a truly worthwhile weekend for trade, performers, producers and public.

If I were 15 years younger I'd give it a go but I'm sure there are plenty of others out there with the necessary drive, talent and experience to make it work.

[Marino]

I myself have put on three day adult events and with no complaints, so if anyone needs advice please drop me a line.

[prman2]

Please read the topic headed SHOW further down this forum.

Someone is prepared to step in and venues are being looked at

[Mysteryman]

I did. I wish them luck and, for their sake and that of the industry, hope they have major event organising experience to go with their money.

The number of failures in the exhibition market with massive losses in train runs like a cancer through the industry - mostly due to lack of experience.

I'm just offering some things to consider based on experience in event organising and also, at one time, running a major venue.