Attending the Trade Shows
by Marc Laffer, President of AdultChamber.com
The Real Value - Everyone knows that there are tens of thousands of adult websites on the 'Net. Although some owners have multiple sites, it's easy to do the math; there are tens of thousands of adult website owners.
Most adult websites begin with an idea and a dream. When the reality hit that it would require work to make the business grow, the cheap hosting companies got lots of sites that virtually get no traffic and few updates. Then, there are the successful sites that turn data into income. It's not magic to have a successful adult online business, but it is work. To succeed you need to be open to new ideas, and understanding where to obtain the necessary knowledge to achieve success.
In the mid 1990s, there were many more trade shows for the adult segment of the 'Net than in existence today. Over the years the trade shows competed for the attention of the ever-growing number of website owners, only to quickly learn that few were truly open to traveling and meeting others face-to-face. The masses felt that the sites would earn money all by themselves, just because they were on the Internet.
Today, the two largest shows, InterNext in January and August compete for the website owners and webmasters who travel to the smaller and sometimes local shows. Other events include less formal shows at beach resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico. In Europe, the adult webmaster has a few trade shows from which to choose as well, all competing for the attention of those who understand the value of meeting face-to-face. Amongst the wealth of information available at AdultChamber.com and Klixxx.com, you can find a list of upcoming trade shows and events as well as reviews and pictures in order to plan your year.
Why Attend At All?
This is really a very good question since 99% of all website owners and webmasters communicate for business through e-mail and instant messaging. However, it is virtually impossible to know who the real big boys are in the market and who vies for your business with a pretty website presentation and little to offer behind the site. It's also a very good idea to get to know your transaction processor. Companies such as Epoch and CCBill make it their business to have a professional presence at the larger and more popular shows, inviting their clients to upscale parties and making sure their staff meets their clients, one-on-one. It builds more than confidence; it makes the website owner feel comfortable enough to call in the future to learn of new techniques that will turn ideas into profit.
When you go to the larger shows, you see and meet the companies that have the funds to attend with their employees. There is no way to put a value on personally meeting the people in your industry who have knowledge to share. If you're thinking about attending a trade show to help improve your site, there is no question that you will be learning from those with experience - what works and what fails. You will also have one opportunity after another to make deals you can never accomplish via impersonal e-mail. And, even the introverted find it very easy to create business relationships that will stand the test of time, with trust as the foundation. Follow-up with e-mails to those you met on the trade show floor and at the planned events, and your e-mail will get a level of attention not realized in the past.
What does it really cost to attend?
Let's say you budget to attend two large shows per year, quite a distance from your home or office. Typically, the shows are in vacation areas such as Las Vegas and South Florida, with the vendors organizing parties to provide evening food, drink and entertainment. In this example, you spend $1,000 per show including show fees, transportation, hotel and meals. A total cost is $2,000 per year. With your website(s) online 24/7, that expense equates to $5.48 per day (tax deductible in the U.S.), and a vacation experience as well. If the trade show allows you to find a better deal or two as well as acquire information to improve your daily bottom line, well, it is one the best business decisions you can make.
AdultChamber.com operates one of the very popular Webmaster Message Boards at AdultWebmasterHangout.com. Although webmasters share knowledge and ideas all day long, the trade shows provide the opportunity to meet the moderators and those special people who so willingly reach out to help online. Making personal contact at the shows by having a drink together at the socials, or breaking bread together at one of the hotel restaurants, typically is rewarded with more than the friendship you build, it allows you to interact on a new level, sharing ideas that promote business to a new plateau.
Meeting at a trade show builds a foundation that enables you, and the vendor, to transcend normal business communications. You tend to be able to get better deals all year long, get more information on what's upcoming, and learn who is doing what, and where.
The professional side of the adult Internet business community is much smaller than people can ever imagine. Attending just a few shows gives the website owner and webmaster a much better vision of who's who. If your honest intention is to attend the shows to do business, it will be the best investment you can make.
Marc Laffer is the President of AdultChamber.com, a premier Webmaster Commerce & Resource Center with a network of sites that attract over 15,000 Adult Webmasters every day. He started Online Technologies (Online-Tech.com) in 1990, providing Adult Website Development, Search Engine Optimization, as well as operating RateXpics.com to help adult Webmasters advertise their pic sites for free.
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