Adult suppliers a VSDA no-show

Cancelations due to upcoming HEE, AVN events

By Jennifer Netherby -- Video Business, 6/30/2006

JUNE 30 | Home Entertainment Events, the joint partnership that runs the annual VSDA Home Entertainment convention, seems to have stolen exhibitors away from its own event.

Following HEE’s announcement several weeks ago of an adult business and supplier summit in Palm Springs, Calif., this September, nearly all adult exhibitors backed out of the July Home Entertainment convention in Las Vegas.

Carrie Dieterich, VP of marketing and industry relations with the Entertainment Merchants Assn. (formerly VSDA), which operates the convention with Questex (parent company of VB competitor Home Media Retailing), said suppliers began backing out over the last six weeks because they planned to go to the September summit and the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in January instead.

“Exhibitors are looking to attend X number of events,” Dieterich said.

The July convention was scheduled to have exhibit suites at the Venetian Hotel Resort & Casino devoted to adult suppliers and an “adult lounge” on the showfloor. However, both have been cut after a number of suppliers canceled attendance, and now the only adult-related supplier exhibiting is self-help sex guru Dr. Joel Kaplan, who has a space on a corner of the showfloor.

Dieterich didn’t know how many adult exhibitors were originally signed on but said that 38 attended last year’s show.

The Home Entertainment convention also is competing against XBiz, an adult novelty show at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas around the same time.

Dieterich said tradeshow hours will be extended at the January AVN show, which more adult exhibitors and adult retailers attend. The September summit will be strictly business meetings between suppliers and retailers.