IamA cancer survivor, dad and director of the largest adult convention in the country, the EXXXOTICA Expo. AMA!

What's up Jimmy. I've been to the last 4 exxxotica events in Chicago and always have a great time. My question to you is do you have plans In The future to make it bigger? I feel like this years event was rather small. There was only about 4 aisles of vendors and at 50 bucks for a GA ticket I expected a little more.

Hey there! 4 years straight, impressive! It's always interesting to hear different perspectives. We actually had about 10 MORE companies participating this year than last in Chicago. We changed the layout of the floor quite a bit. Fucked up Club Spotlight (which has since gone back to it's previous setup) and moved the seminars further off the main show floor... BUT, one of the things we're thinking of doing is bringing back some "ancillary" events held within EXXXOTICA... The tattoo portion was cool. We've done car shows in the past, which we may bring back... We're also open to other suggestions of what people might like to see! We're also working on bulking up the VIP ticket. We're doing a free poster which gets you 25 free autographs from the top stars at the show in Dallas. It's certainly not cheap, but it's definitely an experience you can't get anywhere else!

Is Chicago on the schedule for this year?

Chicago has come and gone! It was June 12-14. But fear not! We'll be back next year!

How do you explain to your kids your involvement in the porn industry?

Very slowly. My kids are still pretty young. I recently had to have the whole "how a baby is made" convo with my 6 year old. I will say, it's easier to give a 20 second, 6-year-old version of that conversation than it is to not say anything until your kid is 13... My kids know EXXXOTICA is for adults. That's enough for now...

When your children are 18, would you object to them working in your industry?

As an adult performer? Yes. I would.

I've asked this question before in other porn-related AMAs and its interesting how often people reply the same way you did. "Its fine when its other people's kids" seems to be the prevalent attitude, and I have to be honest, its difficult for me to understand how people can live with that mindset.

You asked if I would object. And I would. I hope that I raise my children to make good life decisions. If they don't, there's nothing I can do to stop them. But I certainly can object.

You feel the people who are involved in the adult industry as performers have made bad life choices? Aren't adult celebrities a huge contributing aspect of the convention you're the director of?

I don't feel that it's my place to judge anyone's life decisions, just like I don't expect anyone to judge mine. I am, however, responsible for preparing my kids to make good decisions when they become adults. I'll let you know how that turns out in 12 years...

So you are basicly supporting bad choices by paying the star / buying porn / merchandise?

I understand judging the guy for doing this but have to also keep in mind the idea that like 95%+ of men are consumers of pornography... is that much different?

I am not judging him on organizing the convention... Altho, maybe partially. He is doing the conventions, promoting porn / erotica with all the good and the bad that comes with it and making money of it but as soon as his kid wants to be in the same business its all bad all of a sudden... Thats what i find weird.

Maybe partially :)

Hah. I get it. It's weird to comprehend. When I started the show, I was single with no kids and a much different outlook. Needless to say, I'm in a different place now than 10 years ago. I think over the last decade I've gone from a 26 year old guy that thought porn was cool, to a 36 year old guy that thinks sex is cool.

You're right. Adult comes with the good and the bad. I don't personally condone the bad and if there was something that was seen as overtly negative at a show, it would be removed. But I'm also not the morality police.

Do I sleep well at night? Yep. I think that the event does far more good than harm.

Only if you're the one making bad decisions...

Just finished reading this post about unethical 'recruiting' in the industry. Have you heard anything of it? Do you think its feasible that it's true?

Do I think it's feasible? Yes. In fact I think it's more than feasible. I'm sure it happens. Reading that article turns my stomach. There are fucked up people in this world.

What do you and your business partners do to combat that sort of coercion of female models in your industry? What steps are being made to weed out (what I hope are only) bad apples that behave like described in that article?

Good question. So obviously our show is only 3 days, so our real life exposure to these companies is limited. That being said, when we're on location, all of our staff is educated on situations to keep an eye out for. There has been one incident in our 26 show history where we've removed a company from the show floor and banned them from the event.

The short story is that none of the suitcase pimps would participate (ie exhibit or sponsor) our event anyway. They're too busy terrorizing craigslist.

[deleted]

First... To all those looking to talk their girlfriend/wife into attending with them, remember, Ladies Free Friday!

I think the most surprising thing was that not all adult businesses have a license to print money... When I first started EXXXOTICA, it was because the adult business makes 13 billion dollars a year in the United States and I just wanted a little piece of that. The real truth is, that type of money doesn't exist in adult anymore. Still to this day, people always say, "You should get a big company to sponsor and pay for it... Like Vivid or Wicked Pictures"... But the simple fact is those companies just don't make the crazy money selling DVD's that they used to. Obviously tube sites have pretty much crushed that. Now cam sites? That's a whole different story...

Really must ask, what is the deal with cam sites? Do they make a ton of money outright but just take a cut, do they make their money in adverts, or subscriptions, what is the deal? Not really what I am looking for in terms of my kicks so don't really know too much about it, although am interested in their business model, or perhaps lack thereof. Or do you mostly just deal with the bigger more well known adult actors?

Cam sites are pretty easy to figure out. They're just like strip clubs... Digital strip clubs. The stripper is the webcam girl. The website is the club owner. And patrons are patrons. Only difference is, instead of the club taking a small fee from the stripper, they take (around) half from the camgirl. Girls (and guys, and couples) can both perform and watch online, from the comfort of your own home. You "tip" the performers just like you would a stripper. And dudes fall in love with camgirls (and believe the camgirl reeeeeally likes them, because they're different) just like strippers.

I once heard of a camgirl having a brand new Mustang convertible purchased for her by a man she never met IRL. THAT I don't get... But hey. To each their own.

In my personal experience it was the other way around, she fell in love with me and moved halfway around the world.. but of course the novelty didn't last and ended terribly. Last I heard she wanted to be a pornstar.

I was gonna go to your dallas event but won't be making it to the US this year.

We have something similar here "sexpo", but I've found it quite dull as there isn't a huge amount of Aussie pornstars or companies.

Man... I'd kinda like to hear more about THAT story!

What kind of deposit does the convention center require for an event such as this? I imagine there's a bit of cleanup needed afterwards.

On second thought, you guys probably keep it cleaner than the comiccon folks. The venues must like you, if you're still going.

Hah... EVERYONE loves us :) Convention center employees, security, local police and fire departments. If you had a chance, what would you rather work? A Mary Kay Workshop or EXXXOTICA?!?

I guess the obvious question is: how did you get started in running this expo?

I like to say... I was just young and dumb enough to think it could work...

I was 26 when I started EXXXOTICA. Of course AVN had a HUGE show in Vegas every year, and Los Angeles had EroticaLA... So I saw an opportunity for an event on the East Coast. EXXXOTICA Miami Beach 2006 was born!

Pornstars in Edison in November? Where can i get some event details?

Excuse me while I whip THIS out.

Thanks for doing this AMA.. would have never known there was one in Edison otherwise. I've known about the expo for a while and it always seemed fun. I know what my boyfriend's getting for his birthday this year!

Good stuff. Glad you found it. You'll have a blast!

What is the big pull of the expo? With the internet as vast as it is you can pretty much find extensive information about anything including all things sex. I've been to home shows and stuff before and it is really just people pushing their product. Is this really just the adult version of the same thing?

I always say, you can't pirate the live experience. Can you watch porn for free online? Yes. Can you buy products online? Yes. Can you watch video's of Rubberdoll shooting silly string out of her vagina? Yes. But until you do and see all that stuff live, you haven't really done it at all...

Have you met any really famous pornstars? If so, what were they like?

I would say we've pretty much met all of them, except for our unicorn... Kobe Tai.

What are they like? Honestly, the girls break down into two groups. Group A, who is just in it for the quick money (as well as any other bad reason) and Group B, which are the girls that treat it like a business and love what they do. Needless to say group A doesn't tend to stick around very long, but does make for some great stories. Group B we see show after show and are really awesome, down-to-earth, "normal" people.

Can you please share a Group A story???

We once had a girl with a poop problem. Like... Poop on the sidewalk. Poop on the white leather couch out front of the hotel. Poop on the walls of the hotel room. Poop everywhere.

Moral to the story. If you mix muscle relaxers, alcohol and butt stuff, you're gunna have a bad time.

What is your favorite dinosaur?

This one.

Is this your full time job? How does one get into this business?

Yep. It's a full time job for 4 of us, and when we're on show site we have a team of about 20-25. Getting into the trade show business? Not hard. There are TONS of different production companies out there. Adult trade shows? Not so easy. You either apply to work for us or AVN. Porn business? Easy. Guys have to start by doing gay porn.

Guys have to start by doing gay porn.

This is a fallacy, for a very long time mainstream porn wouldn't touch gay porn stars.

I would call it a joke. But fallacy is ok too.

Ah, didn't catch it. You'd be surprised how many people think this is true.

That's what makes it so funny :)

Where do you see the industry headed? As mentioned in your other reply the money just isn't what it used to be in terms of the traditional model. You also mentioned in another reply that the pull was the "live experience". I don't have any concrete statistics but I feel that such experiences such as strip clubs are largely on the decline due to the rise of high speed hd and free content. There is still money to be made but the push to be innovative drives the porn industry. Do you feel that vr will make a difference or is there something else out there that will keep the industry chugging? (I guess the third and most likely reality is a shrinking industry you can't do anything about like music)

The million dollar question. I think the short answer is that the industry will shrink. It already has. There are less real "players" in the adult industry. Technology will continue to move the industry forward... But the thing that kind of counteracts the decline in adult sales is the growing acceptance of sex. In today's day and age it's much more acceptable to discuss sex, buy pleasure products (aka sex toys), and attend events like ours. The sex business was around long before us and will surely outlast us... In one way or another.

And as for virtual reality... Eh... Until the technology becomes cheap and accessible, which will be a while, you'll have to stick to your Fleshlight :)

In Edison in November oh thats co--

WAIT WHAT?!?!?! I LIVE 10 SECONDS AWAY FROM EDISON!!!

IS THIS FOR REAL?

Dude. Where have you been? We've been in Edison for like 6 years!

Does anything illicit or seedy happen at these events? Can't imagine there aren't people hooking up and stuff.

We once had to fire an EXXXOTICA Hottie for giving the Hedgehog a hummer in the back of a Uhaul trailer parked on the loading dock. Does that count?

Not only does it count, but I'm sure it was worth it for her. It's the hedgehog!

RJ is one of the most genuinely interesting people I've ever met. It's not until you hang around him do you realize what it must be like to be Ron Jeremy. Literally EVERY person on the street stops him. And, of course, the aforementioned random BJ's.

Hiya!

In your opinion, what's produces the most appeal to attend things like EXXXOTICA? Is it the product you can purchase, the ability to meet the various stars, or is there "shows" put on for an audience?

Thanks for your time!

I think it's different for everyone. If you're a fan of adult, meeting and getting your photos with stars is awesome. If you like live entertainment, our stage is your spot. Entertaining education... our seminars. And, my most important reason to go to EXXXOTICA, people-watching...

Congratulations on being in remission for so long! I have beaten follicular non Hodgkins lymphoma almost 3 years now. How do I apply to your company?

Congrats! Beating Cancer is one of the hardest (and subsequently best) things I've ever done! You can contact us through the website HERE! We don't have anything open as of today, but will certainly be happy check out your resume!

Are there any plans on coming to Miami again?

Quite possibly! Not sure about Miami Beach... They're kinda... Well, they made it pretty clear they don't want us back. But South Florida hasn't been ruled out in the future!

Is there a robust research and development industry for exotica products? For example, is there some company that invests millions into research like a drug or tech company would to produce new products? Or do you see a lot of inventors around the world pitching products?

I would imagine that the R&D at some of the biggest toy manufacturers is quite impressive, but there is also a lot of small independent companies that market a specific toy or product.

Is there rampant hooking up behind the scenes going down between pornstars at these events? Any good stories?

Short answer. Yeah. It's a sex-filled weekend... for pretty much everyone. Stars and fans alike.

Do you feel pornography is demeaning towards women?

In general? No. In certain circumstances? Absolutely. Personally I find some of it just plain gross, but if I don't like it, I don't watch it.

Hi Jimmy. What kind of coverage do you guys usually have. I can't imagine turning on the morning news and hearing about the local adult entertainment expo. But there must be something--do you ever have local news show up?

We actually get all kinds of news coverage! All the mainstream news sources love to cover it... So much so, they tease it aaaaaaalll newscast to keep people watching... Here's a great example: HERE (Please forgive the haircut, or lack thereof).

EDIT: I should also mention, in "new" cities, like Dallas in a couple weeks, we get even more news coverage... Stay tuned!

The Travolta is strong in that haircut. I'd love to see a gonzo-journalist take on the convention. The inside look would be quite interesting.

Thanks

Thanks for replying to almost every question here. I have a question myself.

1. How hard is it to organize conventions of this scale and with this much adult rated content? I imagine there are groups and several political figures that try to fuck with it or get your permits denied and wonder how you guys manage to deal with it?

2. How hard is it to book as many "adult" stars to get them into the same location at once for the expo.

Also congrats on surviving Lymphoma. Especially at such a young age.

Dear Mr. Overlord,

1 - It's a giant pain in the ass the first time in a new city. We've gotten really good at doing our due diligence, meeting with the appropriate groups (city/state government, VICE), and WAAAY too many lawyers. We had an issue back in 2008 when we originally were schedule for Secaucus, NJ but the mayor (who later was convicted and sentenced on bribery and racketeering charges) put a temporary restraining order on the Meadowlands Convention Center. We had to move the event 30 miles to the NJ Expo Center in 7 days. Not fun.

2 - We've gotten really lucky, and the girls do really well selling their merchandise at the shows, so it's gotten really easy. If you present them with an opportunity to make money, they'll be there.

And thank you!

When is EXXXOTICA coming to Utah?

EXXXOTICA Salt Lake City!

I've been saying for years that im going to make it to one of these expos but cant afford it. Is there any way i could come for free?

Thanks

Absolutely. We give tickets away all the time on our facebook and twitter pages.

Hello jimmy congrats on winning your bout with cancer!! So how would one go about getting tickets to the next expo? Do you ever get to meet with any name stars?

Thanks uronlisunshyne!

You can get tickets HERE! Use promo code "JT15" to get some loot off... A little reddit special...

And you can see the full list of stars HERE!

Thanks so much! I meant do you get to meet with any? Do they ever seek you out? If yes, any interesting stories?

Yeah. I've met mostly everyone. Sometimes they seek you out. It's always funny to see what some girls are willing to offer up to someone "in charge". We had to ban one girl from attending the events because she decided to proposition me. But the kicker was that she did it by interrupting a conversation I was having... With my wife... Didn't end well.

I'm actually good friends with a handful of big-named stars. They're usually the easiest to get to know because they're pros, and they stay in the industry for more than a few months...

You survived cancer, don't you think you should be helping people especially the poor who get dragged into this horrendous industry due to financial reasons. In short you should be putting clothes on the back of young women instead of taking them off?

One of the best moments of any show was the event we did right after Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey. We did a show 2 weeks after, and helped collect a tractor trailer full of supplies and clothing for the thousands of people who lost their homes. Listen... I get your question... Are there shitty things that happen in the adult business, you bet. But we focus on the fun and education of sex... Two totally different things.

we focus on the fun and education of sex...

Sex education is pretty damn important. Not everyone can be a doctor or lawyer or solider. Teaching future generations to be sexually responsible and healthy is worthy of praise as well.

Amen. If sex was a more openly discussed topic, the world would be a better place.