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July 2008: PAUL'S PIECE - Passion Fruitful? - Issue 59.
There's not much I like more than a shiny new retail event to go to. The metaphorical excitement of unwrapping a new toy, I suppose. On May the 24th and 25th, I got to pluck the ribbon on Passion in London. Arriving at Earls Court by tube, you're immediately faced by the exhibition centre, and it was looking good. Twin giant pink and black banners and a curved sign above the entrance really stamped Passion's slick logo on the building. Having been to the show's launch party in mid-February, I'd already had a taste of Passion's concept (more for women and couples than Erotica) and brand values (polished to a high gloss) so my expectations were running high.
The group gathering outside for the show's 1pm start I personally found disappointingly small. Worryingly, some young kids were also sat on the steps with their parents. As man in a day-glo vest opened the doors and the crowdette traipsed inside, they were left behind, which is when I spotted a Dr Who Exhibition was also being held at Earls Court, around the back.
I joined the queue for the escalator after briefly speaking to show co-organiser Paul Norris. When I asked him how ticket presales had gone, he said they were always slow because people were nervous about what might appear on their card statement. The day's lovely sunshine was also commented on; with weather reports threatening rain on Sunday, would the bigger crowds wait for dull skies and showers to attend? As I rode up to the hall's upper deck, I was impressed. The fancy pink carpet and black/pink shell-scheme stands I'd been promised at the launch were in place, and adding a very professional yet warm atmosphere to the otherwise no-frills space.
Chrys Columbine was on the smaller, 'Burlesque & Comedy' stage, doing her fan dance for a growing crowd. After showing their appreciation for her elegant performance, one-man explosion-in-a-firework-factory El Vez -a Mexican Elvis impersonator- worked them up in his MC role. I moved on to see what the rest of the show and approx. 135 exhibitors had to offer. I passed Nitelife, Devilish Desires and the Fetish Map of London folks. Sport Media Group had a gaggle of girls in red bikinis, but it was the day-glo emblazoned t-shirts of Magma Toys who caught my interest. Their self-heating dildos were new to me, looking and feeling great.
One thing this show did have was thousands of corsets. Obviously Paul and Cathy Norris have lots of contacts in the fetish world, and the product range at Passion reflected this. Little Shoe Box, Extreme Heels and Mauro Slomp were amongst many footwear resellers. Xcite books were pushing Confessions of a London Spank Daddy and Love Shack seemed to be doing everything.
DSG's David Girow, ETO Show's Jonathan Kirk and CloneZone's Mike McCann were familiar faces at the show. Another was Be Rude Not Too's Paul Gosling, who was very proud of greatly improved packaging, and the new pink Cupids Couch. These I kept seeing around the show, being bounced on up on stage by Ben Dover and friend, as well as the Strictly Broadband stand in the Video Village.
I'd mixed feelings about the Video Village. On one hand, I understood Passion's softer appeal meant it was wise to keep the hardcore-on-flat-screens separate from delicate eyes. On the other lubricated fist, it was tucked away in a corner, where Passion's non-linear floor plan meant it might go unfound. I was never 100% sure I'd not missed something at the bottom of a dead-end avenue. Indeed, without resorting to the clear map in the show guide, I discovered stands on Sunday which all day at the show on Saturday hadn't found.
Abfab parties and Hedonism resorts chatted to swingers, Hawthorn (formerly Luxury Love Swings) were doing something similar and Ben Dover was cuddling a lady with a lollipop. As he does. Angels Carrying Savage Weapons's ladies were entertained when a male performer 'just popped out for a moment' on stage (he got an extra big round of applause) and Flesh and Flora displayed their distinctive bed linen. Electrastim were showing their usual stunning range, plus a new inflatable anal probe. Passive Pleasure had their male masturbation aids; latex-form-lined things called Tenga. Gift House International made new friends with their vibrating massage gloves, while Strapon Jane scared the menfolk with her attachments. Unusually I actually made a purchase at the show; this hasn't happened since Erotica '03.
A sizeable audience gathered around the main stage's 'Kink and Couture' fashion show so I took photos then visited the Outsiders' stand. On the way I admired dresses by Limb Clothing, Overt and Ectomorph's rubber and BuyaBeanBag.co.uk as my feet were hurting and I wanted a rest. Later I saw Edwin Flay and friend perform a mental-heath-care themed 'dance' and escape from straightjackets in front of a bemused but appreciative crowd.
Ben Dover's clothing line had expanded into clubbing (hot) pants with bling BD logo, he'd been told off for holding a quick photo session outside with two fully-clothed girls and a red Ferrari 360. Allegedly some leafleting for a rival event was being done outside too, including to minors I was told, but I didn't see this for myself.
Behind the escalator 'entrance' was the large Guild of Erotic Artist's area, where new-to-the-erotic-art-scene, ex-civil-servant Angie Shepherd was showing her Caged Angel Paintings. John of John Tisbury Photography told me, "It's not been as busy as Erotica, but it's very hard to compare the two. Erotica's been going 10 years. What I would say is the people we've talked to have been very positive and we've hopefully got some good leads. We've sold some work, which is good, and it's a case of you need to be at shows to get seen. You can't market yourself from your front room, which is why we've come along to the show. We've also seen a different type of visitor which is what we were hoping to have here. Couples- it's nice to target a different customer base."
Downstairs, military-styled 'bag ladies' were giving out obligatory Passion-themed bags with show guides while I approached smoking exhibitors. I heard some complaints that items had been stolen from stands despite a courteous and efficient security team (I was politely challenged for my photo pass a few times) but the mood was expectant- the event had another day to run.
Knowing that I'd only seen half the show, so only had half the story, I left as the show closed at 9pm, vowing to return when it reopened on Sunday at noon.
I did return, but a few exhibitors including Babes-n-Horny hadn't. Not a great sign. As Sunday wore on the place never became heaving with people which surprised me as there was less sport on (no Ricky Hatton fight) and the weather was as bad as forecasters had warned. I found R18 Wholesale's Chris Bottrell in the Exhibitors Lounge and asked him how things were going. "The show's been quite good. We've seen quite a few customers and sold some stock but to be honest, I've not had much of a chance to walk around the rest of the show because I've been busy. Hopefully I'll get the chance later on today. Overall, I'm pleased. One thing I think others could learn from is don't have a DVD village. Mix it all together. We're stuffed away in the corner and with the tide from the stage area going in and out, people are just not getting to us."
BMC Intimate had their Mantric range but their Bertie wasn't happy with sales. I asked him to comment and he said, "No comment!" Nearby was one of the show's very few 'borderline' products; Sasaki UK Ltd had weight-loss and toning machines which wobbled your bits for you. Sensation'Elle had cosmetics and hair pieces and Really Orgasmic Sweets looked happy to be at Passion. Really very happy.
Something they just about had in common with the Rocks Off stand. They'd had some issues with unloading time slots and parking costs but were pleased with sales. Their new Ramsey Rabbit and The Lick were proving popular and they claimed to have covered costs by Saturday evening.
Be Rude Not Too's Paul Gosling was also upbeat. "We've done really well. We've had a really nice stand by the stage and a lot of interest, including from the people who run the show. It's been excellent."
Mike Bird of Xtreme Footwear told me, "For the show we've a good selection of boots, but we've had to bring our prices right down. A first-time show was always going to be difficult. Yes we've been busy but at the expense of margin. The Exhibitor's Lounge was very nice indeed but basically there's just not been enough people. Various reasons; I think there's been trouble on the tube, I heard tickets are being given away outside…"
I checked with the organisers after the event and they strenuously denied this. A part of their licensing agreement was that there would be no leafleting or ticket handouts either outside the building or in the street in front of the venue.
Drawing comparisons with last October's Adults Only Show, Lee White of Leg Avenue Direct commented, "Compared to AOS, this seems to be better organised and a better show in general. Again, numbers haven't been what we expected and it's not as busy. We've still not taken the sort of money we expected to."
A visitor calling herself Gloria told me, "It's very enjoyable. It's more classy than Erotica. It's very relaxed, the branding is beautiful- pink and black everywhere! Very pretty to look at and a nice selection of stalls as well."
When I asked if she thought £20 was reasonable per ticket she looked blankly at me- She'd not paid to get in. "I think, from a shopper's point of view, the spacing is really good. With less people than something like Erotica there's lots of space, and I don't think it would get packed even if there were lots more here. The downside of it being quiet is on some stands I've felt very pressured to buy something. They leap on you- which has been a bit disappointing. Stallholders need to relax a bit more."
Vibrafun's Jason Regler didn't hold back either. "It's been very patchy and I think there are a lot of other options open to people on a bank holiday weekend. Gardening, sport, whatever. I still don't understand why someone doesn't put a show like this on the weekend before Valentine's. It's not rocket science to think that might be a time when love slash romance slash sex is on peoples' minds. We came here with an open mind as to what it would be like. Constructive criticism; the layout needs some thought as it's not easy working out where you've been and where you've not. With a grid you go up, down, up, done, done. Here, that can't happen. It's been ok though. There's not been as much mainstream stuff here against the fetish fashion, but I can see that growing. They've done a good job. It's a bank holiday weekend, half term, kids are off school- The timing should have been thought about more."
Andy Smith of Electrastim took some time to get to talk to. When I caught him, he said, "It started slowly this morning, and we were saying we'd rather be somewhere else today, but this afternoon it's really picked up and we've been full-on busy for the last four hours. We've done a lot of demos and we're optimistic we'll have people back to buy some kit. We've had some sales but with our product it's a slower selling process. We're reasonably happy. As always we could do with a few more people here but I think the show, the layout, is good and they've put a lot of effort into making it a pleasant shopping environment. Visitors are enjoying themselves; we could just use a few more of them."
At the entrance to the Video Village I found Richie Bowles of ID Lubricants, who told me, "For a first show it's not been too bad. It's been reasonable. It's busier than we thought it was going to be but a bit slower this afternoon. The atmosphere is really good and there are more stands than I was expecting. The public will get a lot out of the show- well entertained as they walk around. There's lots of variety in the smaller stands, and varied products that haven't been seen at that much. There's a high-class hamper company around the corner… They've some of our products in there too! It's good for the industry, these new people coming in."
While Yazmin and Lala caused their own brand of trouble on the Strictly Broadband stand Jerry Barnett told me, "Erotica 2005 was our first show of this type and we've been to every one since, I think. This one's been really nice. It's got a good feel to it- nicer than Erotica. Quite cosy. The crowd was a bit light today, it was better yesterday, and the video village has been quite quiet compared to the main area, so perhaps we should have been in there. A lot of people haven't noticed the village tucked here. Overall it's been a nice show; it could just use more footfall. By the way, this is my last interview with ETO until I boycott them officially for not having any ETO Award categories for digital products of any type, whatsoever." Noted!
SB faced Corolo, who had gay DVDs and a plasma screen to scare the Heteros. Director Christian Marshall said, "It's been good. We've been amazed by the décor and everything. It looks amazing. As a gay company it's a bit weird as it's mostly a straight show but we've sold some DVDs to curious straight guys- They keep wandering past and watching the movie. I don't think they've seen gay sex before. We've sold some to straight women too, looking to shock their boyfriends perhaps. It's been a really good show. Not huge sales, but in terms of being here. I think it's going to get better and better."
I'm sorry to say even Nice n Naughty didn't need more than the two guys manning it. Their Richard Allmark said, "It's not been too bad considering it's in its first year. It looks very slick- it's just a case of building on it year-on-year to get it to the popularity of Erotica. I assume they'll be back next year. So far, so good."
NnN were facing AdultWorld.co.uk who had perhaps the biggest stand at the event. From time to time it was busy, but never more than '0.6 Eroticas'. However, it is unfair to compare any show in its virgin year to a trusty, rusty (never rustier looking compared to the presentation of Passion) old bike like Erotica. An Adult World spokesman said: "It's picked up a bit today. It seems quite vibrant at the moment. We hope it stays busy to the end of the show so we have a fighting chance! The show looks fantastic, and our stand does too- We're really pleased with that. We could all do with some more customers coming through the doors. We expected the first show to be quiet but hopefully we can improve on this next year."
On the Cut Price Films stand two guys were reading Scarlet magazine. I lifted an eyebrow towards them and they both sadly and solemnly shook their heads. While most stands had a grumble about low sales and poor attendance, others did report weekend costs had been recouped by the end of play. Universally, exhibitors expressed the opinion the event had a great deal of potential.
PlayTV UK had Marino out with a film crew, capturing the atmosphere and no doubt making great future advertising. Jim Deans on the stand said, "It's been very good, very positive. A breath of fresh air would be the best way to describe it. The organisers are helpful, thoughtful and most importantly, they've listened to suggestions and taken them onboard. The big difference with this show against others is this one doesn't end today- All the interviews we've been shooting are launching on our PassionTV platform and web sites, so people will remember meeting you at the show and the business will continue to roll on."
Hustler Video next to them seemed a tad quiet even with DVDs from £5 and Karl told me, "Not too great. It's been steady. I don't think they've as many people through the door as the organisers said there would be. I think they made a mistake charging £20. Everyone here has been saying it should have been £10 to give people some extra money to spend. On the whole it's not been too bad but I'm not sure we'd do it next year if they do one. I think we would have done better out on the main floor, but people coming in here know what they're coming in for so it's not a big deal really." Thinking about money, I noted I'd not seen a cash-point in the building.
Pillow Talk/R18 Wholesale had new gold and silver toys from Crowned Jewels. Designer James Stephens told me, "We're looking for a poncier name, but they are sex toys. Sex products when all said and done but they're a unique, innovative product which no one else is doing and so far we've had a lot of interest. Prices are from £69, and the sky is the limit. If you want a flawless carat diamond in there, and can pay for it, we'll put one in. Gold plated, platinum plated; whatever the customer wants."
Just before the show's 7pm close I left the Video Village and the show itself, below a banner saying 'See you next year'- Speculative, but I hope they're right. A show like Passion deserves to succeed and I didn't see any visitors looking less than impressed. On the downside, nor did I see too many overflowing bags of purchases. Word of mouth could see a 2009 event far better attended. The show had been more tight hugs and warm kisses than full-on Passion, but these things have a way of growing…
Speaking exclusively to ETO after the event, co-organiser Paul Norris said, "We thought the concept went really well and the response from the press has been superb, and also visitor feedback has been very good. They seemed to like the idea of Passion. We had 7,500 visitors in the end, excluding models and exhibitors, over the two days. We didn't expect to make money on the first show- We're looking at the longer-term. Numbers were down on our 15,000 estimate, which we put down to it being a bank holiday -we didn't have a lot of options on dates for a licensed venue- and the credit crunch decimating retail. However, we're already planning for 2009. We will be moving the dates but we're waiting on venues at the moment. We'd like to be at Earls Court again, as it worked well, but it depends if we can get the dates we want there. Earlier in the year is one option, but Easter and May holidays can be an issue."
On the subject of the show's advertising, Paul listed the tube, Kiss radio, railway stations and appropriate adult and female press. Scarlet were a sponsor and had pre-coverage, and the Sport group's publications carried advertising too. Web promotion and advertising to the gay and lesbian market also featured.
Paul finished, "As organisers, we were pleased with people's reaction to Passion. We feel it's what they wanted- we've got the right concept in the market. People were looking for something different to what's been offered before. There will definitely be changes based on feedback from people after the first show, to make it better, but we have big plans for Passion '09- Very much so."
I would have guessed at a visitor figure a little lower, but I can believe it, which isn't always the case with every event I go to. Passion in a word: Promising.
This was originally rather longer. Think of this as the Director's Cut, if you like:
PAUL'S PIECE - Passion Fruitful?
There's not much I like more than a shiny new retail event to go to. The metaphorical excitement of unwrapping a new toy, I suppose. On May the 24th and 25th, I got to pluck the pink ribbon on Passion in London. Stumbling off the tube at Earls Court, you're immediately faced by the exhibition centre of the same name, and it was looking good. Twin giant pink and black banners and a curved sign above the entrance really stamped Passion's slick logo on the building.
Having been to the show's launch party in mid-February, I'd already had a taste of Passion's concept (more for women and couples than Erotica) and brand values (polished to a high gloss) so my expectations were running high. Products, people and performances had been showcased, giving me an idea of what to expect, and as I rode up an escalator to the hall's upper deck, I wasn't disappointed. The fancy pink carpet and black/pink shell-scheme stands I'd been promised at the launch were in place, and adding a very professional yet warm atmosphere to the otherwise no-frills space.
After a few quick drinks and photos with exhibitors and models it was time to get back outside to picture the crowds I was imagining beating against the glass like zombies in 'Horn of the Dead', waiting impatiently for the show's 1pm opening. In fact, it was rather less frantic, with a gathering I personally found disappointingly small. Worryingly, some young kids were also sat on the steps with their parents. As man in a day-glo vest opened the doors and the small crowd traipsed inside, they were left behind, which is when I spotted a Dr Who Exhibition was also being held at Earls Court, around the back.
I joined the rear of the queue for the escalator after seeing the fancy new AITA stand and briefly speaking to show co-organiser Paul Norris of Graydime Ltd, who I'd first met through past Skin Two Expos and last year's Xpo at the Barbican. When I asked him how presales of tickets had gone, he said they were always slow because people were nervous about what might appear on their card statement. The day's lovely sunshine was also commented on; with weather reports threatening rain on Sunday, would the bigger crowds wait for dull skies and showers to attend?
While shoppers found their feet and exhibitors tried to get them to find their purses and wallets, I returned to the Exhibitors' Lounge and Bar, along a long pink carpet which only seemed to get longer as the weekend wore on. A photo-call had been laid on for the press, so I joined other happy snappers while groups from Spank, Engineers of Desire, Jed Phoenix of London and Montcler PVC posed. I also met a 'hot new girl band' called Girls 2 Wild and a pretty kitty from Exclusive Brazilian Lingerie.com. All too soon I needed to catch some of the action on both stages and do a tour of the slowly filling sales areas.
Chrys Columbine was on the smaller, 'Burlesque & Comedy' stage, doing her fan dance for a good sized crowd. After showing their appreciation for her elegant performance, one-man explosion-in-a-firework-factory El Vez -a Mexican Elvis impersonator- worked them up in his MC role. Ms Columbine was soon replaced with a slug balancer (Charlie Chaplin inspired act) and I moved on to see what the rest of the show had to offer. I passed Nitelife and Devilish Desires, Vibrafun and the Fetish Map of London folks. Sport Media Group had a gaggle of pretty girls in red bikinis, but it was the day-glo emblazoned t-shirts of Magma Toys who caught my interest. Their self-heating dildos were new to me, but looked and felt great. In my hand.
Furnishings of Fantasy had Stiletto shoe shaped chairs and a nice line of fucking machines. Onjoy.com was being launched, so I visited them and was given a glowing pendant. Having looked at the front page, it's an adult retail and social site. Monique Carty promised ETO a press release on it…
I felt the atmosphere, at least until the show filled up some more, wasn't all it could be. There didn't seem to be any music away from the stages, which until there were enough people around to generate a burble left things a bit stagnant-feeling. Nevertheless, exhibitors were looking cheery, reassured by the beautiful presentation and attention to detail of the environment. However, the prettiest gift-wrapping won't hide disappointment if the toy inside turns out not to have batteries…
One thing this show did have was corsets. Thousands of them, from the likes of Velda Lauder and Rawhide. Obviously Paul and Cathy Norris have lots of contacts in the fetish world, and the product range at Passion reflected this. I chatted to a very pretty woman on the Corset Art stand, learned Bonita - Accessories from Heaven have 6000 people working on their products (something between clothing and jewellery) in China and Goddess Glow had ultimate tanning mousse. Little Shoe Box, Extreme Heels and Mauro Slomp were amongst many footwear resellers. 'Equipment' was JDL for Leather's thing, Omni Massage Systems were manipulating people and Leg Avenue Direct held few surprises either. Xcite books were pushing Confessions of a London Spank Daddy and Love Shack seemed to be doing everything.
DSG's David Girow, ETO Show's Jonathan Kirk, Freddie (as in Granny Fucks), Jay K of RealPunting.com and CloneZone's Mike McCann were familiar faces at the show for a look around, and I saw lots of other people I recognised from past retail events and ETO Shows. One was Be Rude Not Too's Paul Gosling, who was very proud of greatly improved packaging, as well as the new pink Cupids Couch. These I kept seeing around the show, being bounced on up on stage by Ben Dover and friend, as well as the Strictly Broadband stand in the Video Village.
I had mixed feelings about the Video Village. On the one hand, I understood Passion's softer appeal meant it was wise to keep the hardcore-on-flat-screens separate from delicate eyes. On the other lubricated fist, it did seem rather tucked away in a corner, where Passion's non-linear floor plan meant it might go unseen. I was never 100% sure I'd not missed something at the bottom of a dead-end avenue. Indeed, without resorting to the clear map in the show guide, I was discovering stands on Sunday which a whole day at the show on Saturday hadn't found. But I'm getting ahead…
With business (busy-ness) reaching a peak around 4pm, the show was neither quiet nor rammed. From the consumer's point of view it was probably perfect; busy enough to be welcoming, not so busy you have to kick your way through to get anywhere. From an exhibitor's perspective, several said they'd like to see it busier, but had only nice things to say about the look of the event and the helpfulness of the organisers.
Abfab parties, French Connection Holidays, Heathrow Dungeon Zone and Hedonism resorts chatted to swingers, Hawthorn (the new name for Luxury Love Swings) were doing something similar and Ben Dover was cuddling up to a lady with a lollipop. As he does. Prong Jewellery had stuff for sparkly Goths and next door were posing pouches. Angels Carrying Savage Weapons's ladies including Kiri were entertained when a male performer 'just popped out for a moment' on stage (he got an extra big round of applause) and Flesh and Flora displayed their distinctive bed linen. Hanky Panky Hampers had indulgent gifts, Phase displayed themselves and Electrastim were showing their usual stunning range, plus a new inflatable anal probe. Herta Gummi had new pump-up, strap-on harness-friendly long-shaft plugs, and Lacing Lillith had beautiful corsets, etc.
Libido Assist had various pills and potions, and Passive Pleasure had their male masturbation aids; latex-form-lined cans o' fun called Tenga. Gift House International were making new friends with their vibrating massage gloves and greetings cards, while Strapon Jane scared the menfolk with her attachments. I was tempted by a PVC gingham dress on the Montcler Classics stand, and unusually actually made a purchase at the show. This hasn't happened since Erotica 2003.
Around the main stage a sizeable audience had gathered for the 'Kink and Couture' fashion show so I took some photos then went to see the Outsiders' stand. On the way I saw lovely dresses by Limb Clothing, Overt and Ectomorph's rubber plus Maria's Wigs. I also visited BuyaBeanBag.co.uk as my feet were hurting and I wanted to sit down. Later on I saw Edwin Flay and a bald friend perform a mental-heath-care themed 'dance' and escape from straightjackets in front of a bemused but appreciative crowd.
The day before had been Ben Dover's 5Xth birthday and he was staying thin and active by not eating and hanging around with young women. He's built a gym at home, is doing 8km a day on his bike and is retiring this year, he says. His clothing line had expanded into clubbing (hot) pants, with the BD logo in bling, and he'd been told off for holding a quick photo session outside with two fully-clothed girls and a red Ferrari 360. Allegedly some leafleting for a rival event was being done outside too, including to minors I was told, but I didn't see this for myself.
Behind the escalator 'entrance' was the large Guild of Erotic Artist's area, where new-to-the-erotic-art-scene, ex-civil-servant Angie Shepherd was showing her Caged Angel Paintings and John Chilton Photography was next to John Tisbury Photography. The latter John told me, "It's not been as busy as Erotica, but it's very hard to compare the two. Erotica's been going 10 years, this is Passion's first year. What I would say is the people we've talked to have been very positive and we've hopefully got some good leads. We've sold some work, which is good, and it's a case of you need to be at shows to get seen. You can't market yourself from your front room, which is why we've come along to the show. We've also seen a different type of visitor which is what we were hoping to have here. Couples- it's nice to target a different customer base."
He was right, there was none of the spotty Herberts and riff-raff I've seen elsewhere. Perhaps because it didn't have that slight sex-shop sleaziness, the feeling was it's be a good show once it'd built up a following. Artist Paul John Ballard said the show was going, "Fine, thank you", and Manuela Morey-Weale had big colourful canvases. Next to him Gray of EroticFX had little decorative torsos and Robert Babylon was showing his attention-grabbing UV-lit pictures.
Back downstairs, military-styled 'bag ladies' were giving out the obligatory Passion-themed bags with show guides while I cast an eye over the smokers. I'd heard some complaints that items had been stolen from stands despite a courteous and efficient security team (I was politely challenged for my photo pass a few times) but the mood amongst exhibitors was expectant- the event had another day to run.
I met Big Dave (featured elsewhere in this issue) on the escalator. He said, "I think it's definitely better than some of the other shows. I preferred this to Erotica- The product mix was better and the location's nicer. It was nice, tidy and you could easily get around the whole show to see everything. It's well spaced out and not as jam-packed as Erotica. I wasn't being bumped into every few seconds which is something that pisses me off! I think there's been quite a few people here- the positioning of some of the stands could have been better as I can believe some stallholders did get missed depending on how visitors have circulated. The people I've spoken to had a really good day. A couple of exhibitors too. Certainly if you're into fetish gear it's a good show for that, and there's a good mixture of more mainstream stuff too. Something for everyone."
Knowing that I'd only seen half the show, so only had half the story, I left as the show closed at 9pm, vowing to return when it reopened on Sunday at noon.
On the train home I recognised his bag and introduced myself to Richard, who told me, "It was the first sex-orientated show I've been to. It was interesting. I'd always watched Eurotrash and those sorts of programmes and said to myself I can't see me at those sorts of events. But having been to one and seem the sort of people who attend in the flesh- quite a lot of flesh at that- and I can see where they're coming from now. I understand the appeal and it's fascinating. It wasn't the freak-show I feared. The only really odd thing I saw was that robo-cop girl thing on stilts. That was brilliant! It seemed quite a small show but I guess that's because it's still a niche market. I caught one of the male burlesque shows; a chav guy with tassels on his buttocks. The girls were stunning though- I've never seen burlesque before. It's like posh porn, isn't it? Titillating. All in all, I loved it."
His girlfriend Sarah said, "I thought it was great. I thought it was beautifully presented with a fantastic mix of stuff. I think keeping the adult village separate from everything else was a really good call by the organisers; giving people the choice of what they do and don't want to look at. The rules on what could and couldn't be shown made it a lot softer, gentler and nicer for the ladies going there, who didn't have to see anything they didn't want to. I saw Linsey Dawn McKenzie and Chrys Columbine doing her beautiful burlesque on stage- she's a gorgeous girl isn't she? Phenomenally talented."
I did return, but a couple of exhibitors including SeeK.net and Babes-n-Horny hadn't. Never a great sign, but I have seen worse. As Sunday wore on the place never became heaving with people which surprised me as there was less sport on (no Ricky Hatton fight, for example) and the weather was as bad as forecasters had warned. In the Exhibitors Lounge less bottled beer and more coffee was on show, hinting at the good night many had enjoyed. I saw Chris Bottrell and asked him how things were going for R18 Wholesale. "The show's been quite good. We've seen quite a few customers and sold some stock but to be honest, I've not had much of a chance to walk around the rest of the show because I've been busy. Hopefully I'll get the chance later on today. Overall, I'm pleased. One thing I think others could learn from is do not have a DVD village. Mix it all together. We're stuffed away in the corner and with the tide from the stage area going in and out, people are just not getting to us."
Mo on her EdenCoeur stand said, "All in all it's been a very fun shopping environment for punters because they get the shows, entertainment and shopping as well, so it's good value for money too for the people coming in. As a first show you have to give a bit of allowance for that, but yesterday was very busy and today perhaps the weather's not been in our favour but it's still pretty good."
BMC Intimate had their Mantric range (their Bertie wasn't happy with sales though- I asked him to comment and he said, "No comment!"), Wild Rose had saucy, saucy knickers and the Rabbit Warren stand had no shortage of bunny-based pleasers. Monkey Spanker weren't far away and seemed to be one of the busy stands. At the end of one branching avenue was Freak Clubwear, showing new jewellery while not being terribly impressed with their location. The café area they'd been promised (and seen on the show guide map) was a lonely looking coffee stand. The London Fetish Weekend stand was promoting Subversion events and the second Xpo due in October. 'You're a naughty boy, go to my room' t-shirts on the Dixon stand tickled me, Love Lemonade's name did the same. They faced one of the show's very few 'borderline' products; Sasaki UK Ltd had weight-loss and toning machines which wobbled your bits for you, so you don't have to. No whirlpool baths to be seen at all though- perhaps they couldn't have the weight upstairs? Sensation'Elle had cosmetics and hair pieces and Really Orgasmic Sweets looked happy to be at Passion. Really very happy.
Something they just about had in common with the Rocks Off stand. They'd had some issues with unloading time slots and parking costs but were pleased with sales. Their new Ramsey Rabbit and The Lick were proving popular and they claimed to have covered costs by Saturday evening.
Annabelle Marshall of Hedonism: "Erotica is packed the minute it opens right to the end and we'd like to see Passion the same. As it's the first show, it's understandably quieter. We've met lots of lovely people here who'll be going away to think about what we offer."
Be Rude Not Too's Paul Gosling was also upbeat. "We've done really well. We've had a really nice stand by the stage and a lot of interest, including from the people who run the show. It's been excellent, thank you."
Mike Bird of Xtreme Footwear told me, "For the show we've a good selection of boots, but we've had to bring our prices right down. A first-time show was always going to be difficult. Yes we've been busy but at the expense of margin. The Exhibitor's Lounge was very nice indeed but basically there's just not been enough people. Various reasons; I think there's been trouble on the tube, I heard tickets are being given away outside…"
A Private spokesman said, "This one's been about as good as the Adults Only Show from a business point of view. Good, bad or indifferent? Indifferent."
Also drawing comparisons with last October's Adults Only Show, Lee White of Leg Avenue Direct commented, "Compared to AOS, this seems to be better organised and a better show in general. Again, numbers haven't been what we expected and it's not as busy. We've still not taken the sort of money we expected to. Not a bad show and against the AOS's first event, this has done better."
Spiderlilly's ladies were selling fancy things (.co.uk to see what I mean) and said, "It's been a great show. Our first big one so far and it's been really good. We've had really good feedback from people, which has been brilliant. Can you tell I've enjoyed it!?"
A visitor wishing to be known as Gloria told me, "It's very enjoyable. It's more classy than Erotica. It's very relaxed, the branding is beautiful- pink and black everywhere! Very pretty to look at and a nice selection of stalls as well." When I asked if she thought £20 was reasonable per ticket she looked blankly at me- She'd not paid to get in. "I think, from a shoppers point of view, the spacing is really good. With less people than something like Erotica there's lots of space, and I don't think it would get packed even if there were lots more here. The downside of it being quiet is on some stands I've felt very pressured to buy something. They leap on you- which has been a bit disappointing. Stallholders need to relax a bit more. But it still looks very nice!"
Vibrafun's Jason Regler didn't hold back either. "It's been very patchy and I think there are a lot of other options open to people on a bank holiday weekend. Gardening, sport, outdoor pursuits, whatever. I still don't understand why someone doesn't put a show like this on the weekend before Valentine's. It's not rocket science to think that might be a time when love slash romance slash sex is on peoples' minds. We came here with an open mind as to what it would be like. Constructive criticism; the layout needs some thought as it's not easy working out where you've been and where you've not. With a grid you go up, down, up, done, done. Here, that can't happen. It's been ok though. There's not been as much mainstream stuff here against the fetish fashion, but I can see that growing. They've done a good job. It's a bank holiday weekend, half term, kids are off school- The timing should have been thought about more."
Andy Smith of Electrastim took some time to get to talk to. When I caught him, he said, "It started slowly this morning, and we were saying we'd rather be somewhere else today, but this afternoon it's really picked up and we've been full-on busy for the last four hours. We've done a lot of demos and we're optimistic we'll have people back to buy some kit. We've had some sales but with our product it's a slower selling process. We're reasonably happy. As always we could do with a few more people here but I think the show, the layout, is good and they've put a lot of effort into making it a pleasant shopping environment. Visitors are enjoying themselves; we could just use a few more of them."
At the entrance to the Video Village I found Richie Bowles of ID Lubricants, who told me, "For a first show it's not been too bad. It's been reasonable. It's busier than we thought it was going to be but a bit slower this afternoon. The atmosphere is really good and there are more stands than I was expecting. The public will get a lot out of the show- well entertained as they walk around. There's lots of variety in the smaller stands, and varied products that haven't been seen at that much. There's a high-class hamper company around the corner… They've some of our products in there too! It's good for the industry, these new people coming in."
While Yazmin and Lala caused their own brand of trouble on the Strictly Broadband stand (a game of Twister with the hunks from the gay-interest stand helped) Jerry Barnett told me, "Erotica 2005 was our first show of this type and we've been to every one since, I think. This one's been really nice. It's got a good feel to it- nicer than Erotica. Quite cosy. The crowd was a bit light today, it was better yesterday, and the video village has been quite quiet compared to the main area, so perhaps we should have been in there. A lot of people haven't noticed the village tucked here. Overall it's been a nice show; it could just use more footfall. By the way, this is my last interview with ETO until I boycott them officially for not having any ETO Award categories for digital products of any type, whatsoever." Noted!
SB faced Corolo, who had gay DVDs and a plasma screen to scare the Heteros. Director Christian Marshall said, "It's been good. We've been amazed by the décor and everything. It looks amazing. As a gay company it's a bit weird as it's mostly a straight show but we've sold some DVDs to curious straight guys- They keep wandering past and watching the movie. I don't think they've seen gay sex before. We've sold some to straight women too, looking to shock their boyfriends perhaps. It's been a really good show. Not huge sales, but in terms of being here. I think it's going to get better and better."
JD Distribution never looked busy, I'm sorry to say, and even Nice n Naughty didn't need more than the two guys manning it. Their Richard Allmark said, "It's not been too bad considering it's in its first year. It looks very slick- it's just a case of building on it year-on-year to get it to the popularity of Erotica. I assume they'll be back next year. So far, so good."
NnN were facing AdultWorld.co.uk who had perhaps the biggest stand at the event. From time to time it was busy, but never more than '0.6 Eroticas', if that makes sense. However, it is unfair to compare any show in its virgin year to a trusty, rusty (never rustier looking compared to the presentation of Passion) old bike like Erotica. Gary of Adult World had this to say: "It's picked up a bit today. It seems quite vibrant at the moment. We hope it stays busy to the end of the show so we have a fighting chance! The show looks fantastic, and our stand does too- We're really pleased with that. We could all do with some more customers coming through the doors. We expected the first show to be quiet but hopefully we can improve on this next year."
On the Cut Price Films stand two guys were reading Scarlet magazine. I lifted an eyebrow towards them and they both sadly and solemnly shook their heads. While most stands had a grumble about low sales and poor attendance, others did report weekend costs had been recouped by the end of play. Universally, exhibitors expressed they felt the event had a great deal of potential.
PlayTV UK had Marino out with a film crew, capturing the atmosphere and no doubt making great future advertising. Jim Deans on the stand said, "It's been very good, very positive. A breath of fresh air would be the best way to describe it. The organisers are helpful, thoughtful and most importantly, they've listened to suggestions and taken them onboard. The big difference with this show against others is this one doesn't end today- All the interviews we've been shooting are launching on our PassionTV platform and web sites, so people will remember meeting you at the show and the business will continue to roll on. That's the big difference. The show doesn't end on its last day."
Hustler Video next to them seemed a tad quiet even with DVDs from £5 and Karl told me, "Not too great. It's been steady. I don't think they've as many people through the door as the organisers said there would be. I think they made a mistake charging £20. Everyone here has been saying it should have been £10 to give people some extra money to spend. On the whole it's not been too bad but I'm not sure we'd do it next year if they do one. I think we would have done better out on the main floor, but people coming in here know what they're coming in for so it's not a big deal really." Thinking about money, I noted I'd not seen a cash-point in the building.
Pillow Talk/R18 Distribution had beautiful new gold and silver, precious stone-encrusted toys from Crowned Jewels. Designer James Stephens told me, "We're looking for a poncier name, but they are sex toys. Sex products when all said and done but they're a unique, innovative product which no one else is doing and so far we've had a lot of interest. Prices are from £69, and the sky is the limit. If you want a flawless carat diamond in there, and can pay for it, we'll put one in. Gold plated, platinum plated; whatever the customer wants."
Television X faced Cut Price Films and SWALK, Phoenix Films (with cheeky blonde and Pink toys) were in attendance too.
Just before the show's 7pm close I left the Video Village and the show itself, below a banner saying 'See you next year'- Speculative, but I hope they're right. A show like Passion deserves to succeed and I didn't see any visitors looking less than impressed; on the downside, nor did I see too many overflowing bags of purchases. Word of mouth could see a 2009 show far better attended. I picked my moment to exit with impeccable timing it seemed; as my train pulled out of Earl's Court station, I heard a PA address saying everyone should leave the platform immediately due to a reported fire. Less Passion, more flaming ardour. The show itself had been more tight hugs and warm kisses than out-and-out Passion, but these things have a way of growing…
A brief statement from Paul Norris after the event said, 'Visitor numbers were 7,500 and the marketing was a wide campaign to adult press, female press, GLBT press, and mass advertising including train stations, tube, radio and newspapers'. I would have guessed at a figure a little lower, but I can believe it, which isn't always the case with every show I go to. Passion in a word: Promising.