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August 2007: All the fun of the trade fair - ETO Show 2007 report
On the final run up to this year's ETO it seemed that fate was against it. With the worst floods since the biblical one, electricians being delayed and last-minute changes to the floor plan, organiser Jonathan Kirk of Threeonethree Events was kept busy long before any exhibitors arrived. When the visitors' doors opened at 10.30am on July the 22nd, I joined a stream of trade guests who were looking to buy, looking to sell, or just looking to look.
As this was the third ETO Show my expectations were pretty well fixed about what I'd find inside. Got Lingerie's fancy stand was looking good by the entrance again and I found the ETO booth in its usual corner to drop my bag off. Beyond that, there were a few surprises. The show had expanded deeper into the hall, right to the back wall where a village of creative from the Guild of Erotic Artists had set out their stalls. Metaphorically; they had the same shell-scheme units as the rest of the floor. Here I saw Peter Bratt and his popart-inspired pictures and Ken Clarke, back at the show with his Body Sculpture casting business. His wife Jenny's pewter casts were also drawing admirers. Richard Savage looked dapper in a waistcoat as he showed me some of his paintings and the Ballard brothers, Paul and Colin were both in attendance. I thought the presence of the Guild of Erotic Artists really added a touch of culture to the show, and I was pleased to see so many people taking the time to tour the demo area.
Doing a circuit of the show's periphery, I heard from Aneros who were selling male g-spot stimulators with a medical background, as well as more fun versions, and Monkey Spanker' Colin Bailey told me, "It's going really well. It's possible we'll bring out a black version for the gay and BDSM market to make it more inline with the style and colour of the toys they already buy."
EscapeDesign.biz, featuring their Adult Fun Board (.biz) had Dodge showing off their spring-loaded, aluminium-frame, padded board products, with the help of Elizabeth Michelle Lawrence. She happily bounced about while he told me, "You're only limited by your imagination as to what you can do on them. I'm here talking about distributions deals now that I've got my manufacturing costs down- testing the water. This is definitely the right place for me to do it, and I'll be back at Erotica in November."
William Woolley of Tingletip showed me their electric toothbrush-powered. "Tingletip was devised when we looked for a truly effective vibrator. It fits a standard Braun electric toothbrush and is very powerful, yet small and discreet, which is just what a lot of women like. The pink pad is ideal for clitoral stimulation and of course it's ideal for hen parties, holidays… It looks small, like a novelty but it's truly effective, which is why a lot sell by recommendation. The show's been fantastic. We've been inundated already."
EdenCoeur Corsets' Maureen Graham (Mo to her friends) was looking fittingly glamorous. "The show's being very good. We've lots of new leads and interest, particular in our new Peacock range. It's been a great seller for us and we've two new colours, classic black and scarlet red. Those have been getting particularly good feedback. As I don't advertise as such, this has been my equivalent of advertising. It's been a great opportunity for buyers to come and feel and see the quality. The see what we've got, what we've got new, and that for me is a job well done."
Stephen Haynes on the Blackwitch stand said, "I think the show's been a little quieter than last year. We took £10,000 worth of orders on the first day last time. Regarding what's new, DOM Promotions' films are selling extremely well at the moment, with two more due out on Tuesday, but we're waiting for a load of DVD sleeves to arrive. People held up in the floods I think." I went back on Monday and discovered things had improved, and sleeves had turned up.
Leah Ford of Veritus-Shirley of Hollywood was already having a busy day. "A very busy day! This is our first ETO Show and we're having a really good one. We've such a wide range we've had different things of interest to different people." She waved a hand past classy fishnets and frillies..
Alexander Giebel on the Pjur Group stand was excited by their new product. "Superhero is a male performance spray which delays ejaculation. It doesn't have any of the potential harmful numbing agents other sprays use. We also have a Superhero glide which is a water based lube with ingredients to improve your erection. Analyse Me! is an easing comfort spray that's a relaxant and we have a new silicon-based glide too. We also have Back Door for the gay market plus MySpray for the clitoris and MyGlide stimulating, warming lubricant with ginseng." The new range should be available in the UK from mid-August.
Meir Sharony of the Alexander Institute had been pushing a successful show deal. "This year we limited the deal to the show. 40 DVDs for £140- almost distribution price. Lots of people have taken advantage of it today, and we expect more tomorrow."
Erigo's Pretorius Roberts had a lot of Viv Thomas products and Score Movies (the home of big boobs) drawing attention. "The new thing is couple-friendly erotic feature films, such as Sirens and Single White Female. Lots of development's gone into finding what works for couples, isn't offensive or degrading, and that male and female will both get a kick out of. They're stickered 'Couple Friendly' to aid market awareness, so shops know what to offer couples."
Peter Horea of Coquet was on the Not Taboo stand, along with Heather Vanderven, Penthouse Pet of the 2007. He told me, "This is my first visit to the ETO Show and I'm having a great time. We started last night so we've already had some fun. We're launching our new Penthouse line at the show with Heather who's flown in from California to be here. It's a beautifully presented line, with thirty designs and there's a new catalogue to go with it. It caters for a younger crowd and we're very happy with the response we've had to it here." Heather Vanderven joined us and I asked about being a Pet, "We had a crowning ceremony in Miami. They gave me this beautiful diamond necklace and announced I was going to be their girl. It was very exciting! I've been to the UK before -my father's from Putney- (who'd have guessed?) but this is my first time in Birmingham. We went out last night. It was fun! Coquet have put together a really young, fun, flirty line. It looks really good on and seems to be doing well."
Adding some new glamour to the show were a number of other models touring the room giving out reminders to visit various stands. Bat Girl from Rubies stalked past me in thigh boots and two lady sailors in Got Lingerie's new range of Dreamgirl costumes posed for me on demand. Nautical but nice girls who have a soft spot for seamen, apparently. As others told me, I'd also like to see some more male totty for the female and gay contingent in 2008, but this isn't much of a criticism of this year's show really.
Gifthouse International had one of the more daring models (and adult actress), Karlie Simon, on it. Their Andy Willard was distracted by her wearing nothing but a big red bow -a Naughty Knot- as we chatted. "Our range is Poke Greetings and they cover Christmas, Valentine and Birthdays- It's a constantly expanding range, based on what retailers tell us they'd like. We found a niche in the market for good, English-based, hardcore greeting cards. Our best seller is 'You're a Cunt!... Sorry, I meant Happy Birthday', but all the hardcore photo ones go well as they have the shock value on a Birthday or Christmas card. You wouldn't see them in Clintons! It's been terrific so far, we've had a lot of support from the industry, ETO Magazine's been great and everyone loves what we've done, so we're very happy with what we've created. Looking forward to doing more- We're planning a range featuring pensioners, with the cards smelling of lavender. There's lots of places we can go with the cards."
Lindsey Westcott of ETL Bondage Tape told me, "We've discontinued clear as it's not been a big seller for us, and we're considering dropping the silver too. We're thinking of adding baby blue to our range. Black, red, pink, white and purple are all doing well for us, so we'll be sticking with those, but we always like feedback from our distributors and retailers. Every so often we send out flyers asking for their comments so we'll make what they need."
Dominic Hawes stood proud on the BMC Intimate (formerly Mantric Marketing) stand, and said, "The show's been very good indeed. We've been busy all day and taken a lot of orders, which we don't always do so that was a nice surprise. The name change has gone down ok, although a couple of people think we're mad. It went because firstly we're not a marketing company any more -the name was a left-over- and the Mantric branded product is probably 5%t of our inventory, but it's delivery 30% of sales month-on-month, growing really quickly. It's taken on a life of its own and we'll want to appoint wholesalers in the EU and they'll not take the brand while we're Mantric Marketing. SportsSheets have caused a bit of a stir. Qualifying orders will get a free Flatscreen TV and DVD combo to show how the product should be used. Their equipment sits between bondage and novelty and is for people who want to give it a try for the first time. The other thing that's gone well is this boxed gift set with a thousand scented silk petels, champagne bucket and two glasses, balms, candles, a CD, two dressing gowns… It's seduction in a box. We've taken a lot of orders for it."
Island CD's Peter Downing explained the difference between Replication and Duplication for me. Replication uses a glass master and has a minimum run of something around 1000 units. His sort of robotic duplication machines put volume production within the realm of the company themselves, allowing several hundred copies to be made overnight, in-house. "That's basically what the equipment does", he told me. "Typically a disc will cost 20-30p to produce, depending on the media cost. Then we have inkjet based disc printing, which is the cheapest way of doing it, up to thermal printing, which gives screen-printed quality. We do waterproof inkjet media now too, although it's not scratch resistant like the thermal is. It's been an excellent show for us, put us in contact with a lot of good companies and I'll get a walk around later on I hope."
ValU Payments' Paul Thomas was talking about the business. "We process credit card payments for anyone with an online or mobile presence. We're very secure, making the whole process extremely safe, preventing fraud, which is a huge issue in the UK. That's where out strength lies. We use a system of verification that's an initiative by Mastercard and Visa to register cards online. It's very like how Chip n Pin works and in time it'll become the norm rather than an optional level of protection. One in five people in the UK has been effected by online fraud- millions of pounds are lost, and only 30% of people get that money back from their card provider. We're tackling the problem."
Lisa and Kevin were joined by dancer Dani on their Phoenix Films stand, where Kevin said he was delighted to have another ETO Film of the Month (July) for Third World Media's Hot Spring Orgy Retreat. Far-Eastern porn is on the ascent but American-made Combat Zone films are still doing well for them, with Daddy's Naughty Little Princess 2 eagerly awaited.
A row further back, Mister B's Wim Bos was in a good mood as he told me about his large new warehouse and wholesale unit in the south of Amsterdam as we looked over some of their new products. Rubber dog paws have been added to compliment their heavy latex dog masks, and I boggled at a big black rubber gnome called The Ass Midget.
Karl Jenkin on the International Display stand had been spotting his displays on Prowler, Nitelife, R18 Wholesale and Queensway's stands. "Business is very good at the moment, but I just have to mention the sad passing of the owner of the firm, Brian Jones, two weeks ago. It's very sad, but hopefully the legacy he's left behind will see us continue to boom."
Speaking of Queensway, their Stuart Inglis said, "It's not felt quiet for us at all- We've had a very good start. We've two meeting tables which have been full all morning, and there's been a good flow of people. We were expecting a slow start, and we've had a very busy one. We've taken orders and seen a mix of people; internet, stores, established customers and new ones. One thing though. We didn't bring much 18-rated product with us this year, but we've had a load of enquiries on it, and some orders. It's been great- a very good start. One thing that people have responded to is 'Hair Force One', which had a bit of fake fur on the cover. That's had a lot of attention, as have the two disk sets. We're happy with the stand, which we've changed a little from last year, the guys who set it us, the other exhibitors… Everyone's been helpful and it's going great."
Staci Bryan of Big Tease Toys, best known for Rub My Duckie, were showing off their new B3 range. "It's a product line with the concept of being beautiful design, very sensual, beautiful to look at but also accessible to more people with moderate pricing and it has gorgeous packaging. I think it's going to give retailers something classy that they can sell large numbers of, not just one or two of a really high-priced product. It's all about owning something beautiful at a moderate price. These will work very well in stores which are woman-friendly but also lingerie and boutique stores. They're discreet, powerful, and very quiet, and look beautiful in their satin-lined boxes. They could sit by anyone's bed and look like Objet D'art."
Scala's Clive Gore told ETO, "Brilliant. It went crazy from lunch time onwards. We've loads of new gear, including a new range from ToyJoy which comes out in September, so we're giving a preview of that at the show. New packaging as well as new products and designs. We're filling the gaps in the range that people have asked us for. We're also doing a lot with California Exotics, as they've a lot of innovative stuff. Emma's Passion Garden, with female-friendly packaging has been very well received too. We've also taken on European distribution of Wet's lube products- the flavoured ones- the whole extensive range. What we always try to do is find good brands in all sectors for us to concentrate on. We've the image of a one-stop-shop, but we go out to promote certain main brands, such as ToyJoy, CalEx, Wet, and gradually we're adding to them. Same with DVDs. We're doing the Japanese Anime which is a new thing for us. All the nice stuff is selling for us, the Old'n'Young, Grandmas, Mature, Young and Lesbian. Plus we've taken on Gold, Amsterdam Special, Phuck and Gaz room aromaisers to develop that marketplace."
A new and very welcome addition to the show was Orion from Germany. A big name on the continent, this distributor is now looking to develop a larger profile in the UK and will be launching a 320 page catalogue in English soon. Particularly attention-grabbing were their Waver Bunny, Ocean and Groove waterproof vibes with a rolling bead action that runs along the length of the toy rather than around it. Clever stuff. Their Bjorn Redcke told me, "We're pretty new in the UK market and this is our first time at the ETO Show. We were astonished by how many people we've seen here. We've many new brands to the UK so hopefully we're very interesting to most of them. We're well known in Europe, with 150 shops in Germany and subsidiaries all over, so we're pretty big, just not well known here. But we're here to work on that and I think it'll change in the next month."
Blue Moon Lingerie had Nic Kaliszewski appreciating the new trend for roaming models, and between ogling he said, "Less people, but better quality. Last year we were inundated from start to finish with Internet Start-ups. The reality is they don't spend, they don't have the money. We've had some this year too, but we've seen shops, existing customers, decent new leads- It's been a really good show for us, so far. We're really buoyed up by the show. Maybe last year was a blip of start-ups? Our new 2007 Espiral range of funky clubwear and lingerie's done well. It's one of our highest selling brands, cost effective and fully UK stock-held. G-World are from the US too, and Forplay have a new range of clubwear and costumes, which is an expanding market we've got into. More people are prepared to invest in a costume for a night out -or in- and want to spend a little bit more to get a quality one from Leg Avenue or Forplay. We're previewing their new catalogue at the show."
Monique of 1on1 Wholesale was playing host to Penthouse Pet 2007 Heather Vanderven too, who was groping a silicon facsimile of her own lady zone. Berman was a new product range for 1on1, put together by a well known sex therapist and CalEx in response to problems she'd dealt with in her US clinic. Predictably there was a photo of Dr Berman on the box- She's very pretty and blonde for a doctor, in my opinion. "We've Heather playing with her pussy, signing posters, and that's drawn a lot of interest to the Penthouse range from Top Co. Pink Play from Girrl Toys has been big- It's playful bondage equipment."
Sunday wound down at 5pm, with expectations and anticipations for the ETO Awards running high. I'm awaiting official word on visitor numbers, but at about 2pm Jonathan (Kirk, organiser) had told me we were ahead of where 2006's show had been at the same time. That's despite the atrocious weather of the previous few days- no mean achievement. Several standholders reported it seemed quieter, but I think that may be a mixture of visitors being more spread out- both physically on the larger exhibition floor, and when they arrived. Last year saw several surges of arrivals whereas the 2007 show had a steadier feel. Whatever the perception of numbers, the word of visitor quality was unequivocal; less Internet start-ups, more people with clear plans and, importantly, money to spend.
Monday started out-of-focus for many but the 10.30am kick-off was gentle enough, with the queue that'd formed in the entrance hall dissipating into the large exhibition space painlessly.
One new development I'd like to see stamped out is 'Harvesting'. A couple of standholders reported stock had gone missing. At a consumer show you have to have your eagle eyes on visitors, but I expect better behaviour from trade visitors. CCTV footage is being studied and there may have to be additional security -perhaps plain-clothed- in future. With ETO's Great Giveaway promotion running with twenty five exhibitors, I saw a lot of people using vouchers to get their bag-loads of freebies honestly. Speaking of freebies, special thanks to David Girow of Harmony and Chris Bottrell of R18 Wholesale for their contributions to my porn library. Strictly for research purposes, you understand.
Linda on the striking Nitelife stand told me, "It's been a great show. Everything's been getting attention. The collection's unique to ourselves as it's our own brand which you can't get anywhere else. We're based in the UK, buying direct from manufacturers and selling to online retailers and shops. Playboy model Lisamarie has designed a new range, which we've released this week and is going well. We do very girlie things aimed at the glamour and dance industry, although the shoes and boots do equally well in the fetish and stripping markets."
Dr Joel Kaplan's visit hadn't started well. While on the NEC site to set up on Saturday, he'd been hit by a taxi, bounced six feet off the bumper and landed on his fanny (he's American, from San Diago) before being taken off to hospital in Birmingham. Gingerly sitting on his seat, he showed me his glass toys that light up with multi-coloured flashing LEDs in their plastic base; "So you know what you're doing in the dark. They go through different sequences." He's also known for his range of penis pumps and vascular dilation penis enlargement pills to make erections longer and thicker. "I didn't make it here yesterday [when a lady was looking after the stand], but I'm here today with a big bruise. No lasting damage done, but I could have been killed. I was very lucky."
DVM Enterprises' Mike McGee is an ETO Show veteran, having exhibited at all of them. "It's been quite good again; we've taken a bigger stand this year. It's just starting to kick in again, like it did last year- the Monday's always a bit slower than the first day, but yesterday was really busy. We didn't get a chance to sit down really. But that's what you want! We've got five new titles people have been looking at, which is the most we've ever had. We've got two on the All Amateurs label, a Velvet Pictures one, with a redesigned logo and revamped layout that's been well received. Big Mamma's Ass and we've just taken on Fig Productions for distribution. They're a British producer and we're taking on their titles from now on as well. Finally there's Real Wife Gangbang 2 and Kylie's Stud Hunt. That's A Kylie, not The Kylie. I just want to make that point! They're all doing really well and the All Amateurs range is received with open arms. Rob Stone's films are doing great as well- At the end of the day, if you can't have a bit of rice pudding in your fanny, what can you do? That's what I say!" Selling around 20 boxes of 50 DVDs for £100+VAT and carriage, it'd been a show with orders for DVM too.
ABS Holdings' Glenn Wilde said, "We're very happy to have won Best Erotic Goods Distributor at the awards last night. We distribute erotic goods, and we've been proclaimed the best at it by our peers. It doesn't get much better than that! I'm on the sales desk, so I'm the interface between our customers and the company- Getting the award is a reflection on all the sales staff, the guys in the warehouse, accounts- as well as on Tim and Heather's vision. Getting the Mystery Shopper's award for our Kidderminster SimplyPleasure was a real surprise. Absolutely fantastic!"
Regarding the show, Wilde thought the visitor mix had changed, "Very good show. Last year we saw a lot of new starters, but this year we've seen more people who've gone to the next stage. I think it's found its place now, this show. There's more business being done and we were rushed off our feet yesterday with loads of people coming over. The Louisiana Lounger has been a show favourite. Not only can the lady of the house have fun with the powered dildo, that module can be removed, the hole it leaves filled with ice and cans, and you can just lay back on it and watch the football. A true couples' toy! The can-shaped male masturbator is great as it's got a choice of entrances and Jenna's Jewels vibrators are selling well for us; a bit of bedroom bling. We like to offer something for everyone."
Ian Marshal on the Rocks Off stand had lots of new products on display, including Randy Rabbit, all using the RO80mm bullet-vibe. "The new Rude Boy was up for an award, but sadly didn't win last night- Everyone says we were robbed! I know some say the Cone (who won this year) is a good product, but you'd not get me on one, reading a newspaper with it up my arse. And you can quote me on that! An exclusive for the show is the Tear 'n' Share cockring, which is a dual cockring that can be worn on the wrist if you're single or tear 'n' share so you've one each when you get lucky- Tear, share, wear! We've been promoting the Rocks Off brand and our products here, and seeing our distributions partners who sell the products on our behalf. We've seen some European people here too, which is great."
When I asked about the water tank at the front of the stand, Ian explained, "A lot of products are sold as waterproof when in fact they're not, or are splash-proof at best. As a company we've always ensured our products meet or exceed the claims we make for them on the packaging, and to prove the bullets are 100% waterproof, we've been displaying them dancing in the bottom of the tank."
Rubie's supply a wide range of playwear, including licensed characters. Their Neville Kay told me, "It's been really good. This has been the first year we've done the show and we weren't sure if we had the type of product that would be well received at an adult show. Ours has been a dressing up/fancy dress focus, but we've recently done well with clubwear so we thought we'd come and see what the reaction here was. It's been fantastic. People looking for something a bit different -especially our licensed superhero designs- have said they'd seen them but the didn't know where to get them. We've had a young lady modelling them for us which has worked well. It's all worked well for us. I'm sure we'll be back next year."
Strictly Broadband's new design guy, JD (who replaced AJ, and will presumably be replaced by a D-something in the distant future) said, "It's been a ball! I've met some great porn stars so I'll definitely be coming back next year." Turning to a possibly hung-over Jerry Barnett, his take on the show was as follows: "This is our second year here. It's not been a bad show- a very good networking place and worth us coming. I think I had a good time last night, although it's blended into today. I even managed a few hours sleep. I'm very professional. News-wise, the Stream-4-Life concept ran into some legal problems, so we've changed it to a one year rental instead. Strictly News is doing well and we're still building up our affiliate programme, with new tools to make it even easier to use. We've been very busy with the gay site (StrictlyGayMovies.com) to be as strong as Strictly Broadband. We've been working with Millivers Prowler and Clone Zone with 200,000 free film scratch cards too, so they'll have their own branded versions to direct people to their affiliate sites. We're now looking to do the same thing on the straight side, with SexToys.co.uk pioneering it for us. Everyone who buys from them will get a free card to watch a movie from their affiliate site." Talk turned to the gay (and straight) female market, and the idea of a female-specific VOD site was born. I've checked, and StrictlyGirls.com is already registered though, to the amusingly named Shit Co. of Flushing, New York.
I mounted a sneak attack from behind on Ash of Bella International, who was hoping Bal would get collared for a quick interview. As winner of Best Lingerie Distributor, he was a happy man, but also a busy man so I didn't really get to speak to him. If the fact they always had people with them as I passed is anything to go by, they had a worthwhile show.
Facing Bella, and last year's winners of the same award, I wondered if it'd be a case of wire hangers at ten paces for the two businesses, but Got Lingerie's Nicky assured me there was no resentment. Winning the Best Erotic Clothing Brand with Dreamgirl for the second year running had taken the sting out of losing to Bella. She said, "It gives us something to chase next year- It'll be all the sweeter next time, when we get it back! We know Bella do a really good job and we've been over to congratulate them. It's been a really good show again. This year we've seen many more shop owners, wanting to place orders, more existing businesses- that kind of thing. Not so many new start-ups. It's been the best ETO Show for us, definitely. We launched Hustler in October last year, so this is the first time we've had it at a trade show and that's had a lot of interest, along with the Dreamgirl costumes and our newly launched catalogue. It's been the first chance for everyone to have a look at them." Then Natalie Weston diverted me in a Dreamgirl Valet Parking outfit and I tripped over my tongue.
I'd reeled it back in by the time I was on the Realistic Digital Graphics stand with Michael Delemos. He showed me their swinging signs, pop-up reel, hanging PVC and big pop-up signs while he talked about the show. "We've been very surprised by how good the show is. It's our first time here and a bit of a gamble, hence the small size of the stand. But it has been good. A lot of people have come to us, seen the value of what we can do, and said the stand looks very professional. As a result, we've taken a lot of enquiries and hopeful those will be turned into orders. We're all about putting a clear message across and we prove you don't need a lot of space to do that. You don't need to be big to have a big impact."
Mike McCann spent a lot of time away from the Clone Zone stand, keeping an eye on the AITA booth and generally looking around the show. "I'm reasonably happy. Obviously the weather hasn't helped and it's kept some people away, but I think it's gone down quite well again. It's always been a good show I think- One of the better shows that I go to. We've had some interesting enquiries and we've also taken orders, which is always good to get as that pays for the stand. I'm not sure if we're coming back to Birmingham for the Adults Only Show. Generally from the gay perspective, retail events don't do so well for us. They don't tend to find them all that appealing. I don't know what the percentage of gay visitors to Erotica is, for example, but I'd be surprised if it was as much as 1%. So I'm not sure it we're doing October. We're thinking about AOS because we'd like to support it but you have to think about your commercial interests as well. Perhaps a 'Gay Village' area would work there, but it'd need a lot of promotion in the gay press to get people in. Perhaps a possibility for next year?" On the Clone Zone stand, their new Falcon toys plus XTG and Flesh underwear were arousing interest.
Tricia Murray of Nice 'n' Naughty was basking on the glow of winning Best Retailer for the third year running when I caught her on the NnN stand. "We've found that Wicked Pictures has a really good impact for brand awareness and we're supporting that with freebies, gifts and t-shirts. What we're doing with the UK packaging is protecting that brand and quality, and being careful not to cheapen the product. So the changes we've made for the UK market aren't huge, even though we've hardened-up the back covers for British tastes. We want the films to have a big impact on the shelf when they hit in September. Six titles initially, including AVN award winners for this year, and new titles like Predator with Stormy Daniels and Manhunter, which has all the Wicked contract girls in it. I've just spent two weeks QAing (quality assuring) 21 films. So inside out, film, bonus footage, behind the scenes, interviews and trailers, I know what's going on! Wicked compliment the Voyeur brand we already have, and Smash Pictures are selling really well."
Pumpkin Films were promoting their new gay movie arm (complete with limp wrist, joked its director, John Mason) called Tacklebox Productions. Along with new release Dirty Debutants, Cathy was keen to talk about her move into mainstream movies, having recently been to the Cannes Film Festival. "I'm in a film called Perfect Woman with Caprice. She's a very nice girl, absolutely stunning and very friendly. Dave Prowse is in it too- you know, the Green Cross Code man. Darth Vader. Another good West Country boy! He's lovely he is! Very tall, and he's astounding for his age. He's 72! 72 and still going strong! Other than that, I've been doing a tour of the Private shops and loving being here and winning Best British Performer last night, of course!"
Bill Matharu joined me to admire some sexy girls (in an Avid Merion voice) on his 2CD Designs stand, before attention returned to the business of business. "It's gone very well. A bit better than last year, with a lot of people rushed yesterday. There was four of us on the stand and we were all really really busy. Today's been quieter, with more professional people. The new packaging of the Sinners range has gone excellent with lots of enquiries, lots of catalogues have gone out and we've taken some orders this year as well, which is an improvement over last year. The show's good for us because it gets all of our customers in one place, and we've been able to meet people we've never seen face-to-face before. They're probably meeting me and thinking, 'I never knew you were short, fat and bald'." To which I said, "You're not that short", and we laughed like drains.
Stacey Pope seemed to be on one of the quieter stands, the Vertical Leisure one with a selection of X-Poles, but she told me it was an illusion. "It's been really good! Good quality customers so it's going well. We're not mega busy, but we're happy. We've launched our new stage here, which is a completely portable, multi-piece stage which packs into three bags. We also have a new low-cost pole that's just coming out, due to have a proper launch in December, and a bottom-loading pole as well. So we've got new product to show existing customers as well as the new people we've seen." Just then Danni from the Phoenix Films stand passed and couldn't resist having a little swing around a pole.
Which brings me neatly onto lubrication and the Eros stand where Wolfgang Fusenig said, "It's been a very good show for us because we've made a lot of new contacts and we'll see how good when we follow them up. But we've been surprised by the number of enquiries we've had and as we're looking to relaunch the Eros label, it makes us very optimistic that we'll success in future with it. We've developed several flavoured water-based versions over the last year, also Eros 101; a delay splay that's selling well in Germany and Europe-wide."
Colin Sheehan of Interfact took a while to grab as he and his colleagues were kept busy. "It's been a pretty good response this year, with existing customers and a few new customers. Our new thrusting rabbits from the Intimate Liaisons range have been popular, and a compact-styled toy has had good feedback too." It's got eight different modes, and a mini-egg vibe that pulls out on a retractable cable. "And you've got a mirror so you can watch yourself play away to your heart's content. The only thing it's not got make-up, but who needs make-up when you've got a vibrating egg?" A couple watching over his shoulder were so impressed they ordered a box-full so I left him to close the deal.
Millivers Prowler's Sean Spence was exhausted but happy. "We had a great night out last night, and I got to bed very very late. We didn't win an award but that's not always the name of the game. It was Soccer Lads that was nominated. We rebranded our Euroboy line about six months ago as Euroboy Sport to fill a niche. There's a lot of football films, and we saw a gap in the market for the whole sports-fetish thing; jockstraps, kit, that sort of thing. There's not a lot of sport in Tour De Fuck or Jockstrap Orgy to be honest, but it gets guys in sexy kit and that sells really well. Our other big draw on the stand is our bareback range. It's pretty unique in the UK as no one else is really doing bareback gay sex films. Because of the cloud of HIV that's hung over gay sex for 20 years, there's a whole risqué factor over condom-less sex. I have to point out all our guys are tested regularly and it's all completely aboveboard -they're well sex-educated- which might not be true of films coming from other parts of the world."
While on the MPG stand I learned from Jerry Barnett that the BBFC are about to launch their pilot scheme for certificating online content. It's being spearheaded by AITA, Strictly Broadband and Queensway (both AITA members) to be a test website and distributor. For now certification will be free, but old DVDs with R18 ratings will still need to have certificates applied for, which will cost £45. The BBFC have no legal teeth at the moment, but this is the start of a perhaps five year process that will end up in some legislation.
Jan Dutton kindly supplied me a seat on her Pussy Shaver stand and told me the show had been good for her again. "I've a lot of follow up stuff to do, and we've met a lot of our customers that we already supply- It's been really good. We've got some new Glamourpuss packaging for the post-shave talc we do with a little powderpuff. We've got our starter kits that were an offer at the show too. They've been 'buy a shaver system and get a kit free of charge.'" Then Jan showed me a book called The Greatest Sex Tips in the World by Julie Peasgood, who mentions a Pussy Shaver product as a good one to keep an unruly bush under control. Julie's a regular on TV, and even won a Royal Television Society Personality of the Year award, I learned.
The Missing Kink are the new UK distributors for the inflatable Cupids Couch, and on their stand I spoke to Paul Gosling. "The show's been absolutely fantastic. We've had an incredible response from the UK, and European visitors too. A lot of European enquiries and a lot of UK companies who want to drop ship with us to get into the market, test the water, and decide if they want to hold stock. It's been great." I was promised the packaging, currently rather lacklustre, was going to brought inline with new promotional artwork I saw on the stand.
Apollo's Simon Early had been keep busy so it was towards the end of play that I caught him free to talk. "It's been absolutely rammed. We couldn't have wished for a better show. It's been busy busy busy. We could have done with more staff and definitely more seats! Our big hits here have been the Jessica Rabbit Platinum, which was up for an award, and the Clone-a-Willy. But primarily people have come to see us because we're a one-stop-shop for them. We do everything and they like that. Also it's as much to do with service as price... we should be able to cater for everyone."
David Prosser of Oochi, was at the show with INSTEAD feminine hygiene products. The cups are a healthy, environmentally friendly alternative to tampons, which allow clean sex during the woman's period. Amongst other benefits, there's no danger of toxic shock and they can be worn up to 12 hours, and even when swimming. "The show's been very good this year, with a lot of leads and I think we'll do a lot of business", he told me. "We came here for the first time last year and some of the customers we hooked up with the product have done very well with it- surprisingly well. On the back of a very good review we had on the product from SexToyTesters.co.uk (14/15) we decided to come back again, with some new lower pricing and look for some more customers to do well."
One very unusual device seen at the show was the Bonershaker, a mains powered male stimulator that works outside the clothes. Andrew Roberts told me, "It's a brand new product; we're about two months away from manufacture. We've rushed into the show because we didn't want to wait another year to get the exposure. It's a new concept for a male toy, because it stimulates the F-spot under the end of the penis -the Frenulum- with a deep throbbing vibration. It lets you achieve a near-orgasm experience very quickly, and with practice, sustain it indefinitely. We've met people here who've said they've been thinking about and looking for a product like this, as well as the sexual health side of the industry. For men with sexual function disorders, it offers a route to orgasm without full erection. We've been very open to the feedback we've received, and have rethought our retail pricing based on the margins distributors and retailers would be looking for. That information's invaluable for us, and everyone's been very friendly and open. Because the product's used outside of clothing the marketing won't keep us out of mainstream media- Clothing helps spread the vibrations around the groin and hold the penis in position as it's effectively milked. As fluids and electricity don't go together, you put a condom on first. The female version is called Ladyshaker, which uses a different profile attachment- they're all interchangeable with a quick release mechanism."
Harmony Films' Debbie was another busy bunny but I heard from her during a brief lull. "We've had a lot of interest, and I've met some interesting people who were here selling, seen some nice new products- It's been very interesting! Slam it in a Slut's been our big film here. Gonzo gone glam. And Kinky Bitch is playing on the screen; that's highly polished kink. Winning the Best Film Brand is obviously very prestigious. So thank you everyone who voted for us."
Sticking with movie folk, Jasper Duncombe of Relish Films: "It's been another good year- It seems to get better and better. Onwards and upwards! We're looking forward to next year. Fresh off the Bus one, two and three are all doing very well. Punters seem to like them, and shops too."
Liquid Gold's John Addy told me, "The exciting thing was winning the award (best consumable) last night. That was very very nice! The show's been good. We've met some nice people, as we always do, and some new contacts. It seems there are new people coming in, which is good."
Jane Bowles of ID Lubricants UK and Creative Conceptions had been 'good busy'. "We've had plenty of staff here to cover but I don't think anyone got a break yesterday. It was good! Everyone loves our lube." They also had some new novelty lines, including Kitty, Fetish, Booby, Willy, Bridal and Bachelor Play; torso-shaped packaging with dice to give playful instructions. Taking a similar slant on an old favourite Foreplay Connect is a game where connecting four gets you the reward printed on the playing pieces. "It's very simple," Jane told me. "You don't want lots of rules with adult games. You just want to get on and do it!"
Smart POS Solutions Ltd's Owen Gleadall said, "It's the first time we've been here -we were persuaded to come by Jacinta- and it's been a great move. We had a fantastic day yesterday and certainly we'll be here again."
Chris Bottrell of R18 Wholesale was sharing his stand, bedecked with Inflagranti films, with Rolandos Demetriou of Fuckpig Dungeons, who win my personal favourite business name of the show award. Chris told me, "Very busy. I've not stopped for the last two days, my legs are aching and all I want to do is sit down! But I've picked up one firm distribution deal and two more on the horizon. One of them is world-wide rights from a studio known for its high standards and big budgets. I can't name them just yet. Sales-wise we've not sold as much here as we did last year, but it really doesn't matter. The new deals we've picked up more than make up for it. We've met people we wouldn't usually be able to meet. The whole experience of everyone getting together and having a bit of a laugh. That's what I like about the ETO Show, it's a good social event as well as a business opportunity."
Turning to Fuckpig's Rolandos, he said, "We've BDSM equipment in stainless steal, collars, hog-ties, cuffs, restraints, hooks and a head cage. 6mm thick polycarbonate paddles too, made from the same stuff you make riot shields out of. I've been challenging people to break them. We've seen a lot of corporate customers, and larger chains of shops looking for something new, and that's where I want to be seen."
Luxury Love Swings' Mark Hawthorne was having a swinging show. "We're having an excellent time. It's the first show we've ever done and we've been absolutely overwhelmed by the response we've got. Really really good- We've had a great time. Our swing's so versatile, safe and comfortable. What we suggest is you put the ceiling hooks the width of the bed and run a drape from the wall to them to disguise them." He and Sarah gave me a demo that proved the potential for swings, especially for anyone with a bad back of who suffers from premature ejaculation. Or both.
The Adults Only Stand was being run by Andrea Seed of Poppyseed Media, who's doing the show's PR. "I've had a great response from potential exhibitors all weekend, as well as meeting a lot of people who really can't wait to visit the show. We've seen a good flow of people, all very keen to see another consumer show in the marketplace. We've taken some more stand bookings and have lots of enquiries to follow up on. Loads of people want to contribute to our live performance and stage area, which will be much more interactive than any other show the UK's had before."
I didn't get a chance to speak to LTC Healthcare, Leg Avenue, BlueHeaven, Video Cabin and a few others on the day, which is a reflection of how busy they were, as well as me. I'm used to rushing around at ETO Shows, but I can honestly say my feet barely touched the ground at this year's. Only a plate of chips slowed me down, and that was only for 20 minutes.
The 4.30pm PA announcement that the show was closed came at the right moment, as visitors were thinning naturally and exhibitor energies were naturally flagging too. It'd been a long few days for folk on their feet. As stock was reboxed and displays dismantled I took a tour, looking for miserable people. I'm very happy to report I couldn't find any. From my perspective, that's a good sign for this having been another very successful ETO Show.