With all the shows, expos and conventions out there today, there are plenty of opportunities to see the latest in Web applications – from processors to dialers to site hosting. But to really excel in our niche market, networking is the most important thing we can do.With all the shows, expos and conventions out there today, there are plenty of opportunities to see the latest in Web applications – from processors to dialers to site hosting. But to really excel in our niche market, networking is the most important thing we can do.

We have been to several shows over the last few years and although we have met some really great people, we always found ourselves wanting something more. You see, we are a niche site selling bondage and fetish gear, so finding a show that caters to our niche is a bit tough. However after our most recent show, I think it would be fair to say we found what we were looking for.

The 3rd annual BondConNYC produced by our friends, Genesis Lynn and Vesta of Nefarious Productions, took place March 20-23rd in Queens, New York. A convention catering to industry professional and fans of the bondage and fetish market, this event lived up to every bit of its potential. Held at a hotel conveniently located close to La Guardia Airport, BondConNYC offered:

The opportunity to interact with over 170 models including several very big names;

The opportunity to interact with some of the industry’s top photographers and producers;

The opportunity to interact with market specific media people;

An opportunity to interact with some of our competitors.

The convention kicked off on Thursday night, with a “Meet and Greet” cocktail party from 6pm-10pm, sponsored by yours truly, BDSM Store. It took us about ten minutes to realize that this event would involve a lot of work remembering the names of the masses of people we were meeting. We were simply amazed at how friendly and unpretentious everyone was. We were amazed at how people just walked up to each other and introduced themselves. Even industry legend Midori glided around introducing herself, especially to those she didn’t already know.

When the event ended at 10:00 pm, nobody was ready to stop socializing and so the party moved to the hotel’s bar and grill. The bar and grill turned out to be the hangout spot each evening for the entire four days and was pretty much filled with money spending convention related patrons.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the convention floor was filled with people all day long. Every available space was filled with vendors and exhibitors offering things specific to those involved with the bondage and fetish industry. Dominate Radio broadcasted live each day from the event and even included many of the convention’s industry attendees with an opportunity to participate and plug their websites. A nice gesture… thanks Dominate Radio!

Another big opportunity of this event was for photographers and producers to book and shoot photographs and videos with the attending models. Many photo shoots were scheduled ahead of time, but many were also scheduled or arranged during the many socializing opportunities and convention events. It was not uncommon to see a photographer and model talking one minute and off to do a shoot the next.

If all this wasn’t enough, daily demonstrations and seminars were held. Not your normal website stuff, but demonstrations and seminars on things like photography, posing a model and even one that included tips on lighting your set. And rather than the standard legal mumbo jumbo, this event’s legal seminar presented by Brian D. Herrington of Howard and Howard, focused on how to copyright your images and site content properly. It also included information on how a Webmaster can enforce those copyrights on his or her own and when to seek the help of an intellectual property attorney like Brian Herrington.

After all the convention business was done, the event concluded on Sunday night with a Ball for the attendees hosted by Mistress Persephone. By this point, everyone knew each other so well it was more like a family reunion with a playfully kinky twist. As for socializing, that continues on as we get e-mails from people we met “just wanting to say hello.”

In summary, this event was everything we had hoped for and more. It was productive for all who attended, and fun. Most of all it was a great opportunity to spread your wings and meet others in this niche market.

Dennis is the Business Manager for BDSM Store, which has been providing “Toys for kinky girls and boys” since 1999 and can be reached at Dennis@bdsmstore.com.