TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA – Cybernet Expo celebrates its 10th Anniversary this year when it kicks off in Tampa Bay, Florida next month. Adult webmasters from all over the globe are planning to make the trek to the Florida coast for several days of business networking, seminars, parties and much needed frivolity.The Cybernet Expo that exists today is in many respects similar to the Cybernet Expo that has been a mainstay in the adult Internet business for a decade – the core of the show is a close, intimate gathering of adult Internet professionals with a mind for business and a bit of fun. Attendees often report that they form lasting business relationships at Cybernet Expo, bolstered by the show’s focus on putting all of its participants in the same places at the same time – as opposed to scattering attendees over multiple locations.
Although even today the show is still the same intimate gathering of Internet professionals that it has always been, that doesn’t mean there have been no changes over the years. And perhaps the most successful of these changes was the abandonment of regular “booths” in favor of the new “Show n’ Sell” marketing event, formerly called “Corridor Cruisin’.”
“We fully understand that having a ‘booth’ presence is important for many companies, and many attendees like to browse booths at shows like Cybernet,” explains Jay Kopita, Cybernet Expo’s Tradeshow Director. “But with a mid-sized show like Cybernet Expo, we also understand the importance of timing. Being tied down to a booth for the full run of a show can be tiring at the very least, and counterproductive for business at the very worst.”
As the 2004 Cybernet Expo approached, staff knew that it was time to start replacing traditional booths with something more responsive to the needs of both the attendees and the exhibitors. That’s when the idea first came up to offer attendees a focused marketing event, rather than just the same old tradeshow booth experience.
“As I approached the 2004 show, I looked around for an idea that would balance the need for exhibitors to be in a stationery place where they could be found with the freedom they need to be able to mingle and do business outside a showroom,” explains Cybernet Expo owner Fay Sharp. “I decided on a type of ‘speed boothing’ that would give participating companies a chance to visibly promote their products, and yet not be tied down to a booth.”
So now, rather than casually browsing booths throughout the show, Cybernet attendees spend a couple of hours on one evening at the popular Show n’ Sell Marketing Event – always a crowd pleaser, and specifically designed to draw as many attendees as possible with the various free giveaways that are offered by all the participating companies.
“The carrot we dangled was to have a 3 hour business event in a social atmosphere, with each booth giving away a premium gift or food item,” says Sharp. “Originally we had an outside corridor to work from, so we called it ‘Corridor Cruisin.’ When we changed hotels this year we decided to rename it ‘Show n’ Sell,’ which represents the opportunity a little better.”
As many companies have participated in Show n’ Sell for several years running now, the event is doing well by its sponsors.
“Show n’ Sell is always a ‘must do’ for us,” says HoneLynn, Director of Business Relations at Sunny Dollars. “It is like having a booth on a show floor that you know everyone at the show is going to visit. It has been a wonderful way to make new contacts, get to know the other Cybernet attendees and of course, grab some great schwag.”
The event has proven so successful, in fact, that other shows are now starting to incorporate similar events into their show schedules. But this year in Tampa Bay, attendees will be treated to the Cybernet Expo original marketing event on Friday night, June 8th, from 6pm until 9pm, complete with free food and free promotional giveaways. It will be followed by the Porn Poker Tour, which gets started at 10pm, which means Friday night is shaping up to be a busy one for attendees.
Some of the companies exhibiting at this year’s Show n’ Sell event include SunnyDollars, Adult Chamber, HotMovies, ATK Cash, The Best Porn, Klixxx, Eric M. Bernstein and Associates, Chargeback Resolution Corp., SexDateCash, YNOT, Almighty Content, Netbilling, MidniteMonkey, CCBill, Clips4Sale, Badpuppy, Free Speech Coalition, Stockroom.com, Eroticy, CherryPimps, Epoch and SexMoney. Attendees looking to speak with representatives from any of these companies will know right where to find them on Friday evening.
For information about registering to attend Cybernet Expo, please visit the CybernetExpo.com Registration Page. Hotel rooms at the Hilton Westshore is still available, but is expected to sell out before the event.
