WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA — Adam Grayson, Evil Angel’s chief financial officer, will kick off “XBIZ Talks,” an all-new slate of exclusive sessions that will take centerstage at XBIZ 2018 in January.

Grayson, one of six “thought leaders” conducting solo presentations at XBIZ 2018, will offer his personal experiences, perspectives and predictions in a monologue titled, “Changing With the Times.”

“It’s real privilege to be asked to participate in the XBIZ Talks series,” Grayson told XBIZ. “I’ll look at our experience at Evil Angel over the past five years as we changed with the times.

“I’m really looking forward to sharing some insights and anecdotes from our journey; hopefully some of it is constructive for the audience along the way.”

Grayson joined Evil Angel in 2008 to help lead the financial and technology side of Evil Angel, which was founded by gonzo pioneer John Stagliano.

Grayson was handpicked by the late Evil Angel general manager, Christian Mann, initially as an interim replacement for the head of its online operation, after selling SearchExtreme.com, which he ran for about 12 years.

On his first day at work, Grayson received word that he was accepted into the UCLA Anderson School of Management. He later earned an MBA, which later would help him guide the company with prudent decision-making.

Right out of the gate, Grayson helped transition operations of the studio’s websites to Gamma Entertainment and had a hand in repositioning the brand during the Great Recession.

“During the global financial crisis, Evil Angel was forced to grow up, which was, in retrospect, probably the best thing that could have happened to us,” Grayson said in an XBIZ interview earlier this year.

Grayson noted in the XBIZ interview that customer tastes are always shifting, and that to stay relevant filmmakers have to change with their fans — a reason why the studio, which has built its brand around a small group of directors, keeps itself involved in the creative process.

“We are increasingly collaborative with the directors to find market opportunities and exploit them,” Grayson said. “If their movies don’t turn a decent profit, they will stop making new movies, and in turn, we will have nothing to distribute.”

XBIZ 2018 returns to West Hollywood, Calif.,’s stylish Andaz hotel from Jan. 15-19 to deliver an upgraded slate of events, culminating on Thursday, Jan. 18, with the 2018 XBIZ Awards show.

The annual business-to-business pilgrimage attracts the most diverse group of decision makers, company principals and international players, uniting all industry segments of adult for a comprehensive look at content creation, marketing, publishing and technology.

Affiliates, producers and talent receive free admission to the XBIZ Show, while XBIZ.net members qualify for discounted registration.

To book a room at the Andaz during XBIZ 2018 click here.

Stay tuned to XBIZ.com for additional XBIZ 2018 event announcements.

For event sponsorship opportunities, contact events@xbiz.com.