Source: 1DOWN Magazine
By: Goldie DeWitt
To be fair I have to say something good. There actually IS something good to say about this Adult Convention. I understand that there is a restriction on selling product (DVDs) for under a certain amount. No undercutting allowed…
Think about it. There is already too much cheap porn if you listen to distributors. No one is making anything because there is too much available for too little money – or for FREE.
Second, there is a contract for talent booths which is cheaper than for companies. The only restriction is the talent must only sell product that the talent is actually in at their booths.
With these two good things in mind here is what Goldie DeWitt, owner of 1Down.com, 1Down Magazine and the 1Down Lounge & Grill in Chino Hills, CA – and one honest, respectful, hell of a guy, who I fully support – has to say about how he was treated:
ADULTCON A WASTE OF MONEY!
By Goldie DeWitt
Copyright 2007, 1DOWN Magazine
Company Press Release
“This is solely my opinion based on my experience and personal research, but please believe me, it’s the 100% Truth!”
“Are you ready for this? Are you ready to read a review that will be so raw that some of you will feel sorry for this person and most of you in the Adult Entertainment Industry will agree with me and applaud me for taking a stand and voicing my opinion.”
I am so sick and tired of people trying to come into the Adult Entertainment Industry by imitating a successful company and then giving a bad name to the Adult Industry. This so called Adult Convention going by the name Adultcon, put on by this guy named Renaud West, in my opinion is nothing but a rip off and a waste of money! I’ve been working hands on in the Adult Industry for going on 12 years now and it’s always been a priority of mine to represent the Industry with Class. I say this because I personally find the Adultcon conventions cheesy, unorganized, boring, ghetto, and not at all of what the Adult Industry truly represents.
This so called convention claims to have moved up from renting out a Hotel Ball room, to 60,000 Sq Ft, to 100,000 Sq Ft at the LA Convention Center. I personally feel that moving up to 100,000 Sq Ft. was a move Renaud West did just for Square Foot bragging rights and at this last convention Sept 21-23, 2007 I did not see where this 100,000 Sq Ft. was needed or being used. The second you walk in South Hall, where the convention is being held, you can see in plain view that this is truly a small event being held in a hall that’s too big for it. I am not sure, but I think it was only about 3 or 4 rows and approximately about 50 yards deep. Trust me, this is nothing to compliment. There was so much wasted space that I saw. I would say 40% of this was the food area occupied with tables and chairs heavily spread out to take up space for eating and an additional 25% was more wasted space, leaving only approximately 35% of this for usable space for vendors. You do the math! Adult “Con”, if it walks like a Duck, quack likes a Duck, it’s a Duck!
This event cost $35.00 for daily admission or you can pay $35.00 on the first day of the convention and get free admission for the following 2 days. I would say this is the only positive thing about this event. However, if your bored enough to go back on the second day to see the same shit you saw the first day, it should be free. This convention does not offer any special shows, seminars or events. All you do is walk in, and walk around a couple of times and BAM, you say to yourself, “okay I’m bored now”, then you find yourself saying “fuck that, I can’t leave already, I just paid $35 to get up in this shit, so I better just stay for a little bit longer”. This might explain the reason I saw so many people walking around looking bored out of their mind and disappointed on what they thought this so called Adult Convention had to offer.
I must say I feel sorry for the people if any, who bought the Adult”Con” so called VIP ticket that cost $50 per person that bypassed you from waiting in the General admission line and also got you a Adultcon T-shirt or a dog tag key chain. I personally did not see anyone waiting in the General admission line but I did see people walking right up and buying tickets and going right in, in the same time it would take to walk up to the VIP registration counter to verify who you are, then go in. I’d be surprised to see anyone wearing that free T-shirt or dog chain who doesn’t feel like a Sucka!
The day I was at this recent convention like I said, held September 21-23, 2007, I saw this as a low attendance event. In my opinion, I do not see this event being anything to go home and compliment to your friends or family and word of mouth is everything, it’s the #1 source of advertising. Having Billboards does not mean anything except that you are advertising your product. The key to successful advertising is gaining a new customer and having that customer return. I personally don’t know anyone who has complimented this event and looks forward to the next one.
I can honestly say that the only response I’ve ever heard about these Adultcon events have been negative. These negative responses have come from customers & vendors and not only about the convention, but very negative feed back on the owner Renaud West.
I will be the first to say in my opinion that this guy is very rude, disrespectful and a horrible representative of someone doing business in the Adult Industry. I have never met anyone in this entire Industry who is so disliked. So, in return, what does this mean, people don’t support him, they don’t support his conventions.
I’m sure by now, you can see it loud and clear that I, Goldie DeWitt & 1DOWN Magazine does not support or Endorse Adultcon, Renaud West, or any of his shows. For the years I’ve worked in this Industry, I’ve found myself becoming an advocate for the Adult Entertainment Industry and I take it personal when I see people like Renaud West trying to come through and suck it for it’s riches and casting a dark cloud over us. The Adult Entertainment Industry needs all the help and support we can get right now and we need people who care and people who care about it’s image inside and out.
I’ve got too much pride and respect to run an Ad in my magazine for someone I don’t respect nor do I support. Renaud West offered me a Free Booth at this convention but I declined his offer because as a vendor in the past, I was never pleased with the turn out of these conventions and personally I always felt it was just a plain waste of 3 days and even though the booth was free, I still had to pay my staff and it cost a pretty penny to set up my Booth, etc. I personally know of others that Renaud West offers Free Booths to, and they too have declined to return after attending in the past. Trust me, just cause it’s Free, doesn’t mean it’s a good thing!
Walking around this convention (if you really wanna call it that) I saw some of the female Talent sitting behind their booths looking unhappy, pissed off and frustrated. Why? Well, at this convention, Most All of the female models charge $5.00 for you to take a photo of them, even with your own camera! Now this is something that a lot of the customers don’t know about until they point their camera at a model for the first time and then they hear “It’s $5 for a picture”, then the customer says “But I have my own camera” then the models says “It doesn’t matter” then some customers say “That’s ok” then you have this going on all day and now you have a frustrated model and now you have a unhappy customer. Are you gonna return? Are you gonna speak positive on this event? I personally feel that the customer base that comes to this event is there to look and not spend. I can personally say I made very good money as a vendor selling my products at the Erotica LA Convention.
The Erotica LA Convention is the largest Erotic Show in the U.S. And this is the only true Adult Convention if you ask me. I’ve been attending Erotica LA since way back in the day when it was owned by its creator Ron Miller and now as owned by AVN. The customer base of the Erotica LA Convention seems to be filled with people who look forward to this event and come to spend money. It is truly amazing just how many people come out to this event in the 3 days that it’s here once a year. I mean this place is packed and I mean shoulder to shoulder with eager customers walking around snapping pictures of so many models, porn stars, & exotic dancers for Free! The vendors come out with some serious state of the art booths that really make you feel like you’re in their world for a hot second!
To pay $35.00 for admission to Erotica LA is well worth it in every way, but if you want to attend this event for all 3 days, it will only cost you $75.00, and with the 3 days you will be attending this convention, you will be entertained by Sizzling Stage Shows special performances by Las Vegas sensation, Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity and the John Stagliano’s Fashionistas, a Tera Patrick Mistress Couture Lingerie Show, fashion shows, the “Hollywood Men” dance revue, tantalizing burlesque shows, and screaming “O” contests. It doesn’t stop there, Erotica LA also offers Educational Seminars and “How To” Workshops daily including the Art of Striptease, the Pleasures & Techniques of Oral Sex, the Art of Burlesque, the Art of Kissing, Tantric Journey, Threesomes 101, and Love Bondage.
This super grand Adult Convention happens only once a year and it’s well worth the wait and this is why this convention pulls in over 45,000 customers in 3 days and has over 300 exhibitors displaying the latest lingerie, clubwear, jewelry, shoes, books, cosmetics, toys, lotions, potions, and DVDs. So, if you are interested in attending this event as an exhibitor for the Erotica LA 2008 convention in June, please visit erotica-LA.com or contact Bonnie Shapiro at (818) 718-5788 x103 or via email at bonnie@erotica-LA.com .
Well, Renaud I’m glad this finally made it’s way to you and I’m thankful you took interest in reading it. Renaud, as you will remember walking up to me when I got to your convention and telling me to make sure I give you a very good write up, I want you to know I sure did! I really enjoyed writing this review on your event and if you ask me, I think I really did and good job and I hope you like it as much as I do. I think I did a great job in not using curse words, that was really the hard part!
Oh yea, and the next time you wanna call yourself raising your voice at one of 1DOWN Representatives for giving out a 1DOWN business card as we were leaving, I’m sure you will think twice, because that was a big mistake you made by stepping on me and is something I guarantee you will wish you never did.
Sorry if I scared you when I said “fuck you, you slimy two-faced piece of shit” to your face, but it was the only thing that came to mind when you got in my face being rude. Being that you referred to me as a “big guy with muscles”, I feel kinda bad because my mom always told me don’t pick on people smaller than me. I got a good way of writing and I want to say thank you for helping bring out my best! No need to use my muscles when I’ve got a bigger brain.
I must say, I always take photos at the events I cover and I also do a review write up, but I must say, this is the longest review I’ve ever written and oddly I didn’t take any photos because I didn’t see anything that caught my attention. Luckily one of my staff photographers did get a picture of what he saw as the sexiest models at Adultcon. [BBWs Elizabeth Rollings and Tyung Lee] So rest assured Renaud, this review is complete with a couple of models from your event.
So, in closing I would like to say I give Adultcon 2 thumbs Down and never will I attend this event as a customer! I strongly encourage you to please log on to my 1DOWN Blog at goldie1down.blogspot.com and look for this article titled “Adultcon a waste of money” and please leave your honest comment. You’re feed back is needed. I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s always wanted to say something about Renaud West and his events. The Blog is wide open, and you can be anonymous!
To those representing the Adult Entertainment Industry with Class, keep doing what you’re doing and bring your best, because you represent me and I represent you!
Thank you for your support.
Respectfully,
Goldie DeWitt
“The King of Strip Clubs”
