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Old 07-02-2011   #3
Hell Puppy
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 6,523
Default Re: YNOT SUMMIT - San Francisco, pictures from F.U.B.A.R.

We're at or past the end of the "easy money" phase of adult internet. There's consolidation. There's definitely a reduction in number of participants. The days of anyone in a dorm with maybe 20 hours of spare time being able to make enough money to buy beer, a used BMW and splurge for a few shows a year to go party on sponsor's dimes are gone.

Those left standing generally fall into two camps. They're either already doing well and know exactly what they're doing. Or they're circling the bowl and looking for that "next big thing" that they can grasp onto to keep from having to work hard or bail completely and go get a real job.

As for shows, I used to approach them the same way every time. I'd have what I'll describe as a shopping list in my pocket. I might be looking for services, software, sponsors, content or even partners. I could go explore all of that in one day, get contact info to follow up on when I get home and can research it further with a clear head. The rest of the time would be hanging out with folks, maybe a party or two and ideally mixing some business with pleasure and doing some touristy stuff even if just having a few good meals.

Over the years, things have shrunk. If I'm pissed at one of my hosting companies, I know who my alternatives are and everything about 'em. I can count the viable ones for adult on one hand. That's true of just about anything you can name in the industry. That means the shows don't offer me a lot in terms of real ROI, so I started picking venues where I could maximize the "play" part of business and play. This is why I like Vegas shows. Even if I only do 5 minutes of business, I'll have a great time and just write the whole trip off as a business expense anyway.
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