Exhibition preview
June 24th and 25th will once again see many of the adult industry’s leading suppliers setting up shop in the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, for the UK’s only dedicated trade event, the ETO Show...
Despite adult lifestyle expo Erotica dropping its trade section some years ago, it remained a hugely important event for many industry professionals. Since its 1997 inception, Erotica has always been a focal point for the UK adult retail community but last month’s announcement - of the cancellation of 2012’s event - has left the ETO Show as the UK’s only real networking opportunity for the trade this year. This alone would be enough to make the 2012 ETO Show a must-attend for anyone involved in the sale of adult products in the UK - but it always was anyway, right back to when it made its debut, and that was no accident.
By 2005 the industry was demanding a dedicated trade-only event, where retail buyers could talk business without battling through hordes of rubber- kneckers gawking at barely clad models. The industry wanted this event to be located somewhere central, easily accessible from all areas of the UK by car, train or plane, and it asked for trade buyers to be given free entry. Furthermore, as so many industry professionals would be gathered together in one place at one time, the trade needed a social event, where suppliers could engage with their customers and peers in a less formal environment.
The first ETO Show delivered on all these counts and it was an immediate success. All the UK’s major names set up shop for the day and were delighted with the response. As for the social event, the ETO Awards Dinner took on a life of its own and the Awards themselves - regarded as among the most prestigious due to the unique democratic voting process - are coveted by leading industry brands from all over the world.
It is also worth emphasising that, if you are
involved in the retailing of adult products, you are a VIP in the eyes of every exhibitor.
The subsequent passage of time has inevitably resulted in changes in the exhibitor line up but all the UK’s current major names still actively support the event, along with dozens of specialist suppliers and leading firms from overseas. And as the industry’s focus has become more mainstream since 2005, so too has the Show’s. Now it too has scantily clad models, on the fashion lingerie catwalk, but their purpose is solely to showcase the latest lingerie and costume designs of exhibitors.
It could be argued that, for anyone involved in the sale of adult products, it is absolutely vital to attend the ETO Show this year. The economic recession, which
31
Erotic Trade Only June 2012
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76