I've heard about AEE for several years (usually in conjunction with the Consumer Electronics Show, which is held in the same convention center), but aside from being 'a big show run by the porn industry', I knew very little about it and had no idea what to expect.

I'll start by saying AEE was nothing like what I expected…

First and foremost, if you ignore the printed banners, DVD samples, and LCD displays beaming porn at you from every angle, AEE feels bizarrely PG13 rated. Sure, the stars were wearing skimpy clothing and many could be found in 'adult situations', but aside from one girl's partially exposed nipple, sexuality was implied, not explicit.

AbbyWinters.com's Australian Girls performed erotic Yoga, Pink Visual's girls played adult Twister, Zane hung from hooks in his back, a fully clothed woman was tied up with rope, Blast Bro's played a variant of "ring toss" using dildos, and a number of girls from Vegas' local bordellos pole danced wearing pasties -- all of which are certainly adult focused, but at the same time remarkably restrained compared to the material they were selling.



I guess I was just expecting a more crass, less sophisticated presentation.

Another strange thing is how the show feels both huge and small at the same time. G hall at the Sands Expo center is probably large enough to hold a 747 jumbo jet and the movie studios, websites, and manufactures packed the hall with their wears. At the same time, AEE only takes up the one hall and mega-institutions like Playboy magazine occupy booths that are smaller than those Robot Martini used at Origins.

Many of the larger booths seemed more like pedestals. Their center areas were usually cordoned off to the public for what appeared to be meeting space or lounge space. Since people were rarely in these spaces, it made the large booths feel very empty.

I also didn't notice any retailers with mobile stores on the trade floor. That's not entirely a bad thing, but the lack of booths selling back issues (or even up to date hits) made me noticed their absence. It just didn't feel right to see previews of Pirates 2, but not have anywhere at the Expo to buy a copy of Pirates 1.



Those issues aside, once you got used to the sensory overload it was pretty interesting. Almost every booth had schwag -- from DVDs, photos, and posters to knit hats and shirts -- and stars on hand to sign them for you.

It was also possible to met directors. I was very happy to finally meet Vivid Alt creator Eon McKai, who's entrepreneurial efforts inspired some of our early Robot Martini development. (In classic Baltimore fashion, I learned that he makes regular trips to the city, and that the actress signing at his booth is from Towson)

All things considered, I would go again. The Expo is relatively inexpensive actually. round trip air fair from the east coast, a two day fan ticket to the expo, and three nights at a nice casino will cost you less than $600 if you buy everything in advance. If you split a room with friends and only go to one of the fan-access days of the show, you could get pretty close to $400... though gambling, food, and Vegas' other pleasures will definitely kick the price back up again.

more to come...