I'll be attending the AEE and AVN awards in January for the first time and was looking for some advice from people who have been before. Firstly i've bought my tickets and downloaded them to my iPhone,do i need to print them or will they scan the barcode on my phone? How much money am i going to need?do the girls sign pictures/posters and how much will they cost? Also will i be able to take pictures? Are there likely to be long queues for the big studios? I'll be in Vegas for a week as i'm flying in from London,anyone recommend any things i should experience while i'm there as this might be a one time experience for me as it's an expensive trip.
You are in for a treat! More details per https://forum.adultdvdtalk.com/whos-signing-at-aee-2013 Responses from a fellow UK guy, going to 4th AEE in a row: 1) Not sure if they scan codes from phones - I normally just pay on the door. Some people take along printed receipts for pre-purchase and seem to get in ok; I just can't answer 100% sure on the phone-scan point. Perhaps print out just in case (unless someone else can confirm from experience?). 2) Money - it's worth having a decent supply of cash in Vegas generally! You can spend a lot very quickly, if so inclined. Only recently (ie last year) did I notice charging at AEE, eg stars selling DVDs/posters etc. The "big studios" (eg Elegant Angel, Jules Jordan, DP etc) don't charge for signing/pics etc, but some models who've pitched up of their own accord seemed to be charging last year (eg $5/$10 for a pic/sign), which I suppose is fair enough if they've put their own money down for it. They will sign stuff you bring along (eg DVD covers), but most people tend to get 8x10s signed that the stars/studios provide. You probably won't need a huge amount for AEE itself, but if you are going to the parties/clubs, gambling, drinking etc, take plenty and take a credit card too!!! 3) Yes, you can take pictures. Just don't be one of the (thankfully rare) douchbags who doesn't consider everyone else trying to take pics at the same time. The stars will pose for both solo pics and get their pics taken with you. Generally, if you are on your own, a helpful fan will take a pic as you pose with a star - it's polite to return the favour if they are on their own, too. 4) Some queues get long, especially for the biggest names on the Saturday (busiest day). My tip is try to meet the bigger stars on the Thurs/Fri if they are signing then, and then focus on the less "headline" stars at the peak hours. For example, if Jesse Jane is on a DP stand, expect a long queue. If it's one or two of the other DP babes, it won't be quite so manic (relatively speaking). Some large queues move quickly (eg if the star isn't very talktative, for whatever reason), other shorter queues can drag a little (if the star is in a chatty mood!). Try not to get too angry when dudes with cameras/mics jump to the front for an interview, then hold up the queue for a while...shit happens. But, being Brits, we love queues. But not quite as much as breasts.... 5) General Vegas tips: if money is tight, you can get perfectly fine accommodation for a week in vegas for about £150 (eg stratosphere, excalibur etc). These are older hotels, not the top end and maybe not ideally placed on the strip, but still fine. Or you can get realtively "mega luxury" for a fraction of what you'd pay for equivalent facilities in, say, London. For example, as of last week, you could get Vdara (newer 5* hotel in the middle of the strip for 4 nights for £260 as a hotwire "secret" hotel - that's a great deal!). Other tips include: you'll be reasonably near the Grand Canyon (you can do a longer bus trip or a flight from vegas), Hoover Dam, Downtown/Freemont Street (a short bus ride away, North of the Strip). There are also plenty of shows, ranging from international music stars, to commedians, variety, musicals/shows and Penn&Teller etc). Also, hire a car and Los Angeles and San Francisco etc could be within what you may or may not judge as a reasonable drive away (both are factored into my plans). That's just my initial brain-dump above. Let me know if you have any other queries and I'll do my best to help. ukmg
PS - Heard rumours/not seen any confirmation that Manwin/DP will have a stand this year (shocking if so, given they own/utilise about 94.5% of all porn ever produced!). Accordingly, please take my example above of Jesse Jane/DP queues as an example of past precedent, not necessarily what to expect this year... ukmg
Thanks for the info,i already have the hotel booked,booked it with my flight,the Flamingo,not to far from hard rock looking at a map,so i only have spending money to sort out. Good to know that i can get dvd covers signed,might take some superstar september covers for the EA girls to sign. Do you go to the awards on the Saturday?I can't find a start time anywhere and how long does it go on for?
Flamingo is fine. Decent placed mid-strip; one of the older hotels (relatively speaking!) but certainly comfortable and clean. I haven't been to the awards before - at $300/ticket and given I heard it dragged on a bit, you were kept well away from talent and the production value is somewhat questionable, I've always avoided it. No idea re start times, sorry. But I hear it goes on for hours..... ukmg
Well, if you go I hope you enjoy it. As I say, I've heard mixed reviews but hopefully the 2013 awards will be good. You'll love AEE expo, I'm almost certain. Perhaps it's a bit weird at first and there is such a high density of pornstars in such a small area, but once you adjust it's be a porn fan's dream. Cheers, ukmg
Just another bare bum in the shiower 1739 Posts 12/04
Posted - Dec 1 2012 : 1:46AM
I don't think the AVN awards are worth the $300 ticket. As a one-off experience I would recommend it, but I got over it years ago. The red carpet goes on for ages and the show always starts about an hour late. If they have a good comedian hosting it and a half-way decent musical act it can be tolerated, but otherwise it is pretty much just another boring awards show. I think the fact that Showtime televises it has watered it down considerably, so there is no hardcore sex clips shown and the jokes are not as crude as they could/should be. The lines to get in to the AEE last year were ridiculous, so I would get there early. It is unfortunately impossible to see every girl at the show because some will often appear at stands for a brief time - like an hour on one day. So prioritize who you want to see. I have stood in lines for up to two hours to see the more popular stars, so consider whether it is worth your while to spend two hours in a line to see Jesse Jane when you could have seen half a dozen lesser known girls in that time. As for things to do in Vegas. Check out the Bellagio buffet, the new bars that have recently opened up downtown on Fremont Street, go to as many casinos as you can to look around, see the Absynthe burlesque/acrobatic show at Caesar's, see the topless show Fantasy at Luxor (or Bite at the Plaza if you are a Twilight fan, lol), go ice-skating either outdoors at the Venetian or on the roof of the Cosmopolitan, see at least one Cirque de Soleil show (Love at Mirage is probably the best if you like The Beatles), look around the shops at Caesar's and at the Miracle Mile at Planet Hollywood or the outlet malls a few miles off strip, be part of a test audience for new tv shows at MGM, go to the Grand Canyon (I went on the Pink Jeep Tours SUV tour and can recommend it), check out Hoover Dam, go to a gun shop and shoot machine guns and desert eagle handguns, check out the amazingly beautiful girls at strip clubs like Spearmint Rhino or Sapphire, go to some of the bars off the strip and see how cheaply you can get drunk, go to at least one mega-nightclub (I recommend Marquee at the Cosmopolitan or XS or Tryst at Wynn/Encore, check out the strange people at the Double Down Saloon dive bar which is only about 100m from the Hard Rock, pick up a MILF at Carnaval Court, check out the Vegas version of Porn Star Karaoke (which moves around but I think is usually at the Rio), walk the strip totally buzzed one night and check out all the free shows like the Bellagio fountain show, the Mirage volcano and the TI pirate show, spoil yourself one night and go to one of the celebrity chef restaurants, sleep during the day and experience as much of Vegas at night as possible, have a deep-fried twinkie at Mermaids downtown before they stop making them, drink a margharita/pina colada/long Island Iced Tea whilst walking the Strip out of a big-ass football or a guitar shaped cup, start up random conversations with friendly Americans everywhere (they will love your accent - that storyline in Love, Actually is not far from the truth, lol), if you are game check out one of the notorious swinger clubs like the Red Rooster, Green Door or Power Exchange (they usually have special events hosted by porn stars during AEE so it is not as creepy to visit them as a guy on your own as it normally would be:)), but mainly just take the time to wander around and don't lock yourself into a strictly regimented timetable. Have fun!
Wow that's alot of things to do,thanks,i'm just curious about taking ages to get into the expo,i bought the ultimate vip package will the queue be smaller because you can get in an hour earlier?
If you want to take in a big show like Cirque Du Sole go to one of the discount ticket stores along the strip like Tickets 4 Tonight or Tickets Tonight. Go as early as you can to see what shows they're selling. They will issue you a voucher for the show you select and then you redeem it at the box office of the show you've selected. A couple of years ago my friend and I bought tickets for Phantom of the Opera and a Cirque show. We went to the box office about noon the days of the shows. We got first and second row seats for about $95 for $150 retail seats. And I've een a couple of great Beatles tribute bands for about $30. If it's in your budget I recommend the buffet at the Wynn. It's about $50 (which is a lot for a buffet) but the quality of the food justifies it. Most of the girls are good about signing and are more cooperative about signing stuff you bring if you buy something like a dvd from them. And if you have a particular favorite or a few favorites bringing a gift wouldn't hurt. It doesn't have to be expensive. They'll appreciate the fact that you thought of them. I didn't have to pay any signing fees last year but I did give away a lot of stuff to my favorite girls. Kristina Rose was very excited about what I gave her last year so if you are going to give any gifts be creative and try to bring something unique. I got lucky twice last year in the Digital Playground line. When I got in line Jesse Jane wasn't there and by the time I made it to the front she suddenly appeared so I got some autographs from her without having to wait two hours. Try to meet as many girls as you can. Some of next year's first timers could become the superstars of tomorrow. If one of my favorites has an hour or longer line I'll just keep moving to see as many girls as I can and check back later. Unless you already have one get a small camera you can fit in your pocket for picture taking at the awards show, They don't allow professional cameras unless you have press credentials.
Anybody want to say whether it's worth staying at the Hard Rock? In past years when I attended, it was at the Venetian. That was a fun place to stay, and it was always convenient to wander over to the Circle Bar, where something show-related was always going on. But I hear the Hard Rock isn't a very nice place to stay and that there is nothing in the Hard Rock that equates to the old Circle Bar anyway. Comments?
Just another bare bum in the shiower 1739 Posts 12/04
Posted - Dec 10 2012 : 9:26PM
Hard Rock is only about $90 a night for most of the show, so you might as well stay there. Cheaper options are the Comfort Inn across the road or Terribles Casino a block up Paradise. There are three 'circle bars' at the HRH - one at the front door, a useless one in the middle with crappy service, and one out the back in the new section near the parking garage. All three bars will have a good representation of industry folk, but it was the rear one that really got hopping on a couple of nights and was almost like the Venetian Circle Bar of old.
Try to pay with small bills ($20 or smaller) and agree on how much you're going to be paying when doing business inside the show. A couple of shows back I had a few photos I wanted signed by a not currently hot star. She said if I bought a dvd for $20 and gave her one of the photos she'd sign them. After she signed I gave the lady working the table a $50 bill and the "star" told her not to give me any change because she'd signed the photos and bolted out of there. Her employee sat there with her mouth open and since she had a security goon standing there I decided not to complain and possibly get thrown out of the show. Most of the girls are fan friendly but there's always a chance you'll run into a bad one like I did. You will have a good time but be aware of where your stuff is at all times. I try to take my pictures first and then get my stuff signed. I have had some instances where I get some things signed, set them on the table and have some asshole try to grab my stuff while I'm taking a picture. Also take some extra sd cards and spare batteries. That way you won't have to lose time away from the show trying to find a place that sells them because you ran out.
Thanks for this thread. This year will be my first AEE. I have a press pass so it'll be a different experience than just "going" (working sucks), but it's still good to get a handle on things.
Just another bare bum in the shiower 1739 Posts 12/04
Posted - Jan 8 2013 : 4:13AM
Party, party, party! The official AEE party schedule is announced by AVN: Now these are mostly going to be sausage fests where you won't get within 100 feet of a porn star, but some could be fun. Look out for other related parties around town. Most strip clubs will have porn star hosts that week. I note that the Bellagio is having some exclusive swingers' party where porn stars are supposed to be in attendance. It is frustrating, but it is the Vegas way to only advertise special events a day or two before they occur - they even do this for New Year's Eve functions ...
if only I could count on every bartender and stripper to vote. I have friends in low places.
