As a person not working in the adult industry, I sometimes hear about the conventions, either AVN or one of the regional exxxoticas. I never quite make it there, but I've always been curious, I just don't really have an idea of what to expect.
So if you've been to one of these conventions, I'm wondering how you liked it. What brought you there, was it about meeting a star in person like comicon or something? I also kinda wonder how much of it is meant for fans vs people in industry.
I enjoyed reading this account of the expo: https://thegentlemanracer.com/2020/01/inside-avn-expo/ I was particularly surprised by him stating that it was not as large an expo as he expected?
I've been to a number of conventions for work where it's people trying to network, or hire or get a feel for what's new in industry. I've been to a few Pax video game conventions where there's a lot of demos and swag, or games to play. I've also been to a couple comic/anime conventions where it's a little more about panels, merch and cosplay. I see some sites I recognize having a presence there, are they just posted up in a booth handing out stickers and showing trailers or something?
I've been to a few porn expos/conventions including Exxxotica twice and AVN once.
I've been to: - Exxxotica Chicago 2024 (my first Exxxotica) - Exxxotica Edison NJ 2024 - AVN Expo 2026 (my first AVN)
So far, I've had a good experience at all the porn expos I've gone to and liked it and had fun, apart from the long security lines at Exxxotica Chicago for attendees. I much prefer Exxxotica Edison NJ over Chicago, partially because of the better experience and more performers will go to that.
My main reason for going was to meet some of my favourite performers from over the years, especially as a long-time porn fan/watcher. And also to show my appreciation to these performers by telling them some of my fav scenes of them.
Meeting performers at these conventions are similar to a comic con, they'll be set up at a booth and they usually have items like prints or DVDs to sell and will take photos with you (see below in tips section about pricing).
You'll also have booths for porn companies/sites like Brazzers and JulesJordan both had a booth at AVN, while Wifey.com/Vixen had a booth at Exxxotica. There will also be booths for porn agencies (ATMLA, Spiegler Girls, OC Modeling etc), where performers will have a table with their stuff (photos, DVDs), where you can get stuff signed or chat and take photos with them. And there will be booths for porn companies
Here are some of the main adult/porn conventions where you can meet performers:
Exxxotica, it's an expo that happens at four US cities (this year it's Chicago in April, Minneapolis in June, Edison NJ in October and Miami in December) each year. At Exxxotica you'll get a good mix of newer performers and more well known (i.e Jenna Haze, Lexi Belle, Alexis Texas, Vicki Chase etc) https://www.exxxoticaexpo.com/ Edison, NJ one is the most popular one then Chicago, then Miami
X3, an two-day expo (Friday & Saturday) that happens at Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles that happens in January (usually the 2nd/3rd week) and coincides with the XMAs Awards on the Sunday after the expo, a lot of LA/west coast based performers will attend this show, it's typical the week before AVN Expo. https://x3.show/ I've never personally been to X3 but I heard it's good but have heard that the venue is kind of on the small side and it tough to navigate around and there's a long line to get in (at least for attendees)
AVN Expo that happens in January in Las Vegas that coincides with the AVN Awards (i.e the Oscars of porn), a lot of performers will got to AVN Expo, so there will be a good chance your favourite will be there https://fan.adultentertainmentexpo.com/
If you plan on attending any porn expos as a fan, here are some tips - Bring cash, especially smaller bills (i.e under $50 bills), you should be able to get change from the performer/performer's team or bar/snack stand nearby, not a lot will take digital payments or card, I've brought a couple of hundred dollars just in case - Some performers/stars either charge nothing for selfies or between $5 to $40 (the performers usually decide their own prices) - Merch like prints, DVDs, t-shirts etc can be anywhere from $10 to $50, it all depends on the performer (stuff like toys or used panties will be more) - Look at a performer's socials for signing times - Practise good hygiene (i.e shower, deodorant) - Wear comfortable shoes, there might be some long wait times for performers or waiting in security lines for the conventions - Check bag policies because each event has different rules - Be Patient, Respectful, and Polite - Ask before touching - Always ask before taking a photo of a performer/with a performer - Stay safe and Have fun
I've met the following performers at Exxxotica and AVN
Addis Fouche AJ Applegate Alex Blake Alex Coal Alexis Texas April O'Neil Alexa Chains Ameena Green Amirah Adara Anna Claire Clouds Angel Gostosa Aria Sloane Asteria Jade Ava Amira Beca Barbie Blake Blossom Brenna McKenna Cassie Lenoir Cecelia Taylor Chanel Camryn Cheerleader Kait Charlotte Sins Chloe Amour Cubbi Thompson Danny D Demi Hawks Della Cate Dolly Paige Elly Clutch Ellie Nova Emily Jade Emma Sirus Freya Parker Fiona Frost Gabbie Carter Gal Ritchie GI Joey Gia OhMy Gigi Sweets Girthmasterr Gizelle Blanco Gypsy Rose Hailey Rose Harley Love Hazel Heart Isa Bella Leana Lovings Jasmine Sherni Jenna Haze Kimmy Kimm Kayley Gunner Kenzie Taylor Katie Kinz Kelsey Kane Khloe Kingsley Kyle Mason Lauren Phillips Lexi Belle Lexi Luna Lisa Ann Lana Analise Lexi Lore Lillith Jane Lilly Bell Lily Labeau Lovely Lo Lucy Mochi Lulu Chu Luna Star Kelsi Monroe Manuel Ferrara Maisey Monroe Melody Marks Melanie Marie Misty Addams Molly Little Madison Wilde Maisey Monroe Nala Brooks Nicole Aria Nina White Octavia Red Olivia Madison Ophelia Fae Penelope Woods Remy Lacroix Rharri Rhound Rocky Emerson Roxie Sinner Rissa May River Lynn Ryan Reid Selena Ivy Serena Hill Sawyer Cassidy Scarlette Moon Sera Ryder Serena Hill Sky Wonderland Sky Pierce Spencer Bradley Thea Summers Xxlayna Marie Vicki Chase
Nice, that's a solid list! Good to know the NJ Exxxotica was a better experience, it's way closer to me, I'm generally open for a good excuse to visit Vegas but I hear it's getting a bit more expensive in the past few years. There are a few women I'd be interested in getting a photo with, but I don't think I'd want to spend too much time on that. I mean I don't really collect photos of myself with celebrities generally. It sounds like models will generally be at the agency booths. What do the sites/studios generally have setup at their booths? Are they just showing trailers and hoping to find new subscribers there?
Are there like... raffles or activities?
Skimming over the exhibitor list, I don't recognize all the logos. Did you do a general pass through the exhibitor floor? See anything you found new or surprising?
just curious why do you say more performers will go to exotica nj\ny over chicago? i remember in the days when i used twitter both had very long extremely impressive lists of performers. both places are a hell of a long way from LA where modern industry is based. nyc is no longer the porn mecca it was in the 1970's so i cant imagine its the prestige aspect. i get nyc has a bigger population but chicago area has about 12 million people feeding into it which is massively huge in its own right.
if i were a performer i would 100 percent choose miami over both of those similar cities you mentioned. which may be the case. i think the miami show is very new though with the first coming in the last few years.
I wanted to go to AVN during the 2000's and early to mid 2010's, I hear great things!!
I'v been to: -Exxxotica NJ 2013 and beyond -AVN Expo 2018 and beyond
Exotica NJ was my every first convention I meet a lot of the stars who became big stars!! Like Riley Reid, Angela White, Adriana Chechik, Abella Danger etc. They bring the big stars to Exotica NJ which is the biggest one out of the exotica's.
AVN is the biggest one!! I really enjoy the atmosphere and every female performers I became very friendly and everyone knows my face. I meet my favorites and new performers, I became a fan of theirs.
I enjoyed Exotica NJ because I live on Long Island, NY and it's a 2 hr drive without traffic.
AVN is like a yearly high school reunion because you see everyone for the 4 days.
I'd highly recommend bringing cash to both Exotica NJ and AVN, get a press or fan badge for AVN and Exotica NJ go for two days Friday and Saturday.
I highly recommend do some networking with the performers if you have a fan or official podcast.
Which exhibitor list were you looking at? The Exxxotica one or AVN one?
Models/performers will typically be at agency booths or sometimes at booths for companies/sites (Brazzers, JulesJordan, SexLikeReal, DarkFans etc.). Any booths for sites won't really have any trailers of scenes showing anything explicit, AVN has to abide by certain rules set out by the venue they're in, which in this case is Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
Some booths like SexLikeReal (a VR porn site) had a claw machine, where you can win swag with their logo on it, or giveaways like posters. The Brazzers booth had each performer giving out free signed prints. Some performers might have a raffle or spin the wheel at their booth, where you can pay and get something like free 30 days to their OF etc.
For AVN, I just bought 3 general admission passes (one for Wed, Thurs and Friday), which was $80 USD each/day because I was only attending for 3 days. AVN has a 4 Day VIP pass that gets you in an hour (for example, VIP gets in a 12pm and general at 1pm) earlier than general admission, plus a separate entrance/line and other items like some swag and a ticket to the Official Night Club parties but the general admission line for security goes quick, like 10 mins or so
The first 2 days are the busiest, like bigger crowds inside, the third day/friday is still busy but not as much. The Saturday/4th day is very quiet because a lot of performers will be getting ready for the AVN Awards that night. The hours for the expo are also shorter on Sat.
Nothing I found surprising, it was very similar to Exxxotica, so I knew what to expect but I've heard from a number of performers that AVN is notorious for dress coding performers, like if you don't follow the dress code, they could get kicked out that day.
I'm not entirely sure but just the vibe is better and there's more attendees that come to Exxxotica NJ. I definetly noticed that the NJ had a more fun vibe overall than Chicago, no shade to the Chicago one, it's just that the security lines are atrocious but the security lines at NJ are super efficient since they have multiple people screening attendees and checking tickets
I've just heard the Miami one and the no defunct Washington DC weren't as popular (at least from performers I've spoken to that have been to all of them) but now they have Exxxotica Miami in December (previously in June) and new for this year was Minneapolis in June
I have heard interviews with talent that indicate the attendees spend the most money at the NJ Exxxotica which is why it's the most popular. Talent is there to make money after all. Chicago is #2 on the exxxotica list as far as being profitable for the performers.
AVN is the biggest show you can go to if you want to meet the current crop of performers. It's not CES or San Diego ComicCon size but comparable to a PAX. Attended my first AVN in 2003 as a fan. Didn't know what to expect and wasn't looking to meet anyone in particular. Was thrilled to meet Rocco Siffredi and Belladonna. Picked up porn schwag and signatures and never did anything with them so that was the only year I did that. Met Jenna Haze for the first time and thought she was nice. Which leads to my next point.
Exxxotica is a touring convention which has certain dynamics similar to a wrestling convention. If you never been to one, check out The Wrestler. The performers that sign at Exxxotica tend to be more experienced and more independent. They don't shoot as much with the studios and can escape the major production cities for a week. They spend more time with their fans and get a lot of fans who return. If you attend more than one Exxxotica in a year, you'll see the same performers and it's like a family. They usually stay and socialise near the show. In Minneapolis, I caught up with Jenna Haze smoking outside after-hours. We reminisced about how studio porn was more lucrative for performers until the tubes destroyed that.
Chicago and NJ are comparable in number of performers. I just like Chicago better for how easy it is to get in and out of. Afterhours are also better.
XBIZ events are cool. X3 is a smaller scale than AVN in terms of days and performers. Their other events are not open to the public. They are fun, and that's why performers attend.
European shows are different animals, but their differences are not important for me to go over.
i was hoping you would chime in as you seem super experienced and knowledgeable with conventions. i recognize your screen name from adult industry news websites. i also believe i see your photos and coverage of these conventions on the iafd front page whenever one takes place :)
My experiences and what I look for in a show are completely different from the average fan though. I don't collect things, and I don't go out of my way to interact with strangers even if they are in the industry. Most of the performers I photograph are people that I know, and sometimes it took a couple of meetings before I actually take their photo.
Very nice thread you've started for discussion! You're really lucky to have met so many stars from the industry. I hope I'll get the chance to attend this event one day. I desperately want to meet many of the above stars I admire. I'd also love to meet a few who aren't on this list-Charlie Forde and Violet Starr would definitely be among them.😍 Forget to mention Skylar Snow, Addison Vodka and Kate Dalia😘
Edited by - Danielmayu33216 on 7/22/2026 3:57:20 AM
Charlie is usually at events like AVN, Violet Starr used to when she was started in mainstream porn but she's said on Twitter that these kind of expos just give her too much anxiety
Yeah, maybe I can line up a Vegas trip and get a day pass just to see what's up. I really don't collect autographs or celebrity photos either. I can think of a couple performers that I would make an exception for though.
I haven't been to PAX in like 10 years. I loved the merch/swag scene at pax, but I'm not sure what kind of swag I'd want. Pax would have parties thrown by the game companies that used to be pretty awesome but I don't know if they still go as hard these days.
