Lesson #06 Convention Marketing
Written By Titmowse

Fun and camaraderie is served in abundance at adult webmaster conventions. Being an adult webmaster is hard work. Most times we don’t physically see the people we deal with because of the nature of our business. We connect with each other through email, instant messaging, phone calls and chat. Putting faces to names and getting the opportunity to chill out are the much-deserved benefits to attending a porn professional gathering.

Maybe meeting, greeting and partying is all you want from the money you spend to attend. Then again, it’s entirely possible to have great fun, good company and still find the time to do a little promotion and selling. What could be more enjoyable than coming back from an adult webmaster convention with fond memories plus extra money or a great business contract?

If you are going to an adult webmaster convention, take more than just your toothbrush and a change of underwear. Take the elements of your enterprise. Whether you are a paysite owner, site designer, content producer or a humble gallery builder bringing something that speaks of your offerings should be packed in your luggage.

The bigger conventions are naturally going to have a showroom floor. There will be booths and display areas where representatives of our industry hawk their wares. Just because these folks have paid to represent doesn’t mean you are forbidden to promote your interests. Smaller gatherings are most likely sponsored by particular adult companies but that doesn’t mean you’re not welcome to show off your goodies.

The graphic designer will want to bring a portfolio. The programmer will want to bring copies of their software. The content producer will want to bag up some CDs of their imagery. Everyone, even the free site builder should include some business cards with site URLs and email addresses imprinted on them.

If you plan on physically selling anything, don’t forget to take along appropriate contracts, licenses and some way to provide purchasers with a receipt. If you are making sales for future work to be done you’ll need to furnish your client with an invoice. Since bringing along a credit card processing machine is terribly inconvenient, the best way to receive payment would be by check.

If you have a concept more involved than the simple provision of service or goods, you don’t necessarily have to rent a booth to show off your vision. Invite a potential client to dinner on your dime. Throw a small party in your hotel room. Heck, you could even set up a slide show for your guests that illustrate your ideas. Some chips dips and a couple of cases of beer might take you farther than a fancy rented display would.

Whatever you do, do something. Don’t forget to have fun but also don’t forget the business potential of adult webmaster conventions and gatherings. Face to face contact is always more productive than the impersonality of technological communication. You want to have a blast but fun is fleeting. Commerce is forever.