by Helena Settimana
(12/19/01)
For the second year, the Everything to Do With Sex show returned to
the Automotive Building at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds,
in Toronto. This Saturday, I spent some time roaming the show -- part
trade love-in, part retail extravaganza. I had gone last year, and
returned to see what was new.
The brainchild of Zeev Landesberg, president of Free Land
Marketing, Inc., the show is similar in concept to the Erotica
sex-trade-shows of the U.S. -- featuring a broad cross-section of
retailers, service providers, and educators working in the sex,
sexuality, and adult-entertainment industries. Landesberg is
bringing the event to Edmonton (January 31-February 3, 2002),
Calgary (February 10), and Vancouver, next April.
The public show remains dominated by commercial sponsors like Pizza
Pizza and large toy, lingerie, and video retailers, with smaller
Internet companies and more personal, home-grown retailers making up
the bulk of what remained. Travel agents, "Lifestyle" (newspeak for
"swingers") clubs, spa and sauna manufacturers, interior design, and
unique arts were also represented. Several exhibitors participated in
ongoing fashion shows and others facilitated a series of workshops,
presented every day.
There seemed to be more exhibitors this year and exponentially more
visitors to the show. Crowds of bodies made for extraordinary heat,
even in such a large, airy space. Persons with claustrophobia beware
-- the public turnout was huge. Standing still for a moment felt like the
crowds would sweep me away (I had visions of the premiere riot in
Nathaniel West's Day of the Locust), if I wasn't safely in
the confines of an exhibitor's booth.
There was an absence of sleaze for the most part (see Panty
Auction, later in this article) -- little in the way of nudity and
overt sexual activity (like videos running on-screen) -- and most
exhibitors limited the in-your-face display of their wares to the
interior confines of their booths. Not comfy with toys? Walk
on. Still, there is a tacky-factor at work in the sex industry that
seems unavoidable, and certainly showed its beet-red face here --
which is probably why I usually avoid retailers selling fantasy
lingerie, gag toys, black lights, and cheap, toxic, dils. I live in
hope of quality erotic toy and hardware shops which, fortunately,
also found representation here.
The best of the show, in my opinion, were the smaller exhibitors
with good customer service and public relations, interested and
informative staff, and quality books and gear. Toronto's Good For Her and
Come As You
Are remain the best that this city has to offer. Both retailers
offer quality goods and service, but they don't do clothing -- just
books, toys, lube, and some harnesses, floggers and paddles. Both
shops also offer excellent workshops. Get your hardware and
information there, but look elsewhere for your frilly nothings. One
exhibitor, Oysterboy, offered freshly shucked oysters on the half
shell for $8.00 CDN for half a dozen. Good price and yummy! Triesco Inc. offers
an excellent lube: it doesn't get tacky or stringy, stays slippery
for ages, and isn't horrible tasting, either. Jewellery
designer, Donna Polichuk makes excellent Celtic/Goth-flavoured
pieces, reasonably priced. Unfortunately, neither of these
exhibitors had an advertised web presence -- it's hard to plug
them further without one. I found the URL for Triesco myself, and
thought enough of the product to bother to look it up and pass it
on. The makers of Lusty Linen had a well-placed booth wherein they
displayed their wares: custom-made natural fiber bedding decorated
with amorous line-drawings on a variety of themes -- straight,
lesbian, gay, and Kama-Sutra inspired images (my favourite) in
muted earth tones. Lovely. These sheets are showing up all over
Toronto.
I spoke with the editor of Whiplash magazine Whiplash is Canada's one and only
fetish/BDSM publication with any gloss. Silly me didn't pick up a hard
copy -- I was a bit irritated by the ed's penchant for looking over my
shoulder while I tried to chat her up about a project I've got
going (there just had to be someone more important among the throng
milling aimlessly behind me). I moved on and out of the building
before realizing my folly. Actually, I found that was a common
thing at this show -- most exhibitors didn't care, really, about
putting their best foot forward and responding professionally -- at
least they didn't seem to when the visitor was a slightly pudgy
woman of middle age.
This seems to me a peculiar thing in this industry, which, while
catering to the fantasies of a largely male clientele, increasingly
admits women as market targets and entrepreneurs. There's an
abundance of gorgeous people at these shows, but the majority are like
me -- neither this nor that.
One place you don't get the cold shoulder is with the Lifestyle
clubs. They may sound exotic, but they are populated by the most
ordinary of folks and the representatives seem to be friendly and
chatty. They had some representation, most notably from Club Xtabi,
but two of the biggest in this area, Club Prive and Club
Pulsations, were conspicuous by their absence. Talking to a club
representative with lines as deep as the grand canyon in her face was
reassuring -- there's a chance for us old farts to have fun after all.
Sex-tour promoters like Montreal's Adults Only Travel pitched escapes like the Hedonism Clubs in Jamaica -- sounds exotic (and it
is) -- but, as with the Lifestyle clubs, expect most of the players
to be ordinary folks just like you, doing extraordinarily wicked
things in paradise.
What was the worst of the show? I'd say Panty Auction, a
"specialist" in used panties and one of a handful of tacky, tacky,
tacky exhibitors that did make it through the door. Chaqu'un a son
gout...It is not my gout.
Further along the down-side there seemed to be fewer freebies for
visitors this year. Last year I left with a bag of lube and condom
samples -- I mean, a satchel! Exhibitors traded their smaller wares
freely with other exhibitors, but the public seemed left out of the
loop. This year I went home with a solitary Trojan that came with
my $15 admission. On top of that I paid eleven bucks to park -- so
it was an expensive outing from which I came away empty-handed. I
was left with the feeling that the show was a great chance for
businesses to network and for the curious and uninitiated to be
exposed to new ideas, opportunities, and products, but as one who
remains a bit jaded in the face of all this, I say they've got
to do more to woo the public from just rubbernecking to buying. And
they'd better look a potential customer (or 'zine contributor)
in the eyes. I mean it.
