With the goal of keeping the event simple, event organizer Brian Gray, head of research of Love Bytes Research, said the venue is the same as the inaugural London Gathering, which was held Feb. 2.
“Everything is now confirmed for the London Spring Gathering, the second get-together of us XBIZ-ers based in Dear Old 'Blighty, and surrounding countries,” Gray said. “The premise is simple: we meet, we talk, we enjoy ourselves and the company.
”The event is specifically for people involved professionally in the adult industry, in whatever capacity, so hopefully there will be a wide variety of professions represented. Whilst performers may attend — and are most welcome to do so — this event is not a 'meet and greet' opportunity for fans to attend. The prime purpose of the evening is for those in the industry to meet one another and network accordingly.”
Whilst the first event was a relatively quickly conceived affair, post-event feedback was more than favorable, providing ample encouragement for subsequent get-togethers, Gray said.
One of the attendees was Daniela Ganick, senior account manager at iTelebill, who said, "The first meet was a great opportunity to touch base with existing contacts and to make new ones. There are a large number of adult webmasters here in the U.K. and the XBIZ meets represent a great opportunity for everyone to gather and share ideas as well as generate new business while at the same time enjoying a great night out."
Although nearly all of the attendees were London-based, the prospect of making new contacts within the industry did however attract industry professionals from outside the capital, and in one case from another country, Gray said. Andreas Bischoff, CEO of The Barcelona Summit, made the decision to fly over specifically for the event.
" I really enjoyed the event. Flying all the way out from Barcelona to London for the very first meeting was a little bit risky, but it definitely paid off. I made a good number of new contacts there, which probably also is one reasons why the number of U.K. participants this year at The Barcelona Summit increased from 2009. I'm sure people have been speaking positively about the last London Gathering, and because of that I am convinced a lot more people will show up for the April event."
He added, "It was the first time in many years that someone managed to organise something in the U.K., which made me curious. I believe a major European market like the U.K. definitely deserves its own events for locals to discuss the state of the British, European and International adult online industry."
Gray said he is open-minded about subsequent events being organized, and their frequency.
"It really does boil down to those in the industry. They're the ones who decide if it's beneficial, and in doing so, spread the word to their colleagues and peers in the industry. If there's sufficient demand for get-togethers, and attendees recognize the value of coming along, then there's plenty of scope for the events to continue - and flourish.
"The first event drew around fifteen to twenty people - not bad for an initial event in which to be honest, didn't receive much advance notice. It was akin to a 'proof of concept' - seeing whether the idea per se would sink or swim. It quickly became apparent that people were keen to meet; even those who couldn't make the initial meeting voiced their approval and enthusiasm for subsequent get-togethers. "This time around there's been much more advance notice - I had initially suggested April's date on the XBIZ.net discussion boards at the beginning of March. Based on postings from the discussion thread alone, it looks likely that attendee numbers will increase."
Adult industry professionals can register their interest to attend the London Spring Gathering on a discussion thread only accessible by XBIZ.net members.
