The unofficial start of the show took place Wednesday night as early-arriving attendees enjoyed the traditional invitation-only dinner held by Epoch and a sponsors dinner held by CCBill. Both were well-attended affairs that helped set the tone for the show: a convergence of high-level players from the gay adult community for business and pleasure.
Thursday saw the arrival of the remainder of attendees, most of whom were staying at the host venue, the Central Phoenix Inn and Suites, with the rest staying at other hotels and resorts close by. The highlights of the day included a welcome barbecue, sponsored by CCBill, DRMNetworks, CCBill EU and CaveCreek Web Hosting, an Epoch get-together at the Wyndham Hotel and, of course, the Cybersocket Awards.
Cybersocket tried something different this year by inviting consumers to the event. According to Cybersocket President Morgan Sommer, CCBill and the host venue, Amsterdam, spent a lot of time and money publicizing the awards locally, and it paid off. The place was packed to the rafters and so crowded during the awards ceremony that movement was all but impossible.
Chi Chi laRue was the hostess extraordinaire, rattling off the nominees and winners like a machine gun, often looking for a zinger to shoot at an audience member or winner.
Among others, XBIZ was the winner of the Best Magazine category. XBIZ President Alec Helmy accepted the award, expressing his appreciation for the award and offering kudos to the XBIZ editorial staff.
"We're all thrilled about XBIZ World being awarded Magazine of the Year,” Helmy said later. “Thanks to Morgan and Tim of Cybersocket for putting on such a fantastic event."
He added, "Because of its focus on the gay market, this [Gay Phoenix Forum] show offers a unique networking opportunity. The attendance has been very impressive and everyone I have spoken with is really enjoying the show."
The show picks up today with a full slate of seminars, networking events and parties.