MIAMI — Last week, XBIZ Retreat brought together an assortment of established and up-and-coming vendors offering products ranging from vibrators and masturbators to lingerie and DVDs, along with international retailers and distributors for the latest edition of the exclusive B2B event.
Held twice a year, the XBIZ Retreat features a packed, all-inclusive itinerary anchored by private one-on-one meetings between buyers and vendors, along with opportunities for networking over daily meals and special events.
The latest edition of the XBIZ Retreat, which drew up to 100 company executives and buyers, took attendees to the event’s original venue, a resort hotel overlooking the ocean in Sunny Isles, Fla. Returning participants, which included Devil’s Film, Mile High Media, Maia Toys and Carrashields, among many others, said they felt at home at the venue, finding familiar faces among the hotel’s staff and enjoying the location’s exclusivity.
By relocating to its own dedicated venue, the latest XBIZ Retreat Miami offered attendees their own piece of paradise, situated away from the hustle and bustle of South Beach. Nevertheless, XBIZ Retreat attendees did not miss out on Miami’s nightlife with many of the evening’s dinners taking place throughout the city’s hotspots.
From Italian food at the outdoor Azzurro Italian Restaurant and Bar to breaking plates at Cleo Restaurant in celebration of the XBIZ Retreat, the event provided as much fun and excitement as it did business and productivity.
During last week’s XBIZ Retreat, attendees also gained access to the Miami Vice White Party, which was the grand finale of digital media event XBIZ Miami. The elegant affair saw XBIZ Retreat attendees in their finest white attire as they converged with digital media crowd at the nearby SLS Hotel’s exclusive Hyde Beach pool.
Kicking off with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, each lively evening was followed by daily breakfasts to refuel for morning meetings. Lunch hours provided an opportunity for attendees to gather and prepare for the day’s meetings with some participants opting to conduct business on the scenic beach as a break from the in-suite private one-on-one meetings.
“The Miami XBIZ Retreat remains a standard-setting event that brings together the most diverse group of participants to deliver a dynamic, memorable experience that’s perfect for business,” XBIZ Associate Publisher Sara Ramirez said. “As usual the XBIZ Retreat was filled with fun and excitement and many new connections were made. I’d like to thank all of XBIZ Retreat’s vendors and buyers for participating and empowering our success.”
Participating vendors ranged from established pleasure products brands such as Nasstoys, Paradise Marketing and One Up Innovation, among several others along with newcomers such as My Shiney Hiney, Svakom and Hustler Vapes, among others. International pleasure product brands in attendance included Joydivision and Shots Media, which just launched a U.S. branch. Several DVD companies also participated, including Evil Angel, Girlfriends Films and Lucas Entertainment, among others.
Among the most-talked about vendors was My Shiney Hiney, which created a buzz with its unique — a brush set for “personal hygiene.”
My Shiney Hiney Sales Director Jason Daniello said, “XBIZ Retreat exceeded my expectations. Not only did I make great contacts, I made great friends. We will definitely come back! Thank you.”
Ruben Deitz, who was recently named as the CEO and president of Shots America, attended XBIZ Retreat to launch the U.K. company’s presence in the U.S. He told XBIZ he was excited for the company’s future growth and the opening of state-of-the-art 30,000 square feet facility in Santa Clarita, Calif.
Several participating vendors and buyers of XBIZ Retreat said they were pleased with the latest edition of the XBIZ Retreat.
Mara Epstein of Maia Toys said, “Maia Toys has participated in the XBIZ Retreat since its inception and honestly, the shows just continue to get better. The combination of both business and pleasure is married in a way in which we continue to come together in more ways than one. We strengthen our existing relations and create new ones. Since customers come from all countries, Maia continues to brand throughout the world. The feedback is priceless and helps us to grow in the right direction. Once again, thanks XBIZ for the sun, fun, new friends and old friends!”
Lisa Caffrey from Nasstoys, said, “I must say that the XBIZ Retreat is my favorite of all shows. I feel that the one-on-one meetings in a relaxed atmosphere really make it very comfortable to discuss business with the customers. Although I have only been in the industry for a short time I consider myself very lucky to have the opportunity to attend this show. Mixing business with a tropical atmosphere is a wonderful combination. The XBIZ Retreat experience has made me feel like family.”
Bob Mosca of Jackson Supply Company, “XBIZ does it again! Consistently delivering the best environment for conducting business. The vetting of buyers and vendors for this event assures new ideas and opportunities for producing a profitable business for both sides of the aisle. New trends, new ideas, XBIZ has it first!”
Idweb Limited Drop Ship Manager Claire Bowden said, “The concept from XBIZ works so well being able to have one-on-one time with all the vendors in a calming environment without feeling rushed or struggling to hear.”
Rouge Garments Sales Manager Claire Jacques said, “The show was great for us, we had fantastic meetings with all of the buyers and the full range received amazing response.”
Ana from Pink Secret said, “When I was invited to the show I was very excited because it was my first time at a show with the one-to-one meetings structure. XBIZ was really helpful all the time, the organization was amazing, the place wonderful and the people I met were great! The show exceeded my expectations, I was very happy because I got to meet with people with very nice products that sometimes you don't get to see at the big shows, also I could socialize with people from all over the industry and this for sure will help me grow as a company. I just can say, thank you XBIZ for making this kind of events!”
Danny Scott of Premiere Sales Group, “It was the perfect atmosphere to conduct a large amount of business in a small amount of time.”
Tracy Chellis of Tracy Sales, said “Stellar event! It was wonderful to see cherished old faces as well to meet the new crew. The event had tons of new items to work with. XBIZ is in it to win it #SuperStarSara!”
Kevin Beech of Kbeech.com said, “XBIZ Retreat was great, great new products and new friends. It's a great show to buy DVDs and new toys. See you there next year.”
XR Brands General Manager Randy Alvstad said, “As usual, the Retreat was extremely well-organized and came off like clockwork. We enjoy the format above all others as it allows for much more productive meetings in a reasonably short period of time. Well done!”
?Jeff Hawkins of Carrashield Labs said, “2015 is the third year that Carrashield Labs has been involved in the XBIZ Retreats and the format has given Divine 9 the chance to grow our distribution and educate product decision makers on the benefits of placing Divine 9. We are extremely supportive of these events.”
Krystal Medeiros of Exsens said, “Being a new company, XBIZ Retreat provided the opportunity to speak with buyers without feeling the hustle and bustle of traditional tradeshows.”
Robert of Eros1207 said, “I had a great time with all the new vendors I meet while at the XBIZ Retreat.”
Matty Humps of Lucas Entertainment said, “Lucas Entertainment went back to the Retreat for its second time this year and we were not disappointed. Not only did we get to sit down with our already established distributors, but we also made great sales and were able to connect with new distributors we hadn't met with before and had not even heard of us. I highly recommend this event for companies wanting to meet with some of the industry’s top buyers out there.”
Colin Allerton of Adult Empire said, “The XBIZ Miami Retreat was another solid, well-executed event.”
Kim Maty of Entrenue said, “The XBIZ Retreat in Miami was a great forum to meet new and existing vendors and customers. It allowed me to get some one-on-one time with a lot of folks that I don't usually get to see during the craziness of other tradeshows. Thanks, XBIZ!”
Ron Scall of Magic Silk/Male Power said, “The XBIZ Retreat is a fantastic setting to work with customers and get to know them not only on a business level, but on a personal level. I highly recommend it if you've never attended.”
Glenn LeBoeuf of Nalpac said, “This format makes for the best show experience in the industry. XBIZ always does a great job of finding those manufacturers that can benefit from the personalized meetings. An excellent buying opportunity for me every time!”
Dirk Francois of HUSTLER Vapes said, “This show was fun, energetic and intimate. It was great having several opportunities per day to create, or strengthen relationships. This is the most successful tradeshow we have attended in a while, and we will be back. Thank you for the opportunity to attend such an organized event!”
Brenda Long of Night Dreams Inc. Boutiques said, “I was so thrilled to have been invited to this year's XBIZ Retreat. It was the best organized buying trip I have experienced in all the years I have been in business, which is over 40 years! It was not stressful, and I was the only buyer in the suite for half an?hour. I feel I accomplished more in the five days that I was at XBIZ than any other show I have attended over the years. There were so many new vendors that I hadn't seen before and the new items that are available have me so excited. The changes in this industry have been amazing over the years and I am amazed at the advanced technologies that I saw at the show. All the vendors and attendees were so kind and friendly and I made some really good contacts.”
