BROOKLYN, N.Y. — With throngs of attendees lining up to be first through the door, Sex Expo New York further heated up an already summer-like weekend in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood on Saturday, Sept. 21 by kicking off its annual event dedicated to all things sex.
Sex Expo Master of Ceremonies April Lampert got the crowd hyped as they waited at the entrance of the Brooklyn Expo Center for the official ribbon cutting that signaled the start of the show. Lampert was joined by a representative from Chaturbate, the presenting sponsor of Sex Expo NY, as well as Satisfyer’s Megwyn White, who was representing the event’s diamond sponsor. After a few photos and cheers from the crowd, the doors were officially opened.
With more than 1,000 VIP bags purchased in advance, attendees picked up their goodies at the Pipedream Products-branded registration booth, where general admission attendees also received freebies before even entering the building. Upon entering, attendees immediately dashed toward Sex Expo employees who were giving away more freebies: a copy of the latest issue of Sexual Health magazine and Satisfyer’s new disposable stimulator, One Night Stand.
The first stop for many attendees was the schedule of seminars that was posted at the entrance, allowing attendees to familiarize themselves with the slate of educational workshops that were scheduled all day long and kicked off with a panel discussion featuring the Women of Sex Tech.
“Day one was crazy,” Lampert said as she bounced between Sex Expo’s center stage, where she was hosting contests and giveaways, and her side-by-side booths representing pleasure products brand Hot Octopuss and the Shameless Sex podcast that she co-hosts. “The aisles were so full of people that there was barely room to walk! There were more attendees and more product giveaways this year than ever before. I’ve been coming to the show for the past three years and it is consistently growing. It’s drawing bigger crowds of attendees, and bigger names [such as Stormy Daniels and Karlie Redd]. The experience is really interactive, informative and comfortable.”
Situated right in the front, first-time Sex Expo exhibitor Pipedream Products welcomed a steady stream of future customers, and most visitors to the company’s booth walked away with a purchase. According to Sunny Rodgers, sexologist and brand manager for Pipedream, the booth’s bestsellers were the company’s Her Ultimate Pleasure — an oral sex stimulator — and Sir Richard’s Control Intimate Therapy strokers, which are discreetly shaped like shampoo bottles. Rodgers also hosted a seminar on day one called “15 Types of Orgasms & the Toys Needed to Achieve Them.”
“The session was standing room only,” Rodgers gushed. “It was such an interactive session — we were laughing a lot. It’s our first time doing this show and I admit, it’s a lot bigger than I thought.”
Rock Candy Toys and Bedroom Products also participated at Sex Expo as first-time exhibitors. Casey Murphy, who spearheads marketing for both brands, dressed up her outfit with candy-themed jewelry to match the confection-themed toy line.
“I’m excited to see such a huge, impressive turnout,” she said. “This is the perfect environment for Rock Candy because of the line’s charm, accessibility and affordability. People have come back after buying just to let us know how much they love it. This is a good platform to get that excitement going.”
With managers and representatives from its growing chain of retail stores walking the show floor and manning a booth, Romantic Depot brought its vast array of affordable products to Sex Expo. With retail store shelving, Romantic Depot’s spacious booth was converted into a store.
“We feel that our brand is the most fun in the New York City area,” Romantic Depot owner Glen Buzzetti said. “Not only do we sell high-end toys, but we also have a lot of affordable options and give away a lot of free products.”
The Romantic Depot booth brought its signature wheel of free giveaways that is a staple at each of its store locations.
“We spend about $10,000 a month on free gifts,” Buzzetti said. “We think that it’s important to build loyalty. Our customer service is what makes us stand out.”
At Sex Expo, Romantic Depot store manager Ashley Astudillo said the store wanted to show off its selection and to interact with customers.
“We brought a little bit of everything to show what our in-store selection is like,” Astudillo said. “We have something for everyone.”
Suited up and ready to introduce attendees to Revel Sexual Tea, company founder and CEO Tyre Richards also imparted sex tips to visitors to his booth.
“Squeeze your pelvic muscles, now squint your eyes — you squeezed your kegels harder, didn’t you?” he said. “Men can do it too and it helps to prevent premature ejaculation.”
Sliquid introduced consumers to its newest lube formulations, and several attendees also walked away with purchases of Sliquid T-shirts. Sliquid’s lube educator Michelle Marcus also taught a Lube 101 seminar on day one of Sex Expo.
“There’s always a lot of enthusiasm,” she said. “We’ve seen a lot of repeat foot traffic from last year from both direct consumers and retailers. Sex Expo is always really engaging and full of excitement. I had a great audience for my workshop and the traffic to booth immediately followed.”
Samson Pharmaceuticals brought an assortment of FDA-registered male sex enhancement supplements — most often seen at 7-11 convenience stores — to Sex Expo. Vanessa Medina, sales and marketing representative for Samson Pharmaceuticals, was on hand to introduce couples to the company’s assortment, which includes the Rhino line of pills.
“It’s funny — usually it’s women buying the pills for their husband or boyfriend,” Medina observed about the typical customer.
From bachelorette parties to couples out on dates, Sex Expo’s show floor was a haven for those looking for toys to enjoy with a partner.
LoveRocks showcased a “toy box for lovers” that the company's Heidi Leist said “invites couples to slow down and enjoy intimacy.” The toy box heats up and holds stones that can be used for sensual massages.
“This is our first show so everyone here is among the first to see it,” she said. “The box also plays well with others — it can be used with a lot of the toys that are here at Sex Expo.”
Boris Jairala said he invented his product, Tantric Touch, after he realized how often he was seeking sensory play from his partners. The Tantric Touch sensual massage kit includes feathers, tantric nails that can fit any size finger, and a Kino chain.
“We’ve done better sales in one day than we did the whole weekend at last year’s Sex Expo,” Jairala said regarding the popularity of his product at the show. To ensure that customers get the most out of their purchase, he added, the company provides education. “We have an instructions sheet, FAQ on our site, and videos — anything anyone needs.”
For attendees looking to explore sex in group settings, Hacienda hosts private and public play parties — along with other events such as speed dating and workshops — in sex-positive spaces throughout Brooklyn.
“We wanted to bring a comfortable lounge area for Sex Expo attendees,” said Rene, a Hacienda representative, as he invited attendees to spin a wheel to choose from a selection of sexy activities to do with a fellow attendee — such as “kiss someone,” “lick someone” or “share a fantasy.” The Hacienda booth’s cozy atmosphere included plush seats and furry throws, along with a gigantic teddy bear that attendees cuddled up with.
Throughout the day, Sex Expo’s center stage hosted an array of contests and giveaways for attendees to participate in. Attendees froze and directed their attention to the stage for Oralicious’ Oral Sex Challenge.
Three women showed off their skills on dildos while the DJ played Usher’s “Good Kisser” — which according to Oralicious founder, Tatiana Carerra, is about oral sex. Carerra narrated the action before telling the contestants, “You’re all winners, and I’m really impressed by these skills!” In the end, Erica — who enthusiastically deep-throated a condom-wearing realistic dong while stroking its balls — was declared the winner.
From the stage, Lampert kept the onstage events flowing with clever commentary and jokes throughout the day. Encouraging attendees to check out the vast array of vendors and seminars, Lampert declared to the crowd, “Education is lubrication!” as attendees smiled and gleefully made their way through the show’s packed aisles.
Highlighting Sex Expo’s presenting sponsor, Lampert gave shoutouts to the cam models who were live-streaming right from the show. “These girls are working hard — or hardly working, if you see how much fun they’re having,” Lampert joked.
While signing up new models from among the throng of Sex Expo attendees — who were rewarded with the chance to win a MacBook on day one and a webcam on day two — Chaturbate’s booth was transformed into a bedroom, living room and office where models posed and chatted with their fans online all day long. Attendees watched on screens and some even got in on the action. Webcam model Harper the Fox could be seen inviting passersby to wave and say hi to her online audience.
“We want to engage everyone here,” Chaturbate’s Natasha said. “The girls feel really comfortable here and we all really enjoy the vibe and the crowd that attends Sex Expo.”
Those interested in alternative ways to make money also lucked out with the participation of another online platform for cashing in on one’s sex appeal. While entertaining passersby with an invitation to ride a Sybian sex machine for fun, the Clips4Sale booth also targeted social media influencers and models in attendance at the show with its new platform, LoyalFans.com.
“It’s a special place where you can bring your most loyal fans and you can connect with them in a variety of ways, and it’s a place for them to hang out with other fans,” LoyalFans.com’s Dariusz said, adding that the site provides both influencers and brands with the opportunity “to sell subscriptions and monetize content directly to fans.”
Featuring a timeline, clips store, webcam and paid messages, LoyalFans.com offers commission and pays influencers for bringing fans and traffic onto its platform.
Drawing mainstream media attention from leading publications such as the Los Angeles Times, Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health, Sex Expo welcomed journalists, photographers, bloggers and other influencers to a cocktail hour in the Satisfyer-sponsored press lounge, where they could meet with vendors. The daytime reception quickly became a who’s who of sex educators that convened in the exclusive lounge.
Estrella Jaramillo, a women’s health advocate and Forbes Women contributor, was on hand at the lounge, where she gave away little round stickers that said, “An orgasm a day keeps the doctor away” and promoted B-wom.com, an online resource that’s meant to empower women to take control of their own health and well-being.
According to Jaramillo, B-wom.com can help women who experience painful sex. “It’s for women to learn about self-love and self-care. We tailor programs that provide training,” she said, noting that Sex Expo also was an opportunity to network with like-minded sex-education professionals.
“I’m here to see my friends and colleagues,” she said, sitting at a table with Slutty Girl Problems founder Lorrae Bradbury and Gigi Engle, a certified sex coach, educator and writer for publications such as Marie Claire, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. A group formed around Engle as her colleagues lined up to get her autograph on their copies of Engle’s recently released first book, titled “All the F*cking Mistakes: A Guide to Sex, Love and Life.”
“It’s a guide on how to fuck the patriarchy,” Engle said. “It’s also a mix of my personal sexual experiences, tips and advice about toys.”
Fetish and kink publication Kink Queens also stopped by the Sex Expo press lounge to connect with fellow reporters. Established in 2012, the monthly publication highlights “celebrity dominatrixes” from around the world, according to Andy, the magazine’s owner, who said he was at the show to scout new Dommes to feature.
“We’re more than a magazine — we have videos and photo shoots, we highlight play spaces. We focus on art, travel and kink,” he said about the monthly publication.
Tiffy Kink, a sexual wellness blogger who operates AquaKink.com, praised Sex Expo — and her fellow sexual wellness warriors — for breaking down the stigma surrounding pleasure. Tiffy Kink pointed out that judging by the amount of attendees pouring into Sex Expo throughout the weekend, and by the response from the readers of her blog, interest in sex-positive education is at an all-time high. “I’m pleasantly surprised by how many consumers are here at the show with the intent to learn,” she said.
A highlight of Sex Expo was the closing event on the show floor’s center stage. Fans flocked to see “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” star Karlie Redd, who was brought out to the show by Doc Johnson as the company’s new resident sexologist. Redd took questions from the crowd about sex and her reality TV show, and also played a trivia game in which attendees could win Doc Johnson prizes.
“Ladies, it’s all about confidence,” Redd instructed. “You have to exude it in the bedroom.”
She also shared some details about her foray into sex education and the pleasure products industry.
“I have been working with Doc Johnson for a while now, but I went back to school and took a bunch of classes and am now certified by the American Board of Sexology,” Redd said. Before parting, she advised the crowd to come back to Sex Expo every year, since “sex is important!”
Fortunately, attendees didn’t have to wait another year for Sex Expo NY — they eagerly returned the very next day for more sex-positive education and product showcases.
