HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Vibe Expo attendees packed the workshop rooms on Day 2 of the event, with sessions led by Netflix star Melanie Rose, sex-positive social media influencer Dr. Tara and more.
The “Sex After 50” workshop and “Dick Riding 101” experiential session kicked off the day, along with yoga and a spanking demo that preceded Dr. Tara’s “Have an Orgasmic Day!” workshop, which was at standing-room-only capacity from the beginning.
Dr. Tara informed attendees about the benefits of being playful, noting that surveys have shown that people who describe themselves as “playful adults” report high marital satisfaction. When she asked the audience if they identified as playful adults, about half the room raised their hand. She offered suggestions for being more playful day to day.
“Every morning, me and my partner dance,” she said, before asking the audience to suggest other ways to play.
“Singing alone in the car!” someone offered.
Dr. Tara also urged attendees to do something every day that gives them pleasure, including masturbation. She then guided attendees through a brief sexual meditation, and suggested incorporating sexual affirmations into meditations, such as by saying, “I will have an orgasmic day!”
She concluded the session by directing attendees to her YouTube page for more free guided meditations, then leading attendees through a final moaning exercise that she said can be incorporated into any part of one’s day, such as by making an audible sound when one is enjoying their first sip of their favorite beverage.
Meanwhile on the expo show floor, Honey Play Box’s booth occupied a prime spot near the entrance, front and center. Lauren, who was manning the booth, said that the brand’s most popular items at the event were the Scioness Sucking and Licking Clitoral Stimulator and Jesslyn Tapping Clit Stimulator G-Spot Vibrator.
“Honey Play Box is a woman-owned brand,” she said. “We like to educate our retail customers about sexual wellness. It can be scary to start using toys, so we like to ease everyone into it with recommendations. Our philosophy is letting authentic desires shape your sexual experience. Our mission is to make pleasure enjoyable and accessible by creating affordable, versatile body-safe toys for diverse desires.”
According to Lauren, she encountered several attendees who asked for recommendations for toys for first-timers.
“I have recommended oral toys for a lot of the females here,” she shared. “A lot of our couples toys, we actually sold out of! So they have been popular. The Stormi wand, too — we sold quite a few and have almost run out.”
In addition to offering tips and tricks about how to use toys, Lauren said, she also stressed to attendees how to clean the toys properly and sanitize them.
Elsewhere, Shameless Sex’s April Lampert and Amy Baldwin were on hand with copies of their new debut book, which they signed for attendees.
“A lot of people picked up the new ‘Shameless Sex’ book here,” Lampert said. “It’s been a great show for us! I was grateful that we had a little station to meet with attendees.”
The two also hosted the “Oral for All” experiential workshop, which drew such a large crowd that many attendees sat on the floor to watch and learn from the charming and witty sex-educator duo. Lampert noted that the highlight was demonstrating the “Slurpy Stick Shift” oral sex technique with a rainbow dildo and a brave — and shameless — Baldwin getting down on her knees for a lively presentation.
Aneros also took an educational approach, participating in Vibe Expo to connect with clients and consumers.
“From my experience talking to everybody today, people are interested and curious about what kinds of sex toys are out there,” Aneros’ Malay Vannouvong said. “I’ve seen couples here that are checking things out, and looking for things they can incorporate in the bedroom. It’s been nice to see that the majority of non-industry folks who have stopped by our booth are familiar with our products. There are a lot of sexual wellness professionals who tell us, ‘I recommend your products all the time.’ It’s reaffirming and encouraging!”
Aneros Director of Sales and Marketing Brent Aldon echoed Vannouvong’s sentiment, noting that he was pleased to see that consumers who stopped by were interested in learning about prostate play, and not intimidated or ashamed to explore it.
Not far away, Vibe Expo attendees craned their necks to catch a glimpse of British interior design star Melanie Rose of Netflix’s “How to Build a Sex Room,” whose workshop was packed to the brim. Rose brought a bookshelf on stage to display a variety of décor items offering both sensual visual appeal and functionality.
“Everything in your room should enhance sensuality,” she said, explaining how colors and scents can create an environment conducive to pleasure. She also urged attendees to overcome stereotypes surrounding elements typically viewed as sensual, like the need for a “Fifty Shades of Grey”-style red room.
Colorwise, Rose suggested considering blues or purples in a sex room. To create ambience, she also suggested utilizing sensual music.
“If you’re a screamer, consider getting soundproof walls,” she advised. “Think about the small details. Everything is in the service of your skin; think about the caress of silk sheets against your skin.”
Back in the exhibition hall, licensed therapist Dr. Jeannelle Perkins-Muhammad showcased her book “Into-Me-See” along with a game inspired by the book.
“As a psychologist, I recognize that the cognitive, emotional and spiritual dimensions make the physical that much more intense,” she explained. “So I do a lot of education — for more than 20 years now — around how mental health impacts your relationship and how to navigate relationships in a way that’s more positive and healthy.”
Dr. Jeanelle also offers a Kama Sutra card subscription, which includes a selection of four cards each month.
“It's an opportunity to experience four different and potentially new sex positions throughout the month,” she said. “A lot of the time what happens is we buy something that we think we’re going to use and it just ends up on a shelf, but this way, every single month you get a little bit of a poke that says, ‘Are you practicing intimacy?’ ‘Are you talking to your partner?’ or ‘Are you connecting in a deeper way?’ Because then if you are, you are likely going to be able to perform one of these positions on these cards. So, it really is a holistic approach looking at the mind, body and soul. ‘Into-Me-See’ is about pleasure over performance. So we’re excited about being here because we hope that the game is going to be picked up in a couple of places from the B2B realm.”
Personal Fav showcased its dynamic duo of lubricant and CBD-infused Pique pleasure oil.
“We’ve done some really great sales here, and it’s our first time exhibiting at a show, so we’re really happy to be here,” co-founder Stephanie Elias said. “We’re Vibe Expo virgins, if you will, and it’s been exceptional. We’ve had both consumer as well as retail and distribution conversations that have been super productive.”
Offering samples of Pique, Elias noted that the oil features 30 milligrams of full-spectrum CBD and other natural aphrodisiacs and ingredients that stimulate blood flow.
She also demonstrated the product’s benefits as a hand moisturizer.
“All of a sudden, your cuticles look really good. My eczema is going away. It’s working. CBD helps to hydrate certain parts of you and also helps with its anti-inflammatory properties,” she highlighted.
Nearby, Vibe Expo consumers shopped Eden Novelties’ selection of dildos.
“The most popular product among our customers is usually the OTouch locking male stroker,” the brand’s Jassmine Cudney said. “It’s fully automatic and hands-free, and it works really well as a VR accessory. Also, because it locks, it keeps it from the prying eyes of kids, roommates, maids or a mother-in-law. It’s been a success for us.”
Also popular for the Canada-based company are thrusters, Cudney noted, adding that the company plans more marketing to broaden its B2B reach.
The final experiential workshop of Vibe Expo was the “Faded & Frisky” cooking class, which taught attendees how to prepare two easy aphrodisiac- and CBD-infused recipes. Led by Necole Hines of Faded Living, the session offered a chance to win infused goodies like garlic salt and olive oil, and taste a bruschetta and Caesar drink.
“Here’s how you can spark up your love life with food,” Hines announced at the start of the session. “Yes, it’s enhanced with CBD that’s helpful for relieving anxiety, but it also has actual aphrodisiac ingredients that have their own properties.”
Hines, who is of Jamaican-Canadian descent, discussed her mission to normalize cooking with cannabis and change stereotypes surrounding it.
“My whole mentality is: If everybody had a touch of THC in their systems, the vibrational level of this planet’s movement would be a little bit more chill,” she said.
Stressing the importance of only consuming enough cannabis to reach a “chill” mode, Hines said that affordability and ease of preparation also are important factors in her cooking. She noted that ingredients easily found in a grocery store, like garlic and parsley, are also aphrodisiacs — and that simply preparing a meal together or for someone can be an opportunity to connect intimately.
The Caesar drink Hines prepared was similar to a Bloody Mary, with Clamato plus CBD-infused garlic salt on the rim. Hines recommended adding celery and other garnishes to the drink.
As the inaugural Vibe Expo wound down, attendees and participants alike walked away with sexual wellness goodies, plus a wealth of newfound knowledge and the many techniques and accoutrements available to enhance their intimacy.
