The 14th annual AdultEx, Australia’s largest adult B2B trade exhibition, took place at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Port Douglas, from May 2nd – 4th, attracting 35 exhibitors and hosting over 170 guests, and many of the industry’s leading brands came back from the event with an award trophy or two.
AdultEx 2018 was co-sponsored by Pipedream and CalExotics and Roger Sheldon-Collins, general manager of organisers Calvista, said: “We are thrilled with the overwhelming response we had from vendors participating and customers attending AdultEx 2018.”
The event kicked off with a Welcome party sponsored by Calexotics’ new range, California Dreaming. The party included a Lingerie Fashion Show highlighting the latest lingerie pieces provided by Seven ‘til Midnight, Baci and Envy. Two industry forums were also hosted during AdultEx: one focusing on sexual wellness and the other on growing a business. Both were facilitated by leading Australian health communicator Dr Sally Cockburn and panel members included Pjur CEO Alexander Giebel, Pipedream’s Sunny Rodgers, and Lupe Martinez of CalExotics for the former, and COTR MD Alicia Sinclair, Xgen president Andy Green, Pipedream’s Briana Honz-Watkins, and Calvista general manager Roger Sheldon-Collins for the latter.
The annual AdultEx Awards were presented at a ‘70s disco glam party sponsored by Pipedream. The winners were: Sex & Mischief by Sportsheets (Best Fetish Range), Shi Shi Range by NS Novelties (Best LGBTI Range), Pjur (Best Lubrication or Lotion Range), Seven ‘til Midnight (Best Lingerie Range), Screaming O (Best Marketing), the Cowgirl by COTR (Best New Product), Amour by Jopen (Best Female Product Range), Main Squeeze by Doc Johnson (Best Male Product Range), Mini Marvels by CalExotics (Best Product Packaging), A Year of Sex by Kheper Games (Best Novelty/Game Product), PjurMed by Pjur (Best Sexual Health & Wellness/Product Range), Zumio Classic by Zumio (Best Female Product), Hydromax X30 Wide Boy by Bathmate (Best Male Product), InsideOut by Womanizer (Most Innovative Product), Lelo (Best Luxury Toy Range), Pipedream (Company of the Year and Customer’s Choice Award), and Andy Green of Xgen Products (Services to the Industry).
Briana Honz, Pipedream senior sales executive, said: “It is always an honour to be recognised, but to win the ‘Customer’s Choice Award’ for the second consecutive year is really special. We always aim to provide the best service to our customers and this award shows that our efforts are paying off.”
Pipedream CEO Nick Orlandino added: “I am very proud of our team and the work they have done to build such strong relationships with our Australian customers. We aim to build the best products at a fair price and offer the best possible service to our customers. These awards are an honour and we want to thank Calvista and their customers for all the support.”
Lupe Martinez, international business development executive for CalExotics, said: “The Australian market has been very good to CalExotics, and I enjoy coming to AdultEx every year. The bright, fun colours of the Mini Marvels collection resonate with retailers and customers. I am so proud to bring this award back to the team.”
Susan Colvin, CEO of CalExotics, added: “Our goal in designing the Mini Marvels collection was to capture the fun and flirty design of the products. I am proud to say we accomplished that goal, and it has been exciting to see the different ways retailers are displaying our packaging. We are thrilled to receive this award.”
Moving on to Jopen’s Amour award, Lupe said: “The excitement around Amour is thrilling to experience. This line has been popular with our partners and consumers around the world, and I am proud to bring this award back to Jopen.”
Susan Colvin, Jopen CEO, added: “Ever since I started working in this industry, I knew that women were looking for high quality pleasure products that were elegant and beautifully designed. I am proud that we can serve women and couples with a great product like Amour.”
Doc Johnson account executive Steven Guarino, who accepted the company’s award, said: “All of us at Doc couldn’t be more thrilled with the success of the Main Squeeze range, and how it has taken off in the Australian marketplace. Thank you to Calvista for being such a wonderful business partner, and a huge thank you to all the retailers who have always and continue to show support for Doc Johnson. The Main Squeeze line has surpassed even our highest expectations for its success, and will continue to grow in popularity thanks to all the praise that it’s currently receiving. We will continue to grow this popular collection with more crowd-pleasing product additions that will further strengthen and drive demand for our retail and distributor partners—stay tuned!”
Julie Stewart, president of Sportsheets, said: “It’s wonderful to see our brand getting recognised in Australia. We have outstanding relationships there and look forward to it growing more. Thank you Calvista for this award.”
COTR MD Alicia Sinclair [pictured] said: “A huge special thanks to the Calvista team for a spectacular event. The COTR team is ecstatic to receive the honour of Best New Product award and are thrilled about the successful Australian launch of The Cowgirl! Our goal was to introduce a premium sex machine that appeals to consumers around the globe, and we couldn’t be happier with the response we have received internationally already.”
Pjur’s Alexander Giebel, who attended the trade fair alongside Pjur sales manager Marius Weis, said: “Thank you very much for these awards! Once again, they demonstrate that the high level of investment we put into our products every day really pays off.”
Andy Green, president of Xgen Products, said: “I am truly humbled and honoured to receive this award. It is always nice to be recognised by your peers in the industry. The Calvista team really outdid themselves this year at the Adultex show.”
