Though I was not nominated for Best Dating Site or Affiliate Program of the Year, I am happy for the 2007 XBiz Award finalists, announcced today in a quiet ceremony at the lesser-known Big Boy on the corner of Wilshire and Highland.
I asked XBiz president Alec Helmy to defend the horrible snub.
“No one would visit a whacky blog for dating and (there was no Affiliate Site nomination because) your site wouldn’t convert,” he said.
I reminded him that I drive thousands of visitors to this site daily. Oh well.
The scrappy company will be holding a coming-out party of sorts in Hollywood in February, capping a year of growth that included the launch of XBizVideo magazine and the adult social networking site XFanz.
With several high-profile companies opting not to have booths at January’s AVN Expo, it is easy to see XBiz on the rise and AVN on the wane, at least in the perception of the adult industry. I’d heard from several people that AVN made at least one offer to purchase XBiz as recently as the summer of 2005.
But what is more likely to happen is that the two companies will stake out areas of expertise. Despite its forays into the video side of the business, XBiz is still perceived as a webmaster resource (more than AVNonline). On the other side, AVN’s general air of corruption is well-suited to the movie end of the industry.
AVN’s strength has always been its personality, good or bad. XBiz’ style has always been cleaner and more newsy, but it is the former approach that reminds people that this is porn and it’s fun when it’s sloppy and opinionated. XBiz is all business, which is why it has tried to mix things up with XFanz.
Since it’s Christmas, I will compare the porn business to It’s A Wonderful Life, with AVN cast as Mr. Potter. The comparison ends there. Do not be fooled that the competition is an honest and earnest bunch of hardworking taxi drivers, traffic cops, and concerned bartenders.
The best scenario in a two trade magazine/events planning system is one in which both entities keep the other honest.
The 6th annual XBiz Awards will be held at The Highlands in Hollywood on February 8, following its ’07 Forum at the haunted Roosevelt Hotel (closing speaker: Larry Flynt). Judging of the following finalists begins Monday.
The finalists for the 2007 XBIZ Awards are:
Web Retailer of the Year
69AdultToys, AdamEve.com, AdultDVDEmpire, AdultDVDMarketplace.com, FiveStarDVD, Gamelink, JTsStockroom, MALLcom, SexToy.com, WantedList
Web Host of the Year
AdultEUHost, Exmasters, ISPrime, JupiterHosting, NakedHosting, National Net, OC3 Networks, PhatServers, MojoHost, Webair
VOD Company of the Year
AEBN, HotMovies, AdultDVDEmpire, AdultRental, AllAdultChannel, NakedSword, PrivateSpeed, Vixeo, XonDemand
GLBT Company of the Year
AlleyBucks, CyberSocket, GayWideWebmasters, Hyde Park Productions, IntenseCash, JustUsBoys, NakedSword, Pistol Media, PrideBucks, Rentboy
Mobile Company of the Year
Adult Mobile Solutions, CCMediaLive, FunBox, Mobile Bridges, mProvider, PinkSim, Pocket Network, Rimeri, Totalmass, WAAT
Online Community of the Year
AdultInsider, AdultWhosWho, GoFuckYourself, Just Blow Me, Medium Pimpin, SoloGirlBoard, SponsorChat.com, WebOverdrive, WhyFuckYourself.com
Billing (IPSP) of the Year
365Billing, CCBill, Commercegate, DHDMedia, Epoch, Standard Pay
Billing (Merch Service) of the Year
DHDMedia, Durango, Merchant Solutions, NetBilling, Solepay, Standard Pay
Billing (Alternative)
2000Charge, ChargeMeLater, ElectraCash, GXBill, MobillCash.com, NetBilling, NoCreditCard.com, PasswordByPhone, PureVanilla, WTS
(“How do we make alternative billing sexy?” I asked Helmy. “They’re only sexy when you depend on them,” he replied.)
Design Company of the Year
AAA Adult Design, Blue Design Studios, BlueFlyAdult.com, Dickmans Designs, Insane Adult Creations, Mansion Productions, NastyGraphix, Webinc, Wolume Designs, WyldeSites
Novelty Company of the Year
California Exotic Novelties, Doc Johnson, Mr. S. Leather, Sports Sheets, Stockroom.com, Topco Sales
Studio of the Year
Adam & Eve Pictures, Digital Playground, Evil Angel, Metro, New Sensations, Sex Z Pictures, Shane’s World, Swank Digital, Wicked Pictures, Zero Tolerance
Up & Coming Studio
Buck Angel Entertainment, Hell House Media, Hush Hush Entertainment, Jules Jordan Video, Naughty America, Pink Visual, Platinum Blue Productions, Platinum Media, Starlight Pictures, Third World Media
Live Video Chat of the Year
6Chats, Cams.com, CamZ.com, ImLive, Interclimax, LiveCamNetwork, LiveJasmin, PrivateFeeds.com, VideoSecrets, WebcamCash
Content Provider of the Year
AdultEuroContent, AlmightyContent, Amazing Content, Dean Capture, GreatSexContent.dk, PicsMasters, SexEntertain, TheContentStore, WebmasterCentral, WorldWideContent
Innovative Product of the Year
AdultWhosWho, AutoBloggerPro, CARMA (TooMuchMedia), Chameleon Submitter, DreamSubmitter, Fleshlight, Protect-X, Unified Stats, VIST (Mansion Productions), Zipped Sites
Crossover Move of the Year
Arrow Productions (Deep Throat), Digital Playground, Mary Carey, Savanna Samson, SugarDVD, Wicked Pictures
Adult Site of the Year
FreeOnes.com, FTVGirls.com, Hegre-Art.com, MattsModels, PornInspector.com, RabbitsReviews, SuzeVideo.com, TheBestPorn, Twistys.com, WantBoobs.com
Up & Coming Web Company
Booble.com, Burning Angel, CapitalBucks, CherryPimps, HushMoney (HoDough.com), Kink.com, NichePay, RevenueCash, SexBankRoll, TrafficGiggolos
Dating Program of the Year
AdultDateLink, AdultFriendFinder, Dating Gold, Eroticy, iFriends, IWantU, LoveDollars, SexSearch, SexyAds, WildMatch
Affiliate Program of the Year
DieselAction, EuroRevenue, FetishHits, HustlerCash, Karups XXX Rewards, LightSpeedCash, Mayor’s Money, Naughty America, NeoSexCash, OCCash, PerfectGonzo, QuickBuck, Real-Bucks.com, SlickCash, Smashbucks
Affiliate Network of the Year
BrainCash, CECash, Gammae, Pimproll, PlatinumBucks, PussyCash, SilverCash, TopBucks, TrafficCashGold, WEGCash
Previously: Gram announces Also-Ranny winners; XFanz porns burlesque; Report: XBiz Award desirable
See also: XBiz
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