Getting to know your peers in the adult industry might probably be your most effective way of getting ahead in this business. Just like any other business, sometimes it isn't what you know but who you know that determines your success.

"Just like any other business, sometimes it isn't what you know but who you know that determines your success."

This is not to imply that hard work; skill and foresight aren't going to help you. Of course you need to have the aforementioned qualities for success in any venture. The thing is, sometimes you can have all these wonderful qualities and still not get far because you don't have respect among your peers.

In America, almost every city has what is called a Chamber of Commerce. These are groups of local merchants and vendors in a town. You may have noticed on the walls of restaurants and clothing stores the cute, little Chamber of Commerce plaques placed in prominent positions. That little plaque means that the business you see it at took the time to pay a fee, and acquire the approval of other merchants in your town. Perhaps the little plaque means little to you, but it's very significant to the business community in your city.

Meeting webmasters in adult webmaster message boards and getting to know them through instant messaging and other means of cyber communication is a great, first step. You can make business deals, learn invaluable tips, tricks and methods of those who are already successful. The thing is, virtual relationships are easy. Anybody can paint themselves as a player on a message board. Nothing can possibly replace meeting your associates and competitors face-to-face.

Looking a person in the eye, shaking their hand and spending time getting to know them, forms bonds of affiliation that no chat room could ever provide. Not to say that I'm encouraging favoritism among adult professionals. I'm just stating an understood rule of business: friends help each other out.

How do you meet adult webmasters in person? Well, you could take the time and spend the money to travel and visit everyone on your buddy list. You could track down the addresses of your favorite sponsors and content providers and go visit their offices. You could also take advantage of the surest way to meet a great many of your fellow adult Internet marketers. You could attend an Adult Internet convention. Just like accountants and Shriners, adult professionals hold seminars, trade shows and conventions.

The cool part is, adult events are geared towards your field. The seminars are extraordinary classes on how to effectively utilize your skills and efforts. The trade shows can reward you with incredible deals and personal contacts. The even cooler part is adult webmaster conventions are notoriously famous for throwing the best-damned parties ever.

How many business conventions have you been to where the trade show floor is populated with live strippers and porn stars? How many post-convention parties have you been to where not only is the bar open, but so are the legs of that nude model in the hot tub?

Don't get me wrong. Serious topics and true knowledge is to be had at adult conventions. But like any convention in almost any field, it's all about the parties. It's all about the fact that people judge you in social settings. People you meet over a cocktail or at the hot tub can garner you bonds of association that simply cannot be had in an adult webmaster bulletin board.

Where can you find these wonderful, magical conventions and seminars? The answer is you can usually find information and links to conventions in your favorite Adult Webmaster Resource site like here at Cozy Frog. On our front page, we list the latest adult webmaster events. We always try to keep our Cozy Calendar up to date with the latest events! So do other wonderful resource sites such as YNOT and Porn Resource.

The next and probably biggest Adult Webmaster event to take place is INTERNEXT. Held in Las Vegas and Florida, this convention is the Mecca for all those in this industry. This bi-annual trade-show has produced some of the most wonderful business relationships to be had in this business.

This January, I will be attending Internext. Granted, I have made wonderful relationships through message boards and my buddy list. Yet I know that until I present my physical self in a public setting, I will always be just some name on a virtual bulletin board. I have been hoping and planning to go to an adult webmaster event since I got into this field. This year, I finally get to go and my mouth waters at the prospect.

I know that I will finally be able to provide the face behind the nickname. I know that I will get to chat with and spend time with people whom I've known for years, but never got to meet face-to-face. I am hoping that my virgin journey to the gathering place of my peers will be an event to remember.