** This Event Took Place On: August 01 - 03, 2003!

WARMING UP

As soon as Internext in Vegas winds down, preparations are in the works for Internext in Florida. There is no time for rest, no time to stop. Show to show, there is always something to do, right until the moment I shut down my computer and leave for the airport. The atmosphere is always charged with last minute changes, the endless details, the problems that crop up five minutes before take off. My cell phone, which is usually idle, rings constantly from the moment I leave the house until I return home.

My own excitement is child-like, the anticipation of seeing everyone I know and meeting the new friends I haven't yet met. The culmination of seven months is upon me and I can't wait to see what's new. I cannot imagine ever getting jaded about these shows.

As a webmaster, I don't get out much, being physically attached to the industry, vis a vis, my computer. Turning off the type and getting into talk mode is a welcome change from my daily routine. Taking the red eye from Seattle to Fort Lauderdale, I finally arrived at the Westin Diplomat on Tuesday morning. The Diplomat, an eight hundred million dollar extravaganza, is a beautifully appointed hotel, well deserving of a four or five star rating. The reservation desk accomodated my needs and ensconced me into a lovely room. I hadn't slept yet; but, there was no way I was going to do that, either.

"I cannot imagine ever getting jaded about these shows."

My husband, Tev, had flown to New Jersey to accompany Steve, the owner of Erotica Cash. On their way, they were picking up Monique/Afrekete, who, at the moment, is having identity issues with her name. Once she chooses, I will be able to stop typing both her offline name and her online nick. They were to arrive late that night and I was the lead team to prepare the way.

Room service is one of the perks to travel and I took full advantage. Fresh orange juice and coffee gave me new life and enabled me to take the elevator downstairs to check out the hotel and what it offered. I really liked the idea that the show was contained within the hotel. Even though the Diplomat was booked and others took over the Ramada and Holiday Inn, we were all pretty much within the same location, rather than being so spread out, as we are in Vegas. The convention center was not miles away, for which my feet were grateful.

I didn't see any of my colleagues that Tuesday afternoon; but, it was nice, sitting at the Splash Bar, talking to the people from the software convention. Interestingly, the whole place was buzzing in anticipation of those pornographers coming. There were several who were trying to extend their stay and the bartenders were very excited. Once word got out that I was with the trade show, questions were asked about our business. It gave me a chance to talk to surfers and those who are not a part of my industry. Their perspective was very up beat. It was nice to see a group of people who didn't want to see us shut down and jailed. Very refreshing.

Later on, around 1 a.m., the Erotica Cash crew arrived. EC Steve, Tev, and Monique/Afrekete rolled into the hotel for a reunion. Knowing Steve well, I was already dressed and ready to go. He didn't disappoint. We went downstairs for a drink; but, unfortunately, the bar was already closed. No surprise, then, that we ended up at Solid Gold. The strip joint. Since Erotica Cash, along with other wonderful sponsors, was hosting a party there, checking it out seemed like a good idea. It was.

The drinks were well made, even if the strippers were a little less than enthusiastic at that hour of the morning. It was fairly quiet, giving us all a chance to reacquaint and have a business meeting to plan the events of the show. Many months of very hard work, all geared toward this show, were about to play out in all its magnificence.

This trip, I was representing Erotica Cash. For almost a year now, we've been preparing the new version of EC, so chock filled with webmaster goodies, you'll have to wait for the press release. Too much to list here in this article; but, it's coming soon.

Vengified, which is a Stevism for sexual revenge, is a brand new reality site. Those who know me, are aware that I've traveled with Steve to Detroit to film these scenes. The reaction has been favourable, thus far, and now we're ready to show it to the rest of the webmaster world. Evita, formerly of Evita's Playhouse, is coming soon with her brand new site, Evita's Kiss. Michael and Evita, from Clutch Content, are all arriving on Friday morning, with the models and the stars of Vengified, so preparations are not over. Preparations are never really over. The entourage needs to be coordinated, along with banners, tee shirts, stickers and a million details before the show begins on Friday.

We finally stumbled back to our hotel around 5 a.m., feeling no pain. A little sleep and it was Wednesday. Trust me when I tell you it was very little sleep; however, that is part and parcel of a show. Too little time with so much to do, sleep is something that will wait until we return home.

To my surprise, Aaron M. from AMP Content had arrived on Wednesday. He's an excellent photographer and has a site called ToniFreeland.com, which is part of the PIBCash affiliate program. He's also a friend of mine and I was delighted to hear from him. Along with his lovely friend, Rachel, Aaron invited us to dinner. He and Rachel came to Steve's room, where he saw the episodes (trailers) from Vengified. Laughing in all the right places, his reaction told us this site was as good as we thought it was, which greatly improved all of our moods. That and seeing Aaron again meant much. Being that it was also Monique/Afrekete's birthday, we are all in a festive state of mind.

We made quite the entrance to the steak house at the Diplomat, where we saw that others had arrived. It felt good to see the hotel filling up with our people.

After eating a luscious meal, we drifted out to the lobby. Here is why I truly liked the Diplomat setting. Anyone who had flown in that day was at the bar or meandering outside by the pool. The lobby is very spacious, with fountains and realistic palm trees, comfy couches and chairs. A perfect place to network. We lost Aaron and Rachel. They were swallowed up by a crowd of well wishers and friends. I was delighted to see many of my friends and acquaintances and soon we were happily hugging and introducing and catching up. There were so many people we wanted Steve to meet. He hasn't been to a show in a few years. I think his last one on the east coast was IA2000, so he's been out of it for a while.

I had told him it was time to go to the shows again and he agreed, so we spent most of Wednesday night introducing him to the people in our industry. Even though the weather was so humid, we sat outside, talking and drinking. Information was shared, rumours confirmed or dismissed, friendships renewed and hugs all around. Webmasters are a touchy feely bunch and that's part of why I love these shows. I miss the contact, that human touch, so it's not surprising that we all hug. And, Wednesday night slowly turned into Thursday morning. Once more, we didn't get to bed until four or five a.m. and it was just fine.

Thursday morning arrived and this was the time when most of the webmasters were arriving to take over the hotel and the pre convention began. Since we were already registered, all we had to do was pick up our badges. I don't know what I was thinking when I signed us up; but, there are so many Steves, I registered Steve as EC Steve. It's a good thing he has a great sense of humour because the name has stuck.

I really enjoy the pre show because it's not crazy yet. Once the show starts, it's hard to just sit and talk. Everyone, it seems, understands this biz very well. The requisite three minutes of time is just about what we can spare, considering the Internet doesn't stop moving, doesn't stop its demands on us as webmasters.

If I were to list all whom I saw prior to Internext, the Event, this article would grow to gargantuan proportions. Suffice it to say, you know who you are and I love you all.

** Click Here For: Internext Florida 2003! - Part #2