By Ed Condran
AVN and GayVN at The Virgin Hotels Las Vegas for the Adult Entertainment Expo and awards sounds like a joke since the entities should be mutually exclusive, but it’s actually a return trip for Adult Video News after two years at Resorts World.
The 2025 AVN + Adult Entertainment Expo will call The Virgin Hotels home once again Jan. 22-25, with the GayVN Awards kicking things off Jan. 20. The AVN + AEE is the largest event of its kind.
Exhibitors will showcase the latest innovations and products. The expo offers an educational track with provocative and insightful seminars and workshops, which will be conducted by an array of industry experts. Attendees can network, learn and celebrate the creativity of the adult industry.
There are several seminars slated. How to become a sex educator is a seminar that is very different from high school classes of the same name. For those who would like to become a certified sex educator, it’s possible to learn what it takes to get certified, where to find classes and what options there are in the industry.
One of the most popular spots on the Adult Novelty Expo floor is where novelty items are displayed. Many of the most prominent pleasure product brands will be featured. Check out the latest products, innovations and trends in the industry. Meet those with leading companies and enjoy a preview of new releases.
The ANE floor will also host an array of production companies, content creators and industry innovators. Discover the latest technologies and creations, which will propel the adult entertainment industry into the next generation.
The Internext Speed Networking is a great way to meet dozens of industry professionals from every area of the industry quickly. Build your network during the fast-moving sessions.
After spending your day on the floor working, there are an array of soirees to experience. The GayVN Awards After Party, The White Party and The AVN Awards After Party are some of the can’t-miss events.
One of the highlights of the event is the annual AVN Awards Show. Adult entertainment superstars Blake Blossom and Online Girl_ are co-hosting the annual event that draws hundreds of entertainers and attendees.
The striking tandem will preside over the 42nd annual ceremony where winners will be revealed in more than 140 awards categories across every facet of adult entertainment. The awards are preceded by what must be one of the longest annual red carpet arrivals.
Blossom is the 2022 AVN Best New Starlet and Hottest Newcomer now in her fourth year in adult entertainment, while the 2024 AVN Favorite Cam Girl winner Online Girl_, aka Alex Knight, has established herself as one of the world’s top cam models since her debut in 2010.
“I’m so excited,” Blossom said. “At first, I didn’t believe it was real. … I literally could not believe it.”
Alec Mapa, the veteran comic, actor and LGBTQ+ advocate, will host the always entertaining GayVN Awards for the ninth time on Jan. 20.
Joining Mapa is Jkab Ethan Dale, a GayVN nominee of multiple awards this year, as well as Bruno Alcantara, a life coach, producer and performer widely known as a member of The Pit Crew on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
“The GayVNs are my favorite awards show of the year,” Mapa said. “The GayVNs celebrate the full spectrum of queer sexuality and eroticism in a safe space where all are welcome. Join the celebration and let your freak flag fly!”
Dale is just as excited about the GayVNs as Mapa. “The GayVN Awards is truly one of the most exhilarating nights of the year. It not only showcases incredible talent, but also nurtures a vibrant community spirit, champions acceptance and elevates the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community.
“I am deeply honored to share the stage with Bruno Alcantara and my fellow Pinoy, Alec Mapa!” Alcantara looks forward to the event, as well. “Being part of the GayVN Awards feels like a celebration of everything that makes this community so vibrant and exciting,” Alcantara said.
If You Go
Jan. 20, GayVN Awards. Jan. 22-25, AVN + Adult Entertainment Expo 2025, The Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. More: Expo.AVN.com
