Chicago is a city that has everything, from the deepest of the deep-dish pizzas to one of the hottest adult expos of the year. The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center was the place to be the weekend of April 29 – May 1 as the 2022 EXXXotica rolled into town and embraced its slogan of THE NEW NORMAL! After the epic dry-spell caused by the pandemic, is was wonderful to see the Industry once again operating at MAX POWER.

I’m constantly and repeatedly amazed by the sense of community and camaraderie that pervades these events. The energy is nothing but positive and everyone always looks like they are having a great time. I feel as though I say these same things after each event that I attend, but it is the absolute truth. It’s like sexy, adult Disneyland! You can’t help but walk around with a huge smile on your face (and a tingle in your pants)!

While the theme of this year’s event was THE NEW NORMAL, it could just as easily have been called WORKING HARD AND GETTING ASS. Members of the adult industry (both in front of and behind the camera) are some of the hardest working people on the planet. The average porn- viewer doesn’t realize the amount of time and effort that goes into creating a successful personal brand.

When it comes to BOSS BITCHES, Mz. Dani wrote the book! Talk about a go-getter! With a prime location, Mz. Dani’s corner booth was POPPING! Her fans couldn’t get enough of one of the world’s greatest booties, lining up just for a chance to see it in person! It should come as no surprise that her gorgeous exterior perfectly mirrors her sweet interior.

I spent quite a bit of time hanging out with Mz. Dani and her amazing makeup artist, Cheri. By the end of the weekend, I seriously felt like I was with a pair of life-long friends. With a huge heart and an incredibly down-to-earth personality, Mz. Dani truly loves her fans and it shows. The smile didn’t leave her face all weekend (except when she was trying to take an intentionally sexy-serious photo!).

If there was a crown given out for the Queen of the Expo, my vote would always go to Vicki Chase. Vicki is a star’s star and a pro’s pro. She is timelessly pretty and an absolute sweetheart, which makes her even sexier (if that’s humanly possible). Her fans love her because her she’s approachable and completely authentic. She spends time with every person who comes to see her and gives each one her undivided attention. Don’t be surprised if you must wait to meet this QUEEN in person because she has such a huge, devoted fanbase. If you are ever looking for me at an event, look around among the throngs of Vicki Chase fans.

The sweet and petite Amy Quinn is deceptively cute! Hidden under that innocent face is an absolute BEAST! In addition to meeting fans all-day/every day at the Tadpole Studios booth, Amy spent every free moment in front of the camera. Each time I saw her around the hotel, she was in a different outfit, heading off to shoot multiple scenes. At one point, she was meeting up with seven other starlets and twenty guys to film a MASSIVE fuck fest! We will all be waiting for the release of that collaboration! Amy Quinn and Quinn Studios are definitely making a name for themselves within the Industry.

Working hard alongside Amy Quinn at the Tadpole Studios booth was SubGirl. Her work is WILD. She does some crazy shit out in public that has to be seen to be believed. Last year, I heard my favorite satellite radio show THE BONFIRE talking about all the rowdy stuff she does and they definitely didn’t steer me wrong! Her work is a different level of naughty! You don’t have to take my word for it, check Subgirl out for yourself!

These industry shows look like all fun and sexy games, but for the professionals, these are working weekends that require long hours and limited sleep. The amount of effort that the performers put forth is impressive and admirable. From hair and makeup, to outfits, booth design, and merchandising, the adult stars shine because of their own hard work and diligence.

Speaking of makeup and outfits, Ray Ray was greeting her fans looking beyond SUPER! Decked out head-to-toe as STARLIGHT from the hit show THE BOYS, Ray Ray absolutely nailed the theme! From the thigh-high boots to the soul-piercing contact lenses, Ray Ray was ready to fight crime AND film an extra hot scene! I was OBSESSED with her entire look! It took all of my self control NOT to just start dropping quotes from the show on her.

As long as we’re talking about fan-girling, let me tell you how freaking excited I was to finally meet Priya Rai in person! I’ve seen her on the red carpet at the AVNs, but this was the first time I’ve actually gotten to hang out with her for real! Priya is an ALL-STAR, so it was hard not to be star-struck when she came up to ME in the lobby of our hotel!

In addition to her first-rate work in front of the camera, Priya Rai is also a first-rate human being. If I had to come up with one G-rated word to describe Priya, it would PROTECTIVE. She is one of those people who always watches out for others. Throughout the weekend, I witnessed her offer advice, guidance, and straight-up know-how to countless other members of the Industry. Her sisterly attitude towards other girls is incredibly admirable and really highlights the sense of community at these events. That being said, don’t let that gorgeous face fool you…Priya Rai has a keen eye for bullshit and doesn’t hesitate to call it out when she sees it.

No adult convention is complete without the stunning redhead, Lauren Phillips. Lauren is the embodiment of stamina and energy. She works harder than anyone else on these loooooong days. Her spirit never wanes, and she rarely leaves her booth, which is why her fan-line always snakes through the crowd! Whenever I see Lauren, I’m always reminded of one of her early scenes where she casually asks a bar full of guys “What’s a girl like me gotta do to get gangbanged around her?” The answer was JUST ASK! They were all very willing participants and she was an incredibly grateful recipient!

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the adult industry has seen a huge influx of cam performers. The freedom to engage with fans from a safe distance made live-camming the ideal setup during those dangerous times. Now that we are embracing THE NEW NORMAL, the CHATURBATE and MyFreeCams booths were bursting with starlets who were more than ready to meet their fans in person! With something for everyone, you never knew who you would see among the ever-changing lineup of cam stars!

By Saturday afternoon, I found myself circling around the CHATURBATE booth, hoping to strike up a conversation with beautiful cam model that I had seen walking around the hotel. In addition to a drop-dead, killer body, Kendra (as I later discovered her name) had some of the best outfits all weekend. She SLAYED in her rhinestone catsuit, which clung to every tight, petite curve. Kendra has an ever-growing following online and I now consider myself one of her biggest fans!

As a west coast girl freezing my ass off in Chicago, I was thrilled to find out that my fellow Californian, Jade Jayden, was going to be in the Windy City, too! Although she now lives in Florida, Jade is a Nor Cal hottie with some of the best tits in the industry. Last year, I took a photo of her boobs into the surgeon and said “I want these.” Although Jade and I have known one another online for several years, it was fucking awesome to finally meet her in person. She was even sweeter than I expected and red string outfit was fucking HOT!!

While Jade’s tits are ever-on-my-mind, it was Gem the Jewels’ ASS that gave me major posterior envy! Gem’s butt is truly, truly, truly outrageous (although she’s definitely too young to get that reference lol). She gives the BEST hugs, and it feels like a party follows her wherever she goes! Her personality absolutely sparkles, and you could tell that she was genuinely happy to be at EXXXotica! I wish I had longer to chat with Gem because she’s clearly a blast!

Some stars have a constant stream of fans who will line up for hours just to talk and take pics with them. September Reign is one of those performers who really takes the time to engage with each of her fans and her constant crowd reflects that dedication. Her devotees will do just about anything to be in her royal presence and September Reign goes out of her way to make it worth their while.

One of my favorite parts of the adult expo weekends is just people watching in the hotel. I love sitting back to observe the beauty and sexiness in its natural environment. There is never any pretention or judgement. Everyone is friendly, even in the throngs of exhaustion and wicked hangovers. I’ve made some of my most worthwhile connections simply talking to people in the lobbies of our hotels. From PAWGED to the Deviate Network, often times, the best leads have occurred around the omelet bar!

Down the hall from our suite was the incredibly enticing Bailey Brooke and her team. The star of numerous sexy teen films, we ran into each other with such frequency that it became an ongoing joke. As hungry and hungover people tend to do, we bonded over the lack of bacon at the breakfast buffet and yearned for an ultimate bacon bukkake. I’m not sure if that’s a thing, but if it’s not, IT SHOULD BE (are you hearing this, Embassy Suites?).

These action-packed events are definitely working trips, but in the end, they are always filled with great memories and even better people. It’s such a great opportunity to network and swap stories and recommendations with professionals who understand the ins-&outs of porn.

These weekends truly are invaluable for the adult industry and I’m thrilled that they are back LIVE AND IN PERSON! I can’t wait until the next event! See you in New Jersey, EXXXotica! XOXO