AVE Las Vegas: Inside the Biggest Adult Entertainment Convention in the World
Las Vegas is known across the globe as Sin City. That’s just one part of what makes it the perfect setting for the Adult Entertainment Expo, or AVE.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Adult Entertainment Expo (AVE), the event is a leading convention and trade show dedicated to — as the name suggests — the adult entertainment industry.
Although AVE has a global audience and reach, it takes place right here in Las Vegas.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Adult Entertainment Expo.
What is AVE?
Put simply, AVE is a convention and trade show like any other. The only difference is that it focuses on the adult entertainment industry. In fact, it’s the world’s largest trade show dedicated to adult entertainment.
As such, the four-day AVE conference draws more than 30,000 attendees from across the globe. There are also more than 350 exhibiting companies each year.
If you plan on attending AVE, you should know that the event has a high degree of professionalism. Along with public events where fans can get autographs, photo opportunities, and memorabilia, AVE also sports industry-only opportunities for those that work in adult entertainment.
The first two days of the show are “trade only,” which access restricted to those that work in the industry. The rest of the expo features open hours for fans.
Technically speaking, the name of the event is the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo, since it’s sponsored by AVN Magazine, or Adult Video News.
Curious about who you can expect at the AVE event? The show is notable because the vast majority of the world’s adult entertainment stars make an appearance.
What can you expect at AVE?
As we mentioned earlier, one of the main things you can expect at AVE Las Vegas is an abundance of adult film stars. Pretty much everyone who is notable in the industry makes an appearance in Sin City during the event.
However, there are also a number of sub-events and related exhibitions each year. Here’s just a sampling of what you can expect at AVE.
- Adult Entertainment Expo: The main trade show event includes photo opportunities, memorabilia, and more for fans of the world’s best adult entertainment stars. You can also expect booths from some of the world’s best adult entertainment companies, including everything from production firms to accounting agencies.
- Adult Novelty Expo: The Adult Novelty Expo, or ANE, is a trade show dedicated to pleasure. Billed as the “premier pleasure expo,” ANE features more than 250 exhibiting brands and 30 networking events. You’ll be able to find everything from the best vibrators to the best pornstar Fleshlight.
- Adult Video News Awards: Each year, the AVE event also includes the AVN Awards. Widely known as the “Oscars” of the adult entertainment industry, the awards honor various aspects of the marketing and creation of adult films. There are more than 100 categories, including ones for best actress, best director, best video feature, and best DVD.
In other words, AVE is probably the best place for both fans of the adult entertainment industry as well as industry professionals — including up-and-coming actors and actresses. There will be exhibitions, networking opportunities, and more.
When and where does AVE take place?
AVE takes place at Resorts World Las Vegas, which is a resort, casino, and mall located on the Las Vegas Strip. Along with the convention space, Resorts World also features top-tier amenities and 117,000 square feet of gaming space, along with some of the best restaurants in Las Vegas.
Historically, AVE actually happened concurrently with the Consumer Electronics Show — the largest trade show dedicated to the tech industry. However, in 2012, a decision was made to move AVE a week ahead to both minimize the cost lodging and travel, and to maximize the ability for attendees to network.
Although the exact dates for AVE vary year-over-year, it generally takes place in January. In 2024, the show took place from Jan. 24 through Jan. 27, 2024.
If you’re looking to attend the next trade show and convention, the dates have not yet been published for the 2025 Adult Entertainment Expo. However, you can still look into the Vegas News guide to the best Las Vegas hotels off the strip to start planning ahead.
Media credit: Image licensed from Adobe