This was my fourth time attending Webmaster Access in Amsterdam. The first couple of times I attended, I have to admit, it was all about the party. After all, it is Amsterdam, right? After last year’s show, there were so many rumors going around about the future of Webmaster Access, I honestly was not sure that there would be a show in 2010. I was pleasantly surprised to see that attendance seemed to be higher this year than my prior visits. We arrived in Amsterdam late Friday evening. By the time we got to the hotel, it appeared rather deserted. Since Webmaster Access directly followed the Barcelona Summit, I began to wonder if having the two shows so close to each other time-wise was not a great idea. I learned that there was an off-premises party that most people were at. Since the party was on a boat and it was raining, we opted to going to our hotel, then finding something to eat.

Webmaster Access was held at the Park Hotel from Friday afternoon, September 24 through Sunday, September 26. There were three seminars a day, as well as speed networking, workshops and the obligatory cocktail parties. There were a couple boat parties on the canals, but I did not make it to either of them. I did stop by a party at Little Buddha that went on long into the early morning hours of Sunday.

The Venue

They moved this years show from the Radisson to the Park Hotel. I was not initially happy to hear this since I always get lost walking around Amsterdam, and I had just gotten comfortable with the old location. Luckily, there was plenty to do in the new neighborhood. Truth be told, there was so much going on at the show, I did not really have time to be a tourist, so getting lost was not an issue.

Park Hotel Amsterdam

I had reserved a room at the show hotel, but since I was not exactly sure what I was getting as far as a bed and room size, and have had better luck staying down the street I let someone else have the room and we stayed at a place across the canal. I am still up in the air as to whether or not this was a good idea as I heard conflicting reports about the size of the rooms. Some had spacious quarters while others suggested that their legs dangled off the end of the bed into the shower of the bathrooms.

My initial impression of the hotel was not very favorable, as I had walked into their lounge within minutes of my arrival on Friday night, I was immediately approached by their bouncer that told me, “no cameras” under any circumstances. It did not matter if I knew the people I was photographing or not. I wondered how this was going to work with the show since the cocktail lounge at any host hotel has always been a gathering spot for attendees to talk business. I never went back to the lounge, so I have no idea if people bothered going in there or not.

The Food

I do not know if it was a matter of timing or if there just were not any sponsored lunches or dinners, but I never saw them if there were. This did not bother me, as I am not much for buffets anyway. I went over to the hotel early Saturday morning to register and got there before registration was ready. Not many people were up, but the ones that were seemed to be flocking to the automated cappuccino/espresso/coffee machines. I became readily familiar with the multiple, strategic locations as did many others. After being on the road for three weeks, these coffee machines were of much more value than a lunch buffet.

Best Idea Ever

The Seminars

Sometimes I feel that I am repeating myself when I write reviews of the various adult webmaster shows. The fact of the matter is that over the years, webmaster shows have gotten away from the glitz and glamour or parties and stretched Hummer limos. Today, the shows are concentrating more on education and true networking. Webmaster Access had three seminars a day, as well as a meet market each day and various workshops. There were two or three parties. My first visit to Amsterdam seemed to have at least as many parties as there were seminars.

I had fully intended participating in the speed networking on Saturday afternoon, but when I arrived every seat was taken. This was the story at every seminar I attended as well. Even on Sunday morning, after a party at Little Buddha that lasted until 4:00 AM, the seminars and speed networking were well attended. There is no question that the attendees of this show came to learn and do business. It is a definite sign of the times.

Well Attended Seminars

Summary

Like I said earlier, I was not sure what this show was going to be like since it directly followed The Barcelona Summit. Would attendance be down? Would people be there to do business or to party? As I discovered early Saturday morning, Webmaster Access was alive and well. Not only did it seem like there were more people here than last year, but business was definitely there to be done. Within hours I had new clients with the potential for even more growth. While it seems that the shows in the US may be getting smaller, is seems readily apparent that the adult webmasters in Europe are taking advantage of the limited number of shows available to them. It seems like the US based companies are seeing the value of meeting their European customers and are making the effort to ensure their companies are not forgotten by affiliates located on that side of the Atlantic Ocean.

I would like to take a moment to welcome my newest sponsor, FuckingAwesome.com. If you promote the hardcore niche, this is a program worth checking out. You can see their photos from Webmaster Access 2010, Amsterdam at Fucking Awesome Pics.

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