After an application was made to the Supreme Court of Victoria on 02/08/2024 to order Australian Exhibition Group Pty. Ltd. (AEG), the operator of Sexpo Australia, the case was heard on September 23, 2024. Sexpo Australia advised interested parties late on the same day that it was indefinitely postponing all planned events, including the Adelaide event scheduled for October 4 to 6, just 11 days after notice, and unpublished www.sexpo.com.au soon after.
Sexpo Australia’s Instagram and
On October 15, 2024, Sexpo Australia informed exhibitors that “the company has commenced the process of entering administration as the impasse and legal costs make it impossible for the company to continue operating.”
David Ross, often called Mr. Called Sexpo, he created and launched the Sexpo – health, sexuality and lifestyle expo in Australia in 1996, before exporting the event to South Africa in 2007 and then to London in 2015.
Maxine Fensom, a long-standing and respected identity in the adult industry, and owner of Sexpo USA (sexpo.com/) says: “The action against Australian Exhibition Group Pty. Ltd. (AEG) has no effect on Sexpo USA’s business as AEG has no interest in the US Sexpo trademark,” she said.
David says: “Following the sale of Sexpo Australia in 2019 to Australian Exhibition Group Pty. Ltd. I no longer have any interest in the local event, but it is still very sad to see what happened to my baby.
“I have received numerous calls from disgruntled exhibitors, telling me that Sexpo Australia (AEG) was still sending out invoices, reminders and accepting payments until at least 12:00 on 23/9/24, just hours before the postponement notice. has been sent,” he said.
Maxine and David are now working together with the aim of filling the gap in the market left by the demise of Sexpo Australia, focusing on the core production values that were so successful when David founded Sexpo in 1996.
Maxine says: “Exhibitors and audiences are equally dissatisfied due to the last minute nature of the cancellation and the lack of communication from Sexpo Australia management, leaving them out of pocket for all costs associated with traveling to and exhibiting at a big fair. event.
“The brand may now be too damaged to consider buying the trademark, but the name of the event is less important than giving the public what they want from an adult exhibition, so we are also considering launching under a different name” , she said.
David says: “I have a very good reputation among Sexpo exhibitors and the fact that the local brand has now been tarnished could mean that the Australian trademark is worthless, except possibly to Maxine and myself.
“I have even been contacted by several concerned exhibitors asking if I have any plans to launch a new event, saying they would like to be involved.
“We are currently seeking expressions of interest from potential investors to launch a new event.
Interested parties can contact David at david@mister-sexpo.com.
“To avoid the financial pitfalls that AEG has experienced, we will not proceed without full funding, as producing successful exhibitions requires months of planning and significant financial investment.
“If there is enough interest and we are fully supported, we will offer significant discounts on exhibition space to early partners,” he said.
For more information please contact:
David Ross: david@mister-sexpo.com or PH + 61 (0) 419 266 981
Maxine Fensom: maxine@sexpo.com or PH +1 (310) 722 7864
