A year later, we returned to the “scene of the crime” of the sex and fetish fair—the Berlin VENUS Festival—now in its 21st year. Just like in previous years, the entire event lasted 4 days (Thu–Sun) at Berlin’s well-known Messe exhibition center. The event featured 3 large halls (live shows, erotic products mixed with porn in 2 halls), 1 smaller but increasingly interesting Fetish/BDSM/Kinky hall, and finally live strip shows for VIPs and visitors who paid extra.
How was this year’s VENUS Festival 2018?
Unfortunately, this year’s trend was a reduction in the number of booths and an increase in the space between them. This was most noticeable on Thursday, when there were even fewer visitors. The average visitor probably wouldn’t even notice, but we’ve been going to Berlin for four years now, and the difference is palpable. You can even see it in our photos. Also missing (mysteriously, in our opinion) was the German star Fun Factory – overall, there were fewer adult toy exhibitors than last year (and there wasn’t even a financial crisis).
On the contrary, the market for erotic toys is on the rise, paradoxically thanks to the trend 50 Shades of Grey. We’ll try to find out through our contacts with wholesalers in the Czech Republic if they know more. In any case, this shows us that next year we should head out to another international festival. Whether for regular visitors or perhaps for B2B—EroFame immediately comes to mind.
Sex toys everywhere you look
Well-known brands such as Mystim, LELO, Satisfyer, … and Germany’s largest sex shops, such as Eis, Beate-uhse, and others, were also represented. Of course, the ever-popular “bargain bin” for 1–3 euros from the brand BACI, nor were the sales booths in the style of a mini-market. We don’t want to disparage their offerings, but for the most part they sold only copies of established toys—though, of course, at significantly lower prices. So there was something for everyone.
Several toys had their own “wheels of fortune,” but based on past experience, these wheels were either time-limited (for example, at Mystimu there were two 15-minute windows to spin—one at 1:00 PM and the other at 5:00 PM), or even came with a small fee. This at least solved the endless lines of people waiting for a “free gift.”
We didn’t win much this year; what amused us most at first glance were the seemingly simple hair ties from Mystimu… you might ask, what do hair ties have to do with sex? All you had to do was look at their description…. “blow job”—or hair ties for pulling your hair back while giving a blow job… O:) A small thing, but it’s fun.
What caught our eye the most?
- LELO F1 Masturbator
- Satisfyer Vibro (a replica of Fun Factory Cobra),
- Svakom Nymfa, Cookie, and Candy,
- Innovative condoms LELO Hex (classic and XL versions)
- Erotic swing Lust and Joy,
- Come X smart vibrator for couples,
- …
For me, the most interesting item was the LELO F1 – a new masturbator that uses vacuum technology from the Sona Cruiser women’s toy. It’s in the style of Womanizer/Satisfyer (these two brands are even fighting each other in court over patent infringement – and I don’t blame them).
In its simplicity, the F1 is a steel tube with a super-soft silicone insert, multiple sensors (for movement, speed, and penetration depth), and “vibrations/pulsations” . It felt great on my fingers; the inner insert is really flexible (and softer), so it adapts perfectly to the shape of the penis – I’d love to try the F1 on it.
Most importantly, however, LELO offers a so-called developer kit, allowing you to connect the toy’s individual sensors and software to your own external tools/services (most likely via an API or directly via an SDK)—Alexa, Siri, Apple Home, VR porn, … and program your own stimulation modes. It’s definitely an interesting development in the field of smart sex toys. So here’s the protocol—enjoy!
Realistic sex dolls
Another trend in recent years is definitely real sex dolls – or realistic sex dolls (luxury versions of inflatable dolls) in life-size. The market will certainly continue to grow, even though prices for the higher-quality dolls start at around 50k and up.
People—especially young people—no longer know how to communicate and socialize in the real world; they only have Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, …
And this is exactly what fuels the trend of sex dolls, which don’t talk back, cost a single fixed payment upfront, don’t require you to pick them up or seduce them, and never have a headache. Just try to calculate (and in Asia, they actually do this) whether it’s worth it for them to buy one decent toy, or to invest in a live and fickle partner? It’s a slight exaggeration, but so that we aren’t surprised in time by what’s going on in the minds of the younger generations after us…
They’re not quite 100% realistic yet
In terms of materials, the ones we saw at the VENUS trade show still have room for improvement; they feel a bit rough on the surface, the faces aren’t quite as detailed or “lifelike” yet, but otherwise they’re fabulous. Check out the photos for details of nipples, areolas, labia, vagina, asses, … beautifully crafted and everyone can choose what they like.
“Do you want a MILF with huge boobs? A fit, slim girl? An androgynous partner, or on the contrary chubby girl with proper feminine curves? And that’s not even mentioning the various races that are more interesting to Europeans—typically Black women, Asian women, … You can mix and match your dream girl however you like…“
And women can also enjoy themselves with a silicone partner.
But they’d rather (according to the female members of the editorial staff) go out and pick someone up at a bar, because they need more interaction. It’s precisely that ritual of seduction they’d miss: wordplay, foreplay, flirting, … so instead of an artificial doll, they’d rather buy, say, a fucking machine. No man will ever give them that kind of performance—this sex machine never gets tired; it will stretch you out and “fuck” you until you turn it off.
Svakom as an interesting innovator
The Svakom erotic brand’s booth was definitely one of the smaller ones (and we’re ashamed to say we haven’t even tested a single one of their toys yet). In any case, they had 3 interesting pieces that we were dying to grab right away and run off with to a (albeit distant) hotel room. They were Cookie, Candy, and the new Nymfa , which is a more mature and larger version of Cookie.
Imagine three little fingers circling around your nipples or clitoris, getting you ready for sex during foreplay. You can adjust the angle and speed of the fingers’ vibrations yourself—after all, only you know what you’ll like.
And if the tiny but nimble fingers aren’t enough, turn Nymfa upside down and enjoy solid vibrations (impressive for the size of the toy) that will be transmitted to your clitoris via the head made of soft silicone = imagine a firmer jelly.
Inflatable Erotic Swing
For me, a fun little item under 80 euros that includes an inflatable swing with an open center, inside which is hidden a long but firm dildo (apparently made of silicone). In other words, the more you bounce on the swing (and you’ll want more and more), the deeper the inner dildo penetrates you.
It looks fun, we seriously considered buying it.
If you want to know more, we took some photos of their product (which can be described as a fucking machine – albeit without a motor) a few times, and it’s called Lust and Joy – specifically the Loopy Bounce DuoPack.
What we brought back from VENUS
- Vibrators Svakom Cookie and Vick,
- LELO HEX condoms,
- Durex Natural Feeling,
- Mystim massage candles A trip to Rome/Orient/Paris.
Of course, you can expect a review of everything in our testing section 🙂
Porn and Trends
Just like last year, there was a noticeable shift of porn studios toward VR (virtual reality), 4K porn, or niche markets such as latex, piss, nylon, rimming, … We were surprised not to see the RealityLovers booth here this year; last year they had large booths (both in terms of size and attractive girls) at both VENUS and the Prague Erotic Festival.
Web portals were well-represented: Erotic Lounge, Visit-X, Erotica3d, Porndoe, …
There was no shortage of lingerie either
If you went to the festival just for erotic lingerie, you certainly wouldn’t leave empty-handed – there was the aforementioned BACI, and Livia Corsetti, and of course plenty of smaller resellers, as well as manufacturers of fetish clothing (whether latex, such as Savage Latex Wear, or leather). There was also no shortage of the increasingly popular costumes for erotic cosplay/role play.
Not just erotica and fetish
Unfortunately, the fewer erotic exhibitors were replaced by representatives of the “wellness and beauty” segment. About five hair removal booths, hair straighteners, several tattoo artists, … took up space mainly along the hall walls, but there was noticeably more of it than in previous years. And the wellness/hair removal booths and their hostesses were once again annoyingly intrusive.
There was also no shortage of dating sites—whether erotic or innocent—but still it probably always ends up being about sex. Perhaps the only one worth mentioning is Forbidden Fruit with its creative presentation of “Adam and Eve” clad only in “leaves.”
Porn actresses still stole the show
Personally, I missed actresses with more natural, feminine curves and without excessive silicone—last year was definitely a better sight to behold; this year, it was as if they weren’t even there.
In my opinion, there were roughly 5 beautiful porn actresses (with some, I didn’t even understand what they were doing in the porn industry; they could easily make a living as models—some of them were from Puffynetwork.com), including one beautifully smiling Black woman, Luna Corazon = we also took photos of her for you.
I was definitely intrigued by Fetish Medusa Goddess = definitely an extreme creation of plastic surgery, but visually she’s an incredible being. Style-wise, she goes all out with BDSM, latex, fetish, strapon, …
Among the better-known actresses, the following were present:
PussyKat, Alina Lamour, Cat-Coxx, Kate Frost, Lady Estelle, Kim Rose, Lady Lucy, Lady Melina, CamAngel, Nomi Melone, Carmen Rivera, Salme de Nora, Widcating, MaryWet, Kate de Fleur, Gymbunny, Miley-Weasel, Paula-Rowe, Busty Cookies, Mariska X, Josy Black, Mary Haze, Little Caprice, Wendy Warrior, Ella Hughes, GummiPuppe, Gymbunny, and many more…
You can find them all directly on the VENUS website.
The main VENUS “stars” were also there: Micaela Schäfer, Lexy Roxx, Lucy Cat, Schnuggie91. Of course, you could take photos with all the actresses, and some were even open to being touched, or you could get an autograph. These “autograph sessions” were listed in the program, so you always knew where to go for a new photo/video/autograph.
How did we like this year’s VENUS festival overall?
My opinion:
For me, it was weaker than previous years, but I considered those to be great, so maybe I just expected an even bigger dose of new things this year—sexy girls, more challenging fetish/BDSM performances… and maybe it just couldn’t get any better than that. I’m satisfied, but for regular visitors, I recommend visiting (just like we did) on Thursday and Friday.
By Friday afternoon/evening, it’s already a madhouse; weekends are pretty packed and crowded, and you won’t be able to enjoy the live shows (there are dozens of people in front of you with big cameras, …). So ideally, time it right—this also means booking a hotel near the festival early. We booked ours this year just to be safe, since the dates for the next Berlin festival are already known: October 17–20, 2019.
Aly’s Opinion:
How was this year’s Venus? It was nice, but… I don’t know how to describe it—I kept getting the feeling that something was off. Three years ago (the last time I visited Venus), the atmosphere was completely different—it was so friendly—and I was thrilled with the fair.
Whenever I needed to take a photo of something, visitors usually let me get closer (because at 5’3”, I can’t see much over everyone else’s heads).
This year, I was almost knocked to the ground by horny visitors who were pushing their way toward the stage regardless of the consequences.
Overall, that first day (which was Thursday) was kind of weird—half-empty spaces lacking both exhibitors and visitors, and to fill the space, ladies with a miraculous hair removal method were accosting you at every turn.
I don’t want to offend anyone, but perhaps my bad impression of the fair was caused by those “horny perverts” (I apologize for the term, but it perfectly captures the looks and behavior of the visitors there—mainly the men)—who squeezed in around every half-naked girl and drooling over her. God forbid the girls put on some lesbian show—it would have been downright dangerous in their presence! The toy stands and merchandise booths in general were empty. Which is a real shame, because all the exhibitors were incredibly nice and helpful.
Fortunately, Venus redeemed itself on Friday. The weird atmosphere was gone, and thankfully so were the “perverts”—or maybe I just didn’t notice them in the crowd. On Friday, I had the impression that all those empty spaces had filled up and everything fell into place. I won’t go into detail here about exactly which booths were there; I’d probably just be repeating myself. But since I’m writing this from a girl’s perspective, I have to praise Mystim—as usual, they had a beautiful and elegant booth. They presented their products at a high level, and we spent the most time there—we were just drawn to it.
What can I say in conclusion?
Be sure to visit Venus if you are interested in sex toys and everything that goes with them. But Thursday wasn’t worth it this time, so it’s better to go on Friday or Saturday—maybe Sunday morning. You’ll definitely enjoy the visit more, but expect a larger crowd.
Your opinions 1 opinion
Hi, what are those Mystim massage candles like? I’m thinking about buying some.
Hi,
Sure—they have them at Sexshop, and there are several different scents: https://www.lascero.com/mystim-znacka 🙂