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New Zealand – from www.stuff.co.nz – First Steve Crow had to can his Rugby World Cup Boobs on Bikes Parade because no one wanted it, now the porn king is being stripped of the venue for his Erotica Lifestyles Expo.
Auckland’s ASB Showground will no longer play host the adult entertainment expo lifestyles exhibition which is has hosted for the past 12 years, after a contract between the two parties ended.
“Their contract expired and we’re not renewing it. The show had seen better days and had dropped off in popularity,” ASB Showground’s CEO Mark Frankham said.
Speaking at the Auckland Council’s culture arts and events forum on Tuesday, Auckland Agricultural, Pastoral and Industrial Shows Board chairman Dave Scott, said the board, which owns the showground, had been trying for a long time to show Crow the door.
“It’s taken us several years to move him out legally and we’ve forgone a bit of income to do that,” he said.
Although Crow admitted he was unaware the expo had been shutout of the venue, he said he had “no plans to go back there anyway”.
He is already looking at other venues.
Crow said he spent more than $80,000 each year securing the venue for the three-day event and claims crowd numbers had remained strong, with more than 20,000 people attending annually.
“It’s a little different and all the expos have been reasonably popular. There’s no competition and this is the only adult expo in the country,” he said.
Councillor Cathy Casey, who has been active opponent of the Boobs on Bikes parade held to promote the expo, said she was “pleasantly surprised” by the move to oust the R18 event from the showgrounds.
“This is not about having an R18 show, what we get is Boobs on Bikes and complaints with advertising. In the past two years the complaints authority has upheld complaints because his billboards are offensive,” she said.
“Maybe it’s time for him to pack it up. I would like Auckland to say goodbye to the parade. I’m not a prude, but despise pornography and the way it portrays women.”
Earlier this month Crow canned his latest Boobs on Bikes parade – set to take place last weekend during the RWC clash between France and the All Blacks – due to negative public opinion.
The parade was to feature topless women riding motorcycles, body painted in the participating nations’ national colours.
Crow maintained the parade had council approval before it was cancelled.