Hungary- POPULAR wisdom that Hungary is a porn stronghold was tangibly confirmed on the Ninth Erotica Exhibition and Fair, held over last weekend in the Syma Hall. A large number of visitors went to see the exhibitors, most of which represented the Hungarian accessory manufacturers, distributors, film companies and porn media.
"After the initial difficulties to make this expo accepted, our potential business partners finally recognized it as a feasible and profitable event," said Ildikó Strausz, one of the organizers of the Erotica Fair. Her company, S&F Bt has been a regular player in the exhibition business: the Erotica expo is just one among a number of other events including wine fairs and agricultural exhibitions, organized by the company. Having seen the success of a similar event in Vienna, S&F decided to open Hungary's first Erotica expo in 1995.
"What opened with 25 exhibitors on 1,000sqm and with 5,000 visitors grew to an event with 60 companies, on 5,000 square meters, and with six times as much guests only in three years," Strausz said.
The organizer estimates that 95% of exhibitors are Hungarian companies. That is due more to the closeness of the market than the local preferences: most foreign companies can only find their way to the Hungarian market through Magyardistributors. The best-known and biggest Hungarian porn media enterprise is LUXx Video, owned by István Kovács, widely known as Kovi, who has won two Porn Oscars.
A producer and director, Kovi constructed an empire of video stores, production and distribution units, which controls 60% of the Hungarian market.
His company distributes 48 films every year, although he estimated that volumes are still low.
"Whereas in Hungary we consider publishing a film in 200 prints sold for €11 each to be a success, in Italy, for example, selling less than 2,000 of a €50 film is still a financial downer," he said.
The biggest problem on the Hungarian market is the low purchasing power, the porn king added. Although Kovi's company produces barely 20 LUXx films annually, he has raised a generation of world famous porn stars.
The biggest has been Michelle Wild, who has recently retired and is an expectant mother. Maya Gold and Christina Bella are the rising stars which he had big hopes for. "They are beautiful," he said as an simple explanation for the success for the success of Hungarian porn actors.
Californian lawyer Chad Gerardi has a different perspective: "They are not only beautiful, but also do not have the star allures yet, they retain some sort of an innocence," he said. Gerardi, as the representative of American producers, flew over from California for only one day to meet and negotiate with rising Hungarian porn actress Victoria Swinger. "The Hungarian porn business is a highly professional," Gerardi said.
