Bid to save Sexpo after flamboyant boss heads overseas

Two Melbourne adult industry stalwarts are rallying to save Sexpo after the popular event was shut down at the last-minute, leaving vendors, suppliers and the public badly out-of-pocket.

Two Melbourne adult industry stalwarts have moved to save Sexpo as the event’s flamboyant boss is believed to have headed overseas.

Club boss Maxine Fensom and Sexpo founder David Ross say vendors, suppliers and the public have been left badly out-of-pocket after Sexpo and a major tattoo show were shut down within weeks of being held.

Ms Fensom said exhibitors and ticketholders were disgruntled by the last-minute scuttling of the 2024 edition.

“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 another name,” Ms Fensom said.

Mr Ross, who started the health, sexuality and lifestyle event in 1996, said what had happened was a “crying shame”.

Sexpo boss Kevin Mack. Picture: Josie Hayden

But he said while the brand may be tarnished, there was hope Sexpo or something in the same style could have a place in the future.

“I have been contacted by several affected exhibitors asking if I have any intentions to launch a new event, stating they would be happy to be involved,” Mr Ross said.

“We are currently seeking expressions of interest from potential investors to launch a new event.”

A number of South Australia tattooists and other exhibitors went public last month saying they had been left thousands of dollars out of pocket when the Australian Tattoo Expo and Adelaide Sexpo, scheduled to run this month, were canned.

Social media platform Reddit is littered with comments from patrons in Adelaide complaining they would not get their ticket money back.

Flamboyant Sexpo boss Kevin Mack is believed to have headed overseas after the event was torpedoed at short notice.

OnlyFans star Charlie Forde appeared at Sexpo in 2022.

The Sunday Herald Sun has been told the Bentley-driving Mr Mack flew out of Australia in recent weeks with his wife Shan.

That followed the postponement of the adult-only gatherings pencilled in for three Australian capitals.

Attempts to reach Mr Mack by phone have been unsuccessful.

Mr Ross and other sources have told the Sunday Herald Sun Mr Mack was overseas,

A letter sent to performers, creators and exhibitors last month stated legal disputes between partners meant Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide events were off.

It has been a troubled few years for Sexpo with the event being sunk twice by Covid.

Earlier this year, Emerch, a company run by Mr Mack, went bust owing creditors close to $875,000.

Emerch, which traded as TatsUp, sold tattoo products and had $688 in the bank when it collapsed and a liquidator was appointed in March.

A creditors’ report said Emerch had large tax debts and “the director had concerns about the solvency of the company.”

Mr Mack is a current director of nine other companies.

They are Australian Exhibition Group, Australian Tattoo Events, Common Media Group, Creatorcon, Kevin Mack Investments, Mack Holdings, Love Lines Tattoo Studio, Megacon and Quacks Capital.