As you may already know, I once more had the chance to experience the amazing event that is the Fetish Factory weekend ball in Florida. This year, Glenn and Donna (owners of the Fetish Factory store and hosts of the ball) offered me the position of Mistress of ceremonies and I happily accepted. Also, a bunch of my Montreal friends joined Martin, Richard, and I not only to party, but to support me as well. This is because I have a lot of stage fright, especially if I have to speak in front of 1500 people! But sharing this experience with friends like Martin, Richard, Mario and Denis (Polymorphe), Eric, Alura, Luk and Mai, Mylene and Pierce… allowed me to have fun despite all the stress.

Thursday was probably the calmest day of the trip because none of the parties started till Friday. I am always nervous about going through American Customs (which are at the Montreal airport) because I was once refused entry into the United States and the experience was pretty rough. (See diary entry Bianca in Boston) However, this time the customs officer was really nice and boarding, as well as the flight itself, went off without a hitch. Hurray! Once we arrived in Florida, charming state with its cute little lizards and spellbinding heat, Eric (who had already been there for a few days) was kind enough to be our private chauffeur to the hotel. Eric, by the way, has been a friend of mine for years. In Montreal he organizes the monthly Club Sin fetish events and is also the creator of the Montreal Fetish Week-end 3 days party. For more information on this September event that I will also be hosting you can visit my forum on the subject or go to the Fetish Week-end site. But for now, let’s go back to the Sheraton Cypress hotel. I have to say that in my opinion the hotel looks a lot nicer than the Marriott from last year. With its indoor atrium, dozens of turtles, spacious rooms, and welcoming pool, I found the hotel to have a really comfortable feel. The check-in was also problem-free, which I appreciated.

After a good shower and a hair styling session (one of the reasons Richard accompanied me was of course to do my hair for the duration of our stay in Florida. His work is in a class of its own and I always feel like a princess in his hands), it was time to go for supper. We had chosen the resto-bar The Shooter in Pompano, where several other models were going to be joining us, among them were the very beautiful Maya, Von (who is also a designer, see House of Bias) and Rubberdoll. The restaurant was nice, but no more than that. I was asked for ID, which of course I didn’t have on me, and so was unable to order alcohol for the evening. In Montreal the drinking age is 18, whereas in the States it is 21. Americans are used to carrying their ID around with them but still, do I really look younger than 21? The valet said I looked 17 which I think is really pushing it! But oh well, I’m told I should be happy that I look younger than I am. Sure, it’s a compliment, but as it was I felt pretty left out being the only one who couldn’t drink with everyone. Luckily, Richard was able to give me a few sips here and there when the waitress wasn’t looking. Teehee! Anyway, the evening ended pretty early. We were tired from the traveling and wanted to make sure we were in top shape for partying over the next 3 days…

Friday was a pretty full day as we had to swing by Fetish Factory to pick up our event passes, and then go and get ready for the night. The FF store is without question my favourite fetish store that I’ve seen in my travels. It is spacious, has an impressive latex selection (from various designers), leather, toys, jewellery, shoes, DVDs, magazines (many of which have me on the cover, hey hey), etc. I had already been to the store last year, but seeing it again had the same effect as the first time: I was enchanted! I would have liked to start shopping immediately, but I knew I would have a little more time the next day for my autograph session. So, we picked up our passes and headed back to the hotel. What with breakfast, lunch, and our trip to the FF store, it was already 5 pm when we got back to the hotel and time to start my hair and makeup. Luckily I am used to doing makeup so 45 minutes was plenty of time. And having my hair down and without extensions also didn’t take up very much time. Let's just say that putting on the Au Dai, the red garment that Polymorphe wanted me to wear that evening, and then oiling it took more time than the hair and makeup, hey hey! But it was worth it: red really suits me I think :)

Friday’s party was at club Coliseum, in a certain section of the club where the terrace served as a VIP section (photographers, models, store owners, etc.) and for one hour, booze was free!! Imagine a big group of friends together who are offered free booze!! Let me just say that quite a few of us were tipsy by the end of the night (myself included, of course!) But what a great party! In my opinion it was the best of all 3 nights, as everyone was full of energy and wanted to have a lot of fun. I also really liked being able to party outdoors. The terrace had a breeze, and so blew away much of the cigarette smoke. Aside from the mimes that had been hired to add a little spice to the party, I think we were probably responsible for most of the action. I was later told that Natalie Minx had done a show inside, but since I stayed outdoors the whole time I didn’t see any shows. But I tell you, I don’t care that I didn’t! Everywhere I looked guests were laughing, dancing, or kissing. Glenn and Donna were all smiles and offered goodies top their guests. Mario met new people, Martin took pictures here and there, Richard was alternating between 2 drinks, I was getting complimented on my blonde hair…All in all a wonderful night that I will miss until we do it again next year!

As expected I woke up around 8 am and jumped out of bed with my heart pounding. It is always like this when I am hosting an event. The stress kills me; or at least that is how it feels. My hands shake and I get a tightness in my chest. Every time, I question why I accepted the contract, and this time was no different. And yet, every time I say "Okay, I'm gonna MC your event." Why? Maybe I like to torture myself. Maybe I'm hoping to give myself a heart attack?? Or maybe it is simply that I love a challenge. Ahh, what a masochist I can be sometimes. :)

Anyway, I didn't get a lot of sleep that night. While Martin and Richard went to the hotel gym I was at least able to look over the shows that I was presenting. In all there were 7: Demask fashion show, ChainGoddess Brandy, Rebecca, Darenzia (2x), Natalie Minx and Taiko drummers. With my little notes and pen in hand I wrote a few lines for each show in order to give them the best presentation I could. And so, after a bit of practice in my room, I was able to relax and prepare myself for my book signing, Bianca Beauchamp: Fetish Sex Symbol, which was taking place between 2 and 4 pm at the Fetish Factory store. The event was pretty calm compared to the one we had in Montreal. But, with the success and all the alcohol of the previous evening, I had thought it would be. The three of us were tired and the store was pretty quiet too. It still went by pretty quickly though, as the fans who came to meet me stayed long enough to talk and have a good conversation. I really like meeting my fans. I find the fact that they come out all this way to meet me is really toughing, and sometimes makes me shy, teehee!

After that event, and my purchase of a red-feathered dressing gown, we had to wait a good 30 minutes for the hotel shuttle to arrive. Once it got there, people who had been waiting for less time then we had stole our seats in the limousine, meaning we would have to wait yet another 30 minutes. I was really angry!! These people had the mentality of 5 year olds! And since I had to get to the hotel to get ready for my hosting that evening, I was really stressed out about losing time. But, we were able to hail a taxi and get back to the hotel before 5:30 pm, where I immediately started my makeup while Richard did my hair (Extensions and a really glam style). Over the course of the evening I wanted to change outfits 3 times. The first outfit was my gorgeous white-feathered gown from Absolute Danny. Le second was the black Polymorphe bikini that I wore on the cover of Bizarre, along with the red-feathered dressing gown I just bought at the FF store. The third was a black and pink corset that was custom made for me by Polymorphe, a pair of leggings, and pink fishnets. It took a while to get all of that in my suitcase but around 10:30 we were all in the VIP section that we had reserved in order to have what they call a base camp, and also to make sure we had somewhere to sit. You see, Club Cinema is very big and there were at least 1500 people in it. It was pretty crazy backstage, but it was okay because I don't need a lot of room to change.

My first presentation was at around 11:45. I had my nervousness pretty much under control, which impressed me. The Demask show (teamed with the ones by Luk, Mai, Mylena and Pierce) were greeted by loud screams. The crowd was really excited, and that was encouraging for all of us. The Darenzia was really cute, the ChainGoddess one spectacular, and Rebecca's was engaging. I t was by then 2 am and I was wearing my black bikini. A security guard ran right up to me as Rebecca's show was ending. He ripped the microphone from my hand and said there were cops everywhere and the club had to close. Of course, everyone assumed he was joking, so I had to take the microphone back and tell everyone that, no, it was real and we had to leave the club. Though everyone was disappointed, they luckily understood. Exiting the club passed without incident. Of course, everyone wanted to know what the problem was. It was a question of alcohol being served past the legal time limit or something like that. I was disappointed that I didn't get the chance to wear my third awesome outfit, or to have finished hosting the evening, as were some of the performers. Still, people met back up at the hotel smiling. Many of them played till the wee hours of the morning. People were really looking forward to what would be taking place the next day: the play party.

Finally, I was able to relax the entire day on Sunday since my hosting was finished. Luckily, I was really able to make the best of it, as there was a pool party at the hotel. Who doesn't like having a drink and wearing latex while hanging out by the pool?! I wore my bikini again because I think it is really sexy and breathes well. One the other hand, it doesn't stay on well in water and I frequently ended up with my butt showing. ;) A lot of people were swimming in catsuits or latex bags. Others were just lying in the sun and sipping on margaritas. Boy that is the life! Complete and utter relaxation. But, you have to be careful as the sun and alcohol can really tire you out. Also, at around 4 pm Martin, Richard, and I went to the restaurant next door to grab a burger on the grill. Unfortunately, the center of my burger wasn't cooked enough. I didn't really pay much attention to it, which resulted in a vomiting session back in my hotel bathroom. All night I felt weak and nauseous! Damn! I had wanted to make this the night where I really partied! I was really disappointed. But, I nonetheless put on my red catsuit and corset. It was a bit uncomfortable for my stomach, but the result was fantastic! I got nothing but compliments all night.

Lets talk about the evening though, not just my throwing up. The evening was taking place at the Beat and Greet club from Friday at the Coliseum, but this time in a bigger section of the club. What a gorgeous room! A center stage, dance floor, and BDSM game stations at various places around the room. The club was packed. The previous night's police adventure didn't stop anyone from having a good time. People wore leather, latex, and proudly brandished their whips, crops, nipple clams, and violet wands. In fact, several people came up to me throughout the evening to offer me electricity sessions. It seems my reputation for loving electricity precedes me, hey hey! Since I wasn't feeling all that well, and the loud music was giving me a migraine, I instead preferred to stay with my little group of friends, bopping along to a popular song and re-hydrating myself with orange juice.

The first show of the evening was another performance by ChainGoddess Brandy on the centre stage. This time, she was doing spectacular aerial gymnastics suspended from chains. The second show was a cute and funny striptease by Darenzia. The third show deserves to be talked about a little more, as I think it was the best show of the entire weekend: Allen Falkner suspension show. He wasn't alone in performing though. I forget her name she was Asian and also into suspension. By suspension I don't mean with bondage style ropes. I am instead talking about deep piercings in the skin of the back that are attached to a rope for the person to suspend from.Ouch , right?! Le blood would sometimes drip down their backs making me cringe, but despite the blood, Allen's shows are so impressive I can't help but stare when I see them. It was impressive as well as professional, with incredibly romantic choreography, an adorable colleague, enchanting music… Allen Falkner once more amazed his audience and I understood why each year Fetish Factory saves him for dessert! In short, wow for the whole evening, the artists, and the people playing, but Coliseum club should have hired a DJ who respected the ears of their guests!

I woke up with the same migraine as the night before. Damn! But oh well, I survived the Fetish Factory week-end! And what a weekend it was! In all honesty, I preferred the FF party to the Rubber ball in London. Why? Three reasons: The first has to do with geography and economics. Florida is only a 3 and a half hour flight from where I live. There is no jet lag, it's hot, I can swim in the ocean, and right now there is hardly any difference in exchange between the US dollar and the Canadian one. All of that is in sharp contrast to London. The second point has to do with the hotel and access to the party. Everyone from all over the world stays at the same hotel, which allows for more bonding and meeting new people. Also, FF are really organized with their shuttle running every 30 minutes from the hotel to the parties and the FF store. The third point concerns the parties and the guests. Not only are the parties accessible because of the shuttle, but the clubs are really interesting. The Beat and Greet party is a great way to break the ice with strangers. The people in Florida are really excited about meeting new people, as opposed to Europe where I find the people are sometimes snobby. The people in Florida certainly wear less nice clothes than those in Europe, but they are more accessible and smiling. But anyway, no matter where you go, if you have the chance to take part in a fetish night it's awesome. As for me, I will probably go to FF again next year like I did this year and last. I am writing all this down on the flight back to Montreal. I feel good, but a bit off balance. After the intensity of the last 4 days it feels a bit like time has stopped. Luckily, the ferrets are waiting for me with their joyful energy. A couple of days to catch up on my email, and then an important shoot I can't talk about yet. Hush hush secret... The diary will surely talk about it soon. :)

Xx
Bianca