It's best to leave your friends at home. As people have all ready said:
1. Internet porn conventions are giant sausage fests filled with people talking business.... your friends will get bored VERY fast.
2. The industry as a whole is NOT booming like it used to be. Things are tight and people are struggling all over. So bringing in NON biz people to parties to suck down food & drinks is rude and unwanted by the sponsor.
3. It'll slow you down because you'll need to pay too much attention to them instead of making friends and doing biz with industry people.
If you're going to bring anyone then let it only be women. Everyone doesn't mind more women showing up regardless if they're in the biz or not.
Speaking just for me, when I go to these shows I'm there for business and to have some fun with people I do business with. I'm not there to make friends with random non industry folk. So basically when I come across non-industry folk at the shows, I pretty much get up and leave the conversation. I don't want to waste my time talking to anyone that can't benefit me what so ever..... like I said I'm here for biz not random friend making.
So your friend will prolly think I'm an asshole for being rude and cutting the convo short, which therefore makes the time there less fun..... So people like me will automatically make the show not fun for them.
Just my 2
