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For a lot of modern day couples, opening up their relationship to others is becoming increasingly popular. While this is certainly not a new phenomenon, more than ever, couples are seeking group sex parties to spice up their relationships and explore their sexuality.
But, before you can begin accepting payments from your swinging customers, you must first understand the intricacies of the culture.
The Myths Surrounding Key Parties
When the general public imagines swingers and their ‘secretive’ gatherings, key parties might come to mind. You know, those house gatherings where the host collects all of the couple’s car keys in a bowl, later to be randomly chosen by the women? While this is something often fantasized in movies, the reality is that key parties ignore a lot of the fundamental elements that make up swinger parties. Not to mention, they have never been widely documented outside of the silver screen!
To begin with, consent is a major theme with any activity associated with sex. Specifically, when it comes to couple sex parties, every party (within the couple too!) must be willing and consenting. The entire idea of randomly picking a set of keys strips the participant of any autonomy of selecting a partner. Not to mention the aspect of leaving their partner for the night. That’s simply not how most sex groups work. Couples typically stay together or at least in a nearby area. It should be noted that swinging is not wife or husband swapping.
Another element of these fictitious key parties that does not ring true is how time-consuming they would be. A couple attends a gathering and at the end of the night, the two are separated and leave with another individual? The reality is that couples who swing typically lead very modest lives. Having to coordinate all of the spouses the next morning would be stressful. The whole idea of swinging as a couple is the eventual connection back to one’s partner at the end of the event.
Is Swinging Illegal?
While the act of swinging isn’t illegal, some states are more restrictive when it comes to parties dedicated to swinging. Therefore, organizing an event in these states can be tricky. Ethic laws exist in some East-Coast states, making it increasingly difficult to advertise exactly what type of parties are being hosted. Although this may sound like a major roadblock, the majority of potential attendees will not come from the public. There are group pages, clubs, and organizations that will be the primary contacts for outreach.
When organizing an event or creating a club affiliated with swinging, there are some things to consider.
- Location
- The Presence of Alcohol
- Attendance Fees
- Membership
- Local Legislation
The location of the event or the club dictates the conditions for the majority of these factors. In those states that adhere to ethics laws, openly advertising events that feature sex or alcohol is typically prohibited. To work around these restrictions, event hosts will exclude the mention of sex as well as the presence of alcohol. At these same events, the participants will bring their own alcohol and although sex is not explicitly suggested, activities will still facilitate swinging.
How Traveling is a Major Component of Organized Swinger Parties
An often overlooked aspect of sex parties is the traveling that is involved in it. These events are hosted around the country at various hotels, resorts, and clubs. Much like business conventions, a lot of planning and promoting goes into these organized parties.
Depending on who is hosting the event–either an organization or club–the event can charge fees for attendance, food & drink, and activities. Hosts need to be acutely aware that attendance fees cannot be linked to the ‘sale’ of any sexual activities. These fees should thus be directed toward the party and not the potential activities that might result from.
Hospitality businesses actually benefit from swingers and their numerous parties that are thrown throughout the year. These organizations rent out convention halls and common areas from the hotels to host their mixers. The multitude of swingers also means plenty of rooms being booked up. These events can also be at random dates throughout the year, providing good business during off times.
Adult resorts and swinging
Although the general public might not be acutely aware of their existence, there are resorts that specialize in adult services like swingers and clothing-optional policies. These can be located around the globe, with many existing in tropical getaways.
These resorts can vary depending on location but are not so wild that public sex is happening anywhere and everywhere on the premises. Typically catering to couples only, these resorts have themed nights, activities, and plenty of fun outside of the bedroom.
Security and privacy are of the upmost importance at these locations. That’s why you’ll find strict no photography guidelines throughout the resorts. It’s of great importance to ensure guests’ privacy is respected with the duration of their stay.
The Influence of Technology for Sex Parties
The social aspect of emerging technology has had promising effects on the sex industry in general. For couples looking to swing, there are many online sources that can point them in the right direction.
The most common method of getting connected to a group or organizer–behind word of mouth–would be to check out websites that feature these types of events. Although some organizations request a number of qualifications, this is the most direct way to access some of the more legitimate resources.
Looking to social media, Facebook has the ability to create public and private groups. Local swingers can connect over these groups and can begin forming those relationships that potentially lead to being invited to other parties and events.
The Future of Swinger Parties’ Success
Similar to other markets in the adult industry, swinger party organizations are not only currently profitable, but also have the potential for growth. With more resources than ever, merchants looking to begin their own swinger party business are on the rise. But organizing the event only scratches the surface of what goes into get-togethers of this kind. Obtaining an adult merchant services account is one of the first steps that you need to make in order to accept card payments from your customers.
Adult Entertainment Merchant Account
Businesses in this industry type will find out that being able to accept all payment types will be a hard road. The reason for this stems from the stigmatization of the industry itself. Many credit card processing companies categorize anything in the adult industry as being high risk. Even if the business is profitable and brings in a lot of revenue, acquiring banks don’t like the topic. This leads many business owners in this category into disarray. They want to get secure merchant solutions but don’t know where to turn.
The only way to get your adult party business off the ground is to reach out to high risk payment processors that understand your industry and have solutions for you. These high risk providers get businesses appropriate merchant accounts that can accept credit and debit cards, ACH transactions, mobile terminals, and even point-of-sale solutions (POS). Turn to a payment processor that can support you and let your business grow without worry.
