Sexual Wellness Is Still Taboo; This Show Organizer’s Fighting To Change That

Sex sells, or so goes the old advertising adage. But sex also carries a stigma, and is (somehow) still taboo in wide swaths of the public sphere.

Nicole Leinbach Hoffman knows this contradiction all too well. The trade show entrepreneur is the driving force behind Stimulate, an event that covers the $115 billion sexual wellness industry in the U.S. that is about to hold its third gathering in Nashville in August.

Stimulate, a B2B trade show, conference and community connecting vendors and suppliers to retailers, medical professionals and more within the sexual wellness space, was a sort of Covid baby. Leinbach Hoffman came across data that showed sales of adult novelty products shot up while people were locked down. An idea was born.

“I really dove into the data, and I was just fascinated by the range of what sexual wellness was really offering—not just adult novelty. What I found was that there was no trade show truly encompassing the vast range of what I defined as sexual wellness, which is head to toe, young to mature, purpose to pleasure,” Leinbach Hoffman told AMO.

That phrase, “purpose to pleasure,” is key to Leinbach Hoffman’s approach to Stimulate. The show is not cheap, vulgar or inappropriate. She’s quick to point out how Stimulate differentiates itself.

“There are shows that exist that are very, very focused on either porn or pleasure-focused products only or lingerie,” Leinbach Hoffman said. “But there’s nothing that really committed to our intimate care aisles of retail stores or the offerings that just as human beings, we need.”

She’s not always taken seriously. When Leinbach Hoffman first started Stimulate, someone commented that she was “like the local madam in a town,” a perfect example of the kind of stigma and inappropriate reactions she faces.

Before being labeled a madam, Leinbach Hoffman started a company called Retail Minded, which supported retail and wholesale businesses in event and content marketing. She worked with trade shows providing content marketing services for clients like IBM, Emerald and Clarion. So she wasn’t exactly flying blind into the world of events.

Now with Stimulate, Leinbach Hoffman works to keep the show’s standards as high as possible given the subject matter. She will not work with companies that produce human-like dolls or devices that suggest sexual activity involving underage individuals or that do not align with Stimulate’s broader messaging. She carefully curates exhibitors to ensure they meet the show’s professional standards and respect the serious, health-focused approach of the show.

How serious? A look at some of the upcoming sessions provides a clue. Topics include:

• Transforming taboo topics into a thriving social media empire
• Reclaiming power, pleasure and voice after trauma
• How retailers are working with brands to innovate for the next generation
• AI hacks to boost visibility and sales without getting censored

Even so, people are often still embarrassed talking about sex. Some retailers feel uncomfortable discussing pleasure-related products, and not all point of sale providers want to process transactions for certain items. Even just the word sex is frequently censored on social media—that makes it a challenge to market the event.

“The first hurdle is simply, on a very lean budget, just the general growth acceleration, we’ve had to be very strategic with how we spend, why we spend, and ultimately making sure that we’re doing so with a thoughtful consideration of an already stigmatized category,” Leinbach Hoffman said. “So part of our growth isn’t just about show growth, but it’s also breaking boundaries in the category that we’re supporting.”

Intimate product brands like condoms and tampons will usually be found at grocery store trade shows, where a middle-aged white man might not feel so uncomfortable, rather than at a show like Leinbach Hoffman’s.

“As a category for us as mothers, as individuals, we deserve to see this category better supported and rallied around as a standalone experience, not hidden in the aisles of other shows,” she said. “And historically, that’s what it’s been. And so it’s about darn time that we stand out and that people show up when it comes to stigma.”

Tariff Uncertainty Isn’t Sexy

The first Stimulate in 2023 saw about 200 attendees and it was free to attend. Leinbach Hoffman expects about 500 people this year. Qualified retailers like CVS don’t pay, while sex education and medical leaders are charged $495. Students can get in for $95.

The show has been profitable, and Leinbach Hoffman pays herself a minimal salary. The company has one other full-timer and a handful of part-time employees. Any leftover funds go right back into building the company. She’s open to investment but also craves industry leadership and mentorship, and wants to align with investors who are “not just handing over dollars, but handing over wisdom.”

Her goal is to potentially, one day, sell the company to a team that can take Stimulate to the next level.

In the meantime, she’s planning a show for 2026 in Australia based on demand from sexual health leaders, and she holds micro, invite-only events in doctor’s offices with about 70 people. She has a podcast she wants to relaunch, would love to have a dedicated newsletter and do YouTube work, but her resources are, for now, limited.

To get the word out, they have leaned into organic marketing, being very active in private Facebook groups, contributing articles to publications specific to the category and doing retail education: making sure retailers and vendors are learning through Stimulate.

From the first to the second year, registration grew by 160% and exhibitor growth 70%; revenue rose 281%. She’s less certain of what this August’s show will look like given the ongoing tariff discussions happening between the U.S. and China. They’d like to see 400% revenue growth and have historically had strong retention of brands and exhibitors.

“They will be exhibiting, but those extra dollars that historically would be pushed into sponsorships or highlighted experiences, we’re definitely seeing a decline in that as we approach our show,” Leinbach Hoffman said. “That could change between now and August, a lot can change as every day passes. So we’re being cautiously optimistic, but we’re also being realistic about what’s going on in the market.”