Growing up in the Santa Clarita Valley, just north of Los Angeles, Spencer Hochberg will tell you he spent most of his time outside, learning and inventing unicycle tricks.
“The sport and I grew up along with the internet, and suddenly I had an ability to collaborate with a tight-knit yet international community, as a kid in my front yard,” says Hochberg. “Throughout my teenage years, I traveled around the US and Europe attending conventions, performing, competing, judging and eventually organizing flatland unicycle competitions.”
It was Hochberg’s time during and after college that he found himself in a “thriving community of circus artists.”
In fact, it was training on the Chinese pole — vertical poles on which circus performers climb, slide down and hold poses — that gave Hochberg the impetus to prototype the LED pole.
Fast-forward to two years ago, and Hochberg co-founded PoleFX, which designs and manufactures programmable LED dance poles.
ExoticDancer.com spoke with Hochberg—about his experience at EXPO, the feedback he’s heard from the gentlemen’s club industry, and what tunes get Hochberg spinning—in conjunction with StripJointsMusic.com and our monthly Spotify series. Don’t miss Hochberg’s personalized Spotify playlist right here!
ED: You and PoleFX have been to the past two Expos, and you were also involved in the tradeshow mainstage. How would you describe your Expo experiences so far?
HOCHBERG: Expo has been an invaluable opportunity to connect directly with the industry and get to know the community. Being able to display our pole on the mainstage during our first year really helped us communicate what we’re capable of, there’s really no replacement for seeing the pole in action. In just the couple years that we’ve been coming to Expo, it has been fun to see the growing awareness of our brand and getting to meet more and more people who use our poles in their clubs.
ED: How long have you been with PoleFX, and for those who may be unfamiliar with your products, how would you describe PoleFX?
HOCHBERG: I co-founded PoleFX about two years ago and we design and manufacture programmable LED dance poles. Our team has cut our teeth creating custom interactive installations, tech for live shows and marketing activations for big brands. With PoleFX, we’re helping clubs create novel, high-end experiences for patrons by bringing impactful lighting to center stage.
ED: What’s the best compliment you’ve heard from a club owner, manager or entertainer about your very unique dance poles?
HOCHBERG: Entertainers show us a lot of appreciation on social media, one of the best messages we’ve received from a dancer read “I love your product! Thank you for helping to give me my favorite photo of myself ever…it gave me so much confidence and joy!”
But really, the best compliment is when our clients become repeat customers.
ED: What do you do for fun (hobbies, etc)? If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be?
HOCHBERG: I enjoy digital media projects, and designing hardware, software and electronic systems are actually what I do for fun most of the time.
If I could vacation anywhere, I’d be a passenger on the Space Station for a week. Does that count?
ED: These profile stories are written in conjunction with StripJointsMusic.com (our newsletter and website supporter). Hypothetically speaking, if you were to visit a gentlemen’s club, what music or artists would you like to hear in that environment?
HOCHBERG: A soulful mix of Anderson .Paak, Lizzo and Megan Thee Stallion.
“Entertainers show us a lot of appreciation on social media, one of the best messages we’ve received from a dancer read, ‘I love your product! Thank you for helping to give me my favorite photo of myself ever … it gave me so much confidence and joy!’ But really, the best compliment is when our clients become repeat customers.” — Spencer Hochberg
ED: If you had a chance to see any musician in concert (whether they’re alive today or not), which would you pick and why? And what are some of your all-time-favorite bands/musicians?
HOCHBERG: I’d like to see Amy Winehouse, her live performances were always super-expressive and she delivered her vocals in a different way each time, making her shows feel more like one-off personalized experiences.
These days in my heavy Spotify rotation are a lot of BROCKHAMPTON, Mac Miller and Nipsey Hussle. Some of my all-time-favorites Childish Gambino, Old Kanye, Kid Cudi, and Chvrches. I’m not really one for classics.
Where were you born/raised: Los Angeles
Current Company: PoleFX
Years with the company: 2
Favorite recording artist: Childish Gambino
Favorite industry pro: Kris Kay (Editor’s note: Kris Kay is the Marketing and PR Director for ED Publications)
Favorite part of EXPO: Getting to personally know future and current clients.
Favorite part of your job: Having new ideas and willing them into existence.
Work pet peeve: Unreliable Wi-Fi
Advice for fellow industry pros: It’s easier to stand out if you do something weird 😉
Check out Hochberg’s personalized Spotify playlist right here, courtesy of StripJointsMusic.com!
