Thom Naylor and Justice break down the strategy, preparation and mindset behind successful feature bookings during the 2025 EXPO seminar, “The Feature Presentation.”
(Note: This article appears in the January issue of ED Magazine.)
A standout feature booking doesn’t hinge on star power alone. It’s built on preparation, professionalism and a shared understanding that everyone involved should walk away satisfied. That was the driving message behind the 2025 EXPO seminar “The Feature Presentation,” which examined the factors that separate a forgettable appearance from a high-impact performance.
Moderated by ED’s Managing Editor Kris Kay, the panel included Thom Naylor, General Manager of Washington D.C.’s iconic Archibald’s Gentlemen’s Club, and Justice, one of Canada’s most decorated feature entertainers. In this seminar recap, we uncover the full lifecycle of a successful booking, from how talent is discovered and evaluated to what performers and club owners often get wrong. Drawing from decades of combined experience on both sides of the stage, the panelists spoke candidly about energy over appearance, respect over ego and why treating feature bookings as a long game is key to lasting success.
KAY: Thom, as someone who regularly books feature entertainers, can you walk us through the process? What is the protocol when you want to book a new entertainer, as opposed to an established performer, someone like Justice, who has verifiable credits?
NAYLOR: I’m kind of lazy when it comes to certain aspects of booking features, but I typically create a list of entertainers that I’m considering and send it over to Frank [Bane of Continental Agency] and Dave [Michaels of A-List Features], who dumb it down for me so that I can narrow it down. I also go to different shows or EXPOs where I can meet them in person. I don’t look for the prettiest woman or the sexiest woman. I look for feature entertainers with the right amount of energy. If I’m going to bring you into the club, I want to know that you’re not there just to get naked. You’re there to empower people and give them a memorable experience.
Then I’ll talk to people in the industry to see who they’re booking. Even my old competitors. When I spoke to the guys at Cheerleaders in Pittsburgh, I asked who they’ve booked lately and how they performed. Demographically, our clubs are similar, but the financial markets are very different, so I always like to see what that exposure is for those features.
KAY: For you, Justice, having been booked across both the U.S. and Canada, what separates a good booking from a bad feature booking?
JUSTICE: For me, it’s the staff. You will know instantly whether you’re going to have a good booking or not by how the staff treat you. Demand what’s in your contract. If you’re showing up and there’s no one there to pick you up at the airport, that’s a problem, and it’s happened to me. I have sat there for an hour and a half waiting for somebody to pick me up. Then, when I’m inside the club, I’m looking around. Is it a clean club? That is a huge factor. Am I finding dirty tampons on the floor? Am I seeing toilet paper and trash everywhere? Staff working at a clean club are more likely to take care of you than not.
“I think the downfall for most club owners is that they book two features and immediately give up when they don’t make enough money. They don’t see the big picture.”
— Thom Naylor
But you also have to take some of the responsibility yourself. You have to go in with the mindset that you’re going to have a great weekend. Whatever’s going on in your life, leave it at home. Be professional when you arrive. Dress nice. Aesthetics are everything. If the first thing they think when you arrive is, “Oh man, that girl looks rough,” then that’s going to set a precedent for how they regard you. Also, the club’s house girls can be your best friends. Being friendly towards the staff and treating them with respect goes a long way and will help you have a great booking.
KAY: Thom, because you’ve been to the clubs and seen other bookings, what are some pratfalls you’d tell club owners to avoid before and during a feature booking?
NAYLOR: Anyone considering booking feature entertainers shouldn’t go into it thinking it will have an immediate impact on your club. That’s not what this is about. This is about the long game. Don’t think that if you book somebody for $1,200 a show, that all of a sudden you’re gonna have $3,000 of your door. That’s not what’s going to happen. But people who look at your club’s social media pages may realize they missed Lauren Phillips’s August performance and want to know when she’s coming back. So, they start following your club’s events more closely. In the meantime, you’re booking other features that draw them into the club while they wait for Lauren to come back.
I think the downfall for most club owners is that they book two features and immediately give up when they don’t make enough money. They don’t see the big picture. The analog approach still exists, but in this new technology-driven world, you have to merge those two systems to make it work. That’s what I would say is the biggest pitfall. The other thing is how they treat the women. If you’re gonna pay a feature entertainer in ones, you’re out of your fucking mind if you think they’re ever coming back.
JUSTICE: I just got paid in $1 bills at my last booking. I’m not joking.
NAYLOR: Be respectful. These women travel to your club. People don’t realize their job is more than just waking up and looking great. They usually have to get on a plane, and if they’re flying from Los Angeles, by the time they get to me, they’ve spent eight hours in airports. Put them up at a good hotel. Don’t put them up in a shit hole. You want them to be proud of where they’re dancing and performing. If you treat them like they’re just roadkill running around, that’s what your club’s going to look like, too, because that’s how they’re going to show up for you.
KAY: Getting people in the club, of course, is half the battle. What are some effective ways to promote an appearance by a feature entertainer and when do you typically start promoting it?
NAYLOR: It depends on how you want to approach it and how you utilize the people who work for you. We piggyback a lot of things on our team. So, on social media, I post pictures of myself with dancers, with feature entertainers. On top of that, we also have a podcast that we use to promote these bookings. Their engagement is critical, though. We ask the feature entertainers we book to be responsive online and help get those people in the door. Their responsibilities don’t start and end on the stage.
KAY: So, are you expecting entertainers to do some promotion as well? Is that built into the contract?
NAYLOR: We’re capitalizing on each other’s talents. At least three days out, you should be promoting your appearance. I always say that those posts are critical because you want that three-day window where people are thinking about you. If you post things two weeks ahead, I’ve already forgotten about you by the time you’re coming.
“Being friendly towards the staff and treating them with respect goes a long way and will help you have a great booking.”
— Justice
I’ve learned over time not to put promo cards up on every table. Nobody’s looking at that shit. There’s too much going on. People aren’t paying attention to any of that. They’re looking at what’s going on right in front of them, and that’s where I’ve capitalized with the club. I make sure we have a media cast for every feature we book, and we record their performance and display it on all of our screens. So at any given time in the club, you’re watching a reel that is continuously looping. The women who’ve featured at Archibald’s can all tell you that it’s critical. It’s a full visual performance. That is where we really capitalize on the features.
KAY: Do you look at a feature’s social media following or engagement online before you book them? If a feature has a smaller following, does it deter you from booking her?
NAYLOR: Yes, sometimes you have to do some homework. Don’t disparage the features that have fewer followers, though. Her followers might be more dedicated than the millions that some other features have. But you have to look at their engagement level and see where she’s tracking with certain people. I zero in on what they are posting and ask myself, “Are these just frivolous posts, or is she creating a feeling through the photos and videos she shares?”
And don’t think the numbers will translate into success. Just because she got 6,000 likes on her last picture doesn’t mean that she’s going to draw a large crowd. For me, those numbers mean nothing. Those of you who think you’re going to beat an algorithm, good luck. You have to go with your gut feeling. See what their feed looks like and think about how your club fits in.
KAY: Justice, when you’re at a club, how are you approaching each performance to make people remember you? Do you do your homework ahead of time to see what the clubs have for you to work with?
JUSTICE: So, for me, I’m kind of anal retentive. I bombard the managers with a million questions. No question is a stupid question. Before traveling, I need to know how big the stage is, and I always ask for photos and measurements because that will determine which shows I can and cannot do. Some clubs want props. Some clubs don’t. If I’m on a stage that has four poles, I have to consider where I’m going to put a giant Willy Wonka hat or a giant inflatable dildo. You need to be prepared when you walk into the club.
I don’t really care much about pole size, but I’ll always ask whether it’s spinning or stationary, since that determines which pole tricks I can do. I also want to know if I can do aerials. A lot of features love aerials, but the club may not have the rigging for it, so I’ll ask if there’s a crossbeam that I can rig myself. Then I ask them about the laws their club has to follow. You can take the initiative to ask, and you know what? Clubs love features who take the initiative, because it shows they’re taking it seriously.
So, always prepare. Ask questions. What is your clientele base? Are they an R&B audience? Do they love heavy metal? Knowing who you’re performing for goes a long way, and when you show up prepared and looking professional, they remember that.
For information on EXPO 2026, visit theedexpo.com.
