Relationships Track: Master/slave structures Presentation One: Structuring the Structured Relationship –– Avoiding Crises and Building Stability Long-term Master/slave relationships are not accidental; they require ongoing hard work. To a large extent, people get along better with one another when they openly discuss their expectations and wishes with regard to their own growth and the growth of their partner. There are certain tips and techniques - some borrowed from the world of business - that can be helpful before you enter into a relationship, during the development of the relationship, and to keep it running smoothly after it’s established. Presentation Two: Master/slave Relations: A Corporate Approach When you think about it, many of the same program planning techniques that business use to launch a new program initiative can usefully be applied to setting up a Master/slave relationship. Steps include research into Master/slave structures; study examples in practice; develop screening criteria; Interview candidates; devise a structure that fits these two people; monitor and adjust. New Presentation Presentation Three: What are the Responsibilities of a Master – multiple answers Internet searches for responsibilities of a Master range from the silly to the profound. Some lists seem to be for Internet “Masters” and others are compilations by serious Leatherfolk. While many of Masters’ responsibilities are pretty obvious to those of us that live an M/s life, many other responsibilities are far less obvious – yet are very important. This interactive workshop presents a wide range of responsibilities for consideration. New Presentation Presentation Four: Why Few M/s Relationships Last By most accounts, Master/slave relationships are the most difficult to sustain over time. First, it takes a lot of ongoing work to keep the relationship fresh; second it’s easy to slip back into the “husband/wife” archetype. This interactive presentation discusses such topics as: initial reasons why an M/s relationship can get into troble; ego and insecurity in M/s relationships; structural reasons for difficulties; and an exploration of what a slave candidate might look like to a Master and what a Master candidate may look like to a slave. Presentation Five: Introspection in the Master/slave Relationship There are many, many stages in forming and maintaining a Master/slave relationship. You can start out with: “Why am I interested in having a Master or a slave?” or “What do I do when I suspect that I’ve made a mistake about this person?” While some issues – nearly invisible issues – fester and build discontent, other issues reveal themselves only after years of living together. We’ll explore these and many other topics in this interactive presentation. Presentation: Using Protocols to Make your World Special While there are certain general protocols used in public Leather settings, there are many ways to build protocols into personal relationships, both as a way of honoring the relationship and to demonstrate on a daily basis just how special the relationship is both to Master and to slave. We will also discuss ways that protocols can be used to help to stabilize relationships during times of stress. We’ll go over some examples of protocols that we use personally, and ask for audience participation to learn of other protocols that can be used to stabilize a relationship. We will also brainstorm other ways that protocols can be used to benefit both Master and slave in a structured relationship. New Presentation Communication effectiveness: Why are we clashing like this: An exploration into common communication upsets Master/slave relationships are often far more complex than marriages. The slave is working 100% to please Master, and master is endeavoring to guide and grow the slave. But “stuff” can often get in the way. When communications get in trouble, the relationship can get in trouble. The more you know about communication theory, the more smoothly your Master/slave relationship is likely to run. Many tips and techniques are easy to explain and to learn and provide eye-opening insights about ways you and your partner(s) communicate love. Similarly, couples/triads/etc often collide over issues that are not at all obvious to either party. About half of this presentation will go over conflicts arising from areas where differences between people are often hidden (a person’s concept of time, for example). New Presentation Problems in Paradise: Wow! This isn’t working out the way we’d intended… This workshop address the really challenging and complicated situations that can arise within the structured relationship — situations that may actually threaten the relationship, itself. This is the workshop for you if you’ve ever had an upset with you’re partner that caused you to think, “Wow! This isn’t what I signed up for — we need to talk!” Here, it's is NOT assumed that the couple is going to survive their difficulties, but that they want to make another run at resolving them. New Presentation Presentation Description: Creating magic in your relationship Boredom is one of the significant stealth killers of many Master/slave relationships. Another stealth killer is that your reality is built on the sands of your experiences and assumptions, so as a couple, you don’t push beyond your self-imposed limits. This interactive workshop will discuss using protocols and sex as methods of reinvigorating your relationship. Warning: don’t bother coming to this unless you’re willing to be open-minded and willing to stretch boundaries with which you have been comfortable for decades. Sexuality Track Everything but penile penetration demo and lecture: Advanced Foreplay Techniques For many men, sex is about personal gratification. This presentation is about a wide range of techniques to please the Lady. We’ll discuss/demonstrate detailed techniques for fingering, A-spot, G-spot and cervix play, massage, and vibrators. We’ll include discussions both about kinky and vanilla techniques. We’ll begin by discussing how to set up the psychological conditions so that a woman will even be interested in participating in an extraordinary sexual evening. This includes suggestions about how to listen, talk, and respond to your partner. The workshop/demo starts with a detailed review of female anatomy (a large demo pussy is used), then progresses to the live model, in order to observe the model’s physical reactions to specific techniques. We’ll also cover lubricant selection, how to choose various kinds of vibrators (both internal and external), and (should you wish it) fisting. Pussy Torture: Expanding your Foreplay Techniques Special Requirements: 1. Unless you also invite my usual demo bottom, I’ll need a demo bottom who is willing to accept a lot of pain from slapping, flogging, clips, and electrostim on and around her Vulva and breasts. Some bruising will probably result. She must also be able to be easily fisted. 2. The equipment that I’d need to conduct this demo is very bulky and heavy. In addition to airfare, I would like reimbursement for freight charges or for extra baggage charges in both directions. This is a fast-paced and very intense demo that features multiple TENS units, pussy torture of many varieties (slapping, flogging, electrical zapper, clothespins, etc) in order to invoke female ejaculation (“squirting”). Fisting will be interspersed in this demo to demonstrate ways of “mixing it up” with your partner. We’ll also be demonstrating very large insertables and doing some things with a vibrator that you’ve probably never seen. BDSM Skills Track Fire Play: Erotic Fire Play for Fun and Effect Special Requirements: Unless you also invite my usual demo bottom, I’ll need a demo bottom who is willing to do fire play: flash cotton, alcohol wanding, cell popping, candle wax and cupping. Fire play is a high-drama scene in the BDSM world. It is considered to be edge play and requires an individual mentor for successful mastery. Through live demonstration, Rubel explains the physical phenomena of endorphin and adrenaline rushes, as well as some psychological “mind-fuck” techniques. In this presentation, he demonstrates the use of flash cotton; devil's fire (hot needles touched to the skin's surface to produce endorphin release); alcohol wanding and fire glove; cupping and BDSM wax play, with close attention paid to safety procedures. Saran Wrap demo and presentation: Presentation Titles: You have three choices: 1. Saran Wrap Mummification and Sensation Play (60-minutes) 2. Saran Wrap and Spirituality (90-minutes) 3. Saran Wrap Treats –– Turning Your Bottom Into an Appetizer (60-90-minutes, group participation) 1. All programs open with a safety review and with a brief show-and-tell of alternate wrapping materials including duct tape and latex bands. We stress the importance both of using food-safe plastic wrap on a body and of preventing skin from touching skin during the wrapping process. 2. For the “sensation play” demo, once the bottom is safely mummified, the audience learns how to tease and stimulate her/him with toys that pinch, poke and abrade. 3. For the “appetizer” session, the audience will assist in wrapping the bottom, then eating up the snacks as an afternoon break (hint, here, about the timing of the session within your program.)