Why COTR Bet Big on Sex Ed—And What It Means

Jennifer Wilson · 2026-10-29

When a pleasure brand shows up at a sex education conference, it's easy to be cynical. But COTR's decision to put its Le Wand and b-Vibe brands front and center at the CLIMAX Sexual Wellness & Intimacy Conference tells a different story—one about meeting people where they actually are. ### A Conference Built for Real Conversations CLIMAX isn't your typical industry trade show. Founded by sex educators Natalia Jaczkowski and Madelaine Dorion, it's designed to make sexual wellness education accessible, inclusive, and approachable. The one-day event brought together educators, wellness professionals, pleasure brands, and everyday curious consumers under one roof. The lineup? Expert-led discussions, hands-on workshops, live performances, and a curated marketplace. All of it aimed at one thing: getting people to talk openly about pleasure, relationships, and sexual well-being without the awkwardness. ### The Thinking Behind the Sponsorship COTR served as a presenting sponsor, and according to founder and CEO Alicia Sinclair, the fit was obvious from the start. > "Education has always been at the heart of what we do, so supporting an event like CLIMAX was a natural fit for us. It's exciting to see events creating welcoming spaces where people can ask questions, discover new possibilities and feel more confident exploring their sexuality." That's the part worth paying attention to. Most brands chase trade shows where they're preaching to the converted. COTR went straight to consumers—real people with real questions—and let educators use their products in actual sessions. ### What Made It Work Jaczkowski and Dorion noticed something specific: speakers were weaving COTR products directly into their presentations. Not as props, but as teaching tools that made abstract conversations about pleasure feel tangible and accessible. Here's what the expanded 2026 conference delivered: - A larger venue to accommodate growing demand - Additional programming built around community feedback - More educators and wellness advocates on the roster - A marketplace connecting consumers with vetted brands "It's partnerships like these that help us make sex education not only informative, but engaging, empowering, and fun," the founders said. ### The Bigger Picture Sinclair's take on why this matters goes beyond a single event. "Events like CLIMAX are helping change the way people approach sexual wellness," she said. "We're thrilled to be part of a growing movement that celebrates curiosity, community and pleasure as important parts of overall well-being." That framing is quietly important. Sexual wellness gets treated as a niche category far too often—something separate from general health. But the people behind CLIMAX and COTR are pushing a simpler idea: pleasure and well-being aren't separate conversations. They're the same one. ### What This Means for the Industry For professionals watching the sexual wellness space, COTR's move signals a shift. Brands that want to build trust aren't just selling products—they're funding education, showing up in community spaces, and letting their products speak through the people who teach with them. It's a slower play than a flashy ad campaign. But it builds something ads can't: credibility with the people who actually shape how consumers think about their own health. If the 2026 CLIMAX conference is any indication, that approach is working—and the room is only getting bigger.