Tampa strip club gears up online for GOP convention

TAMPA, Fla. - Her stage name's "Go-Go", and she's drawn crowds to the Tampa strip club, 2001 Odyssey, for 5 years.

It's only Monday afternoon and almost every seat's empty, but she's still dancing for customers, potentially thousands.

"People from out of town," Go-Go said. "It really opens your customer base."

Go-Go's act is broadcast live through a revolutionary system -- called ClubCams -- in the adult entertainment industry. These web cams stream her dances to computers all over the world.

"Watch the stage. See what type of entertainers are offered. See them perform," explained ClubCam and 2001 Odyssey owner, Don Kleinhans. "They can do private performances on the pole for individuals who are online paying."

For $19.95 per month, clients can see if they want to come to 2001 Odyssey in person, a tactic the club used for the 2009 Superbowl in Tampa, and now have geared up for the Republican National Convention in Tampa in August.

"They compare it to three to five times a Super Bowl revenue," Kleinhans said.

Go-Go can even chat with 500 customers at a time who pay $4 a minute.

"I had a customer from New Jersey whom I've talked with many times online and he saved up his money," she said. "He flew down for a week and he came in a couple nights."

Both Go-Go and Kleinhans expect to continue making money long after the RNC leaves town.

"Meet a girl here and fall in love with a stripper, then they can still talk to her online from wherever they're from," Go-Go said. "It's going to bring a lot of money in the area, not just to strip clubs, but to everybody."

RNC clients can keep paying dancers once they return home. The virtual "make it rain" system allows clients to swipe a credit card and send up to 2,000 dollar bills falling on a dancer.

"It offers the RNC crowd the chance to see it in person while they're here, then go back to where they're from and still be clients," Kleinhans said.

The club admits they've lost seven dancers to their decision to stream performances, but they've added more than 30 new girls to their roster.

Their next plan is to link up with hotel chains so the live streaming web dances are an option on hotel room televisions.