Chubby Checker a smash hit at his Twisted Booking booth at APAP

There may have been a bigger star at last week’s Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP), but his name, of course, is Chubby, and Chubby Checker most certainly was at the very least the most recognizable celebrity at the annual trade gathering at the New York Hilton Hotel Midtown.

Indeed, the artist behind the immortal 1960 No. 1 hit “The Twist” was essentially stopping for warm meet-and-greets throughout the APAP exhibition halls, that is, when he wasn’t holding court and regaling visitors at his own Twisted Booking agency’s booth. It was the first time at APAP for both the agency—Checker’s exclusive booker--and Checker himself.

Checker, who looked great and stays very active in terms of bookings, clearly enjoyed it all as he happily signed autographs and posed for selfies with all who asked.

“At this time in my career, I don’t want anything to slip away,” he said of his appearance. “I want to make sure I’m on top of what I do.”

While it was his first APAP, Checker does attend other trade shows. Last October he was named Casino Entertainer of the Year at the annual Global Gaming Expo (G2E) gaming trade show in Las Vegas.

Checker has also attended the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA) conference in Nashville, the International Association of Fairs & Expositions (IAFE) convention, and the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention--all in order to bring attention to Twisted Booking and his enduring personal brand.