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TATTOO CONVENTIONS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. EVERYBODY IS WELCOME, EVEN THE SIMPLY CURIOUS. THERE WILL USUALLY BE A $10-20 ENTRANCE
FEE. YOU CAN GET TATTOOED THERE AND/OR ENTER A TATTOO CONTEST.
THE FIRST ORGANIZED CONVENTION WAS HELD IN HOUSTON,TEXAS IN JANUARY OF 1976. SINCE THEN, CONVENTIONS HAVE GROWN IN
SIZE AND FREQUENCY. THESE DAYS YOU CAN FIND ONE OCCURRING MOST ANY WEEKEND AT SOME POINT ON THE GLOBE.
CONVENTIONS OFFER A CHANCE FOR TATTOO ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE TO GATHER TOGETHER AND TALK SHOP. THE OPEN EXCHANGE
OF INFORMATION THAT CONVENTIONS FOSTER IMPROVES THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE TATTOOS BEING PUT ON TODAY. EVERY TIME I GO TO
A CONVENTION I COME HOME EXTREMELY INSPIRED, WHICH HELPS MY TATTOOING AND MY DRAWINGS. I USUALLY FEEL PRETTY HUMBLED AFTER
SEEING ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL TATTOOS ON DISPLAY. THE BIGGER SHOWS SHOWCASE THE TALENTS OF MANY OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST ARTISTS.
FOR ME IT'S A GREAT CHANCE TO WATCH THOSE I RESPECT DOING WHAT THEY DO BEST.
TATTOO CONVENTIONS ARE A TOTALLY FRIENDLY, OPEN ENVIRONMENT. EVERYBODY IN THE PLACE HAS SOMETHING IN COMMON, NO MATTER
HOW MANY TATTOOS YOU HAVE OR HOW BIG THEY MAY BE. IT'S EASY TO GO UP TO PEOPLE AND HAVE SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT WITHOUT EVEN
KNOWING ONE ANOTHER. UNTIL YOU'VE BEEN TATTOOED THERE'S REALLY NO WAY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S LIKE. OF COURSE, ONCE YOU'VE
DONE IT, YOU'RE ABLE TO RELATE TO OTHERS WHO'VE DONE IT AS WELL. MOST PEOPLE WILL ALLOW YOU TO TAKE PICTURES OF THEIR TATTOOS
IF YOU ASK. IF YOU'RE A PEOPLE WATCHER LIKE ME, YOU'LL LOVE THE FREAK FEST THAT CONVENTIONS CAN BE!!! IT IS MOST DEFINITELY
A "COLORFUL" CROWD.
MOST CONVENTIONS ARE HELD IN HOTEL CONVENTION HALLS. I HAVE BEEN TO SEVERAL CONVENTIONS OVER THE YEARS IN WHICH THE
HOTEL EMPLOYEES HAVE COMMENTED ON HOW FRIENDLY AND COURTEOUS THE CROWDS HAVE BEEN. IN FACT, THEY'VE SAID THAT THEIR TATTOOED
CROWDS GENERALLY BEHAVE BETTER THAN THE OTHER CONVENTIONS THEY'VE HAD IN THE HOTELS. THE HOTEL WILL USUALLY BE GIVING SPECIAL
ROOM RATES FOR THOSE THERE ATTENDING THE CONVENTION.
THE CONVENTIONS ALSO GIVE TATTOO CUSTOMERS THE CHANCE TO SHOW OFF THEIR TATTOOS. WITH SOME OF THE BIGGER EVENTS, PHOTOGRAPHERS
FROM TATTOO MAGAZINES WILL BE ON HAND COVERING THE SHOW. THERE'S A CHANCE YOU JUST MIGHT END UP IN A MAGAZINE AND/OR WEBSITE
THAT GETS DISTRIBUTED WORLDWIDE, HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE?!! YOU CAN GET A TATTOO FROM YOUR CHOICE OF ARTIST OUT OF A ROOM OF
SOME OF THE BEST IN THE BIZ, PEOPLE WHO YOU MIGHT NEVER GET THE CHANCE TO GET A TATTOO FROM NORMALLY.
YOU CAN ENTER CONTESTS TO HAVE YOUR TATTOOS JUDGED BY A PANEL OF ARTISTS. USUALLY THEY'LL BREAK THE CATEGORIES DOWN
INTO MALE OR FEMALE, SMALL, MEDIUM, OR LARGE, TRIBAL, TRADITIONAL, NEWSCHOOL, BLACK-n-GREY, ETC...TROPHIES ARE GIVEN OUT FOR
THE TOP WINNERS IN EACH OF THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. SOME SHOWS WILL HAVE "BEST TATTOO OF THE DAY" AWARDS FOR TATTOOS
DONE THERE AT THE CONVENTION. I RECEIVED A 6 HOUR TATTOO AT THE INKSLINGER'S BALL IN HOLLWOOD THAT TOOK HOME THAT TROPHY.
SOME SHOWS WILL HAVE THE JUDGE'S PICKS AS WELL AS THE CROWD'S PICKS FOR WINNERS. I LIKE THOSE TYPE OF JUDGINGS THE BEST. BOTH
THE ARTIST AND THE PERSON SPORTING THE TATTOO RECEIVE A PLAQUE, RIBBON, OR TROPHY. SOME CONVENTIONS WILL OFFER A CASH AWARD
AS WELL BUT THOSE ARE THE EVENTS YOU HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE YOUR TATTOO JUDGED.
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