If you live somewhere lacking local tattoo artists, or if the artists in your area don't work in a style you like, or if you wish to be tattooed by a specific tattooist, one option is to attend a tattoo convention. Listed here are some basic tips and suggestions for having a more pleasant convention experience and getting the ink you want from the artist of your dreams.

A tattoo convention is much like any other convention. There are registration deadlines, hotel rates, airline reservations, and more depending on how far from home you are willing to travel. Plan ahead and make sure your budget will cover everything you are trying to include. Group up with friends and go in together on travel accommodations and hotel expenses if you can. If a convention is staged near your home, see if participating as a day visitor lets you have extra money for getting inked. Check with the convention sponsors to see if there is a work trade program, where your convention registration fees are covered by providing volunteer work support for the event.

Getting Inked At The Event

There are two ways you get tattooed at a tattoo convention: with a prior appointment, or on the fly. Some artists will book ahead for a convention, lining up client appointments before they are even at the event. This might be due to a client from far away requesting an appointment, or so that a special piece the artist is working on can be included in the convention competitions. Many tattooists will want to enter their more spectacular client pieces, and often works-in-progress are given priority if the artist thinks they are working on a potential award winning piece.

Many tattooists show up with all their gear and just let their time get booked up. How many clients they handle and how many hours they work is usually up to them. Sometimes conventions have programs and special events for artists, and they don’t work for their entire time at the con. Sometimes an artist has a growing reputation and can find themselves booked for an entire weekend by the end of the first night. If there is someone specific you absolutely think you must be tattooed by, the only way you can guarantee an appointment with them is to contact them ahead of the event and make arrangements.

Tattoo Convention Etiquette

Just because a tattooist is attending a convention does not mean they have passed any sort of skills test. Look at their design book to get an idea of the quality of their work. Watch other people get tattooed, and see how their experience goes, both physically and artistically.

Be polite while watching tattooists at work. Try not to interrupt while they are working. If an artist is very busy, see if anyone else at the booth can answer questions about making appointments. After all, it’s much like a doctor or dentist working.

Despite the tremendous amount of gratuitous display at a tattoo convention, it is considered proper to ask permission before taking someone’s picture, whether they are a convention attendee or a tattoo artist at work. Many people want to know the nature of the picture usage in this day of the Internet, and some people with large, complex pieces prefer only to be photographed by professional photographers contracted to magazines. Others enjoy displaying themselves publicly, but prefer to not have pictures taken of themselves. Remember, tattooed people come in all colors....