Why should I attend the APT Tattoo Trade Show in Kansas City?

Your participation in the APT Tattoo Trade Show, shows the "new school" generation of tattooists that this is a legitimate and professional business that the "old school" tattooists have worked so hard to attain. They may take the reins in the future and continue on with the respect and appreciation for those who came before them.

Every profession, whether it be law enforcement and emergency workers, firefighters, dentists, doctors, accountants, bankers, bricklayers, roofers, engineers, electronics, home and garden, coin collectors, guns, gem and mineral, martial arts, cars and motorcycles and photography, to name a few, has a trade show to display and promote new suppliers and innovations in that particular industry. Even Star Wars fans have a show!

The Alliance of Professional Piercers has a professional expo in Las Vegas every year. It is there for piercers and the like to meet new jewelry suppliers, medical equipment manufacturers and learn new and better ways of piercing and aftercare, through seminars and round table discussions. Each distributor, manufacturer, etc. is there to show the attendees why their products or company is better than the next. There is friendly competition, rather than "I'm not going, because so and so will be there"

 

Definition: A trade fair (trade show or expo) is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities. Not open to the General Public. By attending and supporting a professional Tattoo Trade Show, it shows we are not "fly by night scratchers" or "circus freaks", but true professionals who care about improving and bettering our "industry" and ourselves with knowledge. How many times have you been to a convention and been too busy to go to a class or have the time to look at new supplies? I know it's all about making money, but this is an event unlike any we have had in our business. You can go to a tattoo convention and work, any weekend, of any year, anywhere in the world. This is our chance to change with the times and keep tattooing from stagnating and becoming disrespectful and irrelevant in a completely saturated market. The ways of doing business have change and we must change with it.

 

Having a Tattoo Trade show gives us a chance to learn from one another in an encouraging and constructive environment. You might learn something new such as employment and tax laws, health and business insurance, new medical or aftercare supplies available, Photoshop and website networking, etc. Or, learn something old, such as tattoo history, acetate and rice paper stenciling, machine and needle building or hand tattooing. Meeting face to face with the tattoo suppliers and manufacturers in a round table setting, gives you the opportunity to tell them what they can do to make their products better for you and the tattoo community. We have been sharing with each other on a one on one basis forever. Let's take it to the next level! Whether you are a distributor, manufacturer or professional tattooist, you never know, you might learn something new, too!