Sweet Sixteen
There’s something unique about turning sixteen. You’re still goofing off but starting to take things more seriously. You can drive now. Over night you go from a child to an adult, and everything feels different.
It’s crazy to see how much we’ve grown. When we started, we had 44 booths in the smallest spot in the Salt Palace, and now we have over 225 in the largest hall.
In the beginning, everyone was taking a leap of faith. Artists hoped they’d be able to pick up appointments, and customers trusted the artists would do fantastic work. Print adds in mags and word of mouth were the only ways for artists to become known. Now we’re in the age of 100,000 followers, where tattoo artists can be discovered from the other side of the world.
But even though the differences are undeniable, somethings will always stay the same.
We appreciate the artists who took the time to leave their busy schedules at home to come make our city a little more colorful. Many might have taken a financial ding, but the fact they come anyway speaks volumes about both the artists and tattoo enthusiasts they work on.
Year after year, the public support we have in SLC is humbling. It’s gangbusters. We work hard on organic street advertising, backing up our promise to bring the best artists and to the artists with collectors and tattoo enthusiasts of all kinds. As the convention grows, our level of commitment grows stronger with it. Salt Lake is rad, and we’re stoked to know we help it stay the way.
Sixteen years, what could be sweeter?