Tattoo artist's galore everywhere you look! Is this a tattooer's dream? The Pacific Ink and Art Expo is filled with a few Motorcycles,Hotrods,Art Pictures and whole lot of Tattoo Businesses promoting and actually inking at this wonderful Expo. There are tattoo machines,supplies,ink,shirts and tattoo care products be sold at the show which I thought was really cool.I even found some SPF45 made for my ink when going out in sun or water. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Ge0iMhWU9njq9Ls1CJ33cQ?select=knY2gS_ICPGH3jykOc7s5w#ZSve_UJ_XQtT3rNl53_Eqg Its was really good to see the Yelp Booth there spreading the gospel of Yelp! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Ge0iMhWU9njq9Ls1CJ33cQ?select=knY2gS_ICPGH3jykOc7s5w#rhCzxOx7VCqGE2eyZ0uj9A They even had cute little Yelp temporary Tattoos, that's right kids get your Yelp tattoos now and someday you will grow up to be a Elite Yelper! (I had to get one! Couldn't help myself) http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Ge0iMhWU9njq9Ls1CJ33cQ?select=knY2gS_ICPGH3jykOc7s5w#UICzVwIPNusZIf5XT9vfFw I enjoyed the experience to meet different Artist and browse through their picture books being displayed at their individual booths. Had a great time and made me want to get more ink! I think that was the whole theme about the show is Artist showing off their talents, tattoo awareness and care. Be back next year for sure! read more

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I've NEVER been to a tattoo convention/expo before and wasn't sure what to expect. Having said that, my family and I absolutely LOVED it. What I enjoyed best was that it was a great family event - crazy, but true, even my 4 yr old girls loved it. There was something for everyone: food, bounce houses, skate ramp, drawing/art stations, motorcycles, cars, hair/makeup vendors, clothing, accessories, and live entertainment - even a sandwich eating contest - IN ADDITION to the tons of talented tattoo artists there. I'm a tattooed man, and I love that people are free to express themselves in this medium. There were countless forms of tattooing represented here including tribal, portraiture, black and gray, color, fantasy, realistic, traditional Japanese, traditional Hawaiian, traditional Samoan, traditional Filipino, etc. As a tattoo fan, the history and artistry on display was AWESOME. I'm sure that we will come back next year (wish it were sooner), and make it a great family day out. read more

Great place to get inked! Talent here amazing! I don't have a tattoo, my husband has tattoos. The expo I recommend to visit if you are thinking or would like to. read more

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Anyone who knows me knows that the last place in the world you'd find me is at a Tattoo Expo. I'm not a tattoo person at all. I don't ever want any tattoos and I'm deathly afraid of needles. BUUUUUT amazingly I really enjoyed the Pacific Ink & Art Expo! There were tons of artists doing live tattooing. Apparently there were some really well-known artists there which is pretty cool. What drew me like a moth to a flame was the traditional "tapping". I learned that the people who were doing the tapping were from the same Samoan lineage that tattooing originated from. So amazing! I had a hard time watching because it looked insanely painful, but you'll have to ask someone who got it done for confirmation on that. Aside from the tattoo artists, there were several vendors promoting various other products. The apparel was awesome! Other booths had perfumes, lotions, nail polish, jewelry, heat packs...there was even a CPR booth! ...and of course your trusty Yelp booth was there rocking temporary Yelp tattoos, schwag and the Yelp Lounge with two inflatable couches to meet your tattoo expo relaxation needs. ;) On the main stage we saw various tattoo contests throughout the day judged by very distinguished and tattoo savvy guys and gals. There were body building contests and bikini contests and live music! I'm excited to see what the next two days have in store! read more

i volunteered to work for this thing. why? why the hell not?! its like taking part in HISTORY. Hawaii's FIRST EVER Tattoo convention! c'mon! i met TONS of really cool people - artists, vendors, workers, LEGENDS LIKE LYLE TUTTLE!! LYLE TUTTLE!! - i got to take a picture with him! he put his arm around me like we were buds! this alone was worth going. there were also a ton of amazing artists there from Hawaii, the mainland, Samoa, all over.... the buzzing of tattoo guns all around me was memorable and the air itself felt electric. just an FYI if you decide to volunteer (next year obviously) - you get a free t-shirt that is slightly different from the ones they sell (i had people wanting to buy my t-shirt, and i had to tell them sorry.... only for staff!), you get in free for the event everyday you work, they take care of your parking for you, AND they feed you.... well, sometimes..... for the most part, bring some cash with you for food, and for tattoos of course..... if you're a paying customer, entry is $20 per day i think - they also have weekend passes that are cheaper. THIS IS CHEAP!!! mainland conventions are way more expensive!! KEEP IN MIND - this was the FIRST ever Hawaii Tatt convention, so of course there are going to be kinks..... you can't expect the first one to be perfect people! BUT i talked to a lot of the veteran artists that have been to a bunch of conventions, and they all said that, for the first one, this one was actually pretty good. SO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS..... because the first one is a learning experience, that means the next one can only get better. the Blaisdel consession food was ok - i had garlic chicken the first day and it was AWESOME. i had braised pork with gravy the next day, and that was pretty good.... the beer was over-priced, but people still purchased! over $8! crazy what people will pay for beer..... if you're looking to get some amazing quality work, but don't want to fly out to LA, Texas, Samoa, California, etc..... just wait for the next convention - but do your homework first, and book your artist early! they might be booked when you get there..... hope to see you all there next year! read more

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I don't know anywhere else in Hawaii where you can choose from a mainland artist, local artist, traditional Japanese, or traditional Polynesian artist. All under one roof. Throw in urban entertainment, vendors, food, haircuts, skateboards, and you got yourself a show. There's even a side area for kids, where they can get all artsy craftsy. Consider it a warm up for their own tattoo. It's all about the art, the ink, the skin, the blood, the tears, and the smiles. As long as your respectful, most people are willing to have their tattoos photographed. I guess it also helped I was a member of the press, so your mileage may vary. I was told that it's best to make appointments with the artists from the first day, as they'll only have the 3 days of the expo to work on your piece. And then it's back to wherever they came from. So you better hope they finish. And it's only a couple of hundred per hour. Over 3 days. Can't put a price on art. Especially art that you'll have forever. Unless you get laser surgery. But why would you want to do that? Because you misspelled You're Love. Defend Hawaii. read more

Trish P. has the best review: http://www.yelp.com/biz/pacific-ink-and-art-expo-honolulu#hrid:aEhPmbkNuHsprNfaiCI0Lw I can't say much more than she has but not to be outdone, I posted a bunch of pics. Like Trish, I volunteered and I recommend it to anyone that has the time to do so. Your time takes care of the entrance, you get to be behind the scenes, an awesome shirt & badge as a souvenir and mingle with the best of the best! Network with these artists. Some people say the $20 for 1 day (or $50 for all 3) was expensive. I beg to differ. First, I checked out the rates for other tattoo conventions and that's about average. Second, you can easily spend $20 on lunch or a movie here. If you're thinking about getting work done, this is the place to shop for awesome artists and if you don't want work, this is still the place to appreciate it and meet the people behind the ink. Lastly, this was a sold-out event with artists from ALL over - Australia, Europe, Cali, Texas and some of the best Hawaii has to offer! Even if you weren't getting any work done, it was a good place to meet awesome people (artists and event go-er's). The only downside was that Hawaii requires these artists to take tests and a lot of them didn't pass... So no tattooing for them AT the convention... With the success of this event though, I'm sure this won't be an issue next year. This expo felt like a huge party! All these tattoo legends/gurus were kicking it with people/fans and talking to them with genuine interest and appreciation. The vibe was great! Were there a few kinks here and there? Yeah. But that is expected with all first-time events - and honestly, it was hardly noticed! My suggestion? Save the money for next year, see who attended this year, keep an eye out for who might attend next year and contact them early on if you want work done because it might be hard to get a spot with them, especially with the success of this event. And volunteer - you don't want to miss out on this. read more

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After a long day at the beach, I was in no mood to get cute and go to town, but my cousin told me it will help with ideas for my sleeve, which it very much did! I don't know what it is about tattoos, I think until you get one you just don't fully understand. But I'm addicted and I only have 4 small ones but plan on getting 2 large pieces within the next year (3/4 sleeve & full back) and I work in a professional environment and dont mind covering them up if I have to. About the expo: $20 + $1 ticketing charge - worth it to me! I went on Sunday around 4:30pm and stayed till 8:30ish Immediately walk in to the sound of "bzzzzzzzzzz", a sound I can fall asleep to and is comforting. I was with my cousins and my 2 nieces (10month & 3 years), they were even intrigued by all the colors and artwork. My cousin looks at me and we are thinking the same thing, what do I want to get next. First the Rockstar booth, which had a lot of nice artwork, a couple of models and apparel for sale. As we walk around, I'm ashamed to say I don't remember a lot of the companies/artists names but I will say that there was such a variety for artists from locals, Cali, Las Vegas, Samoa doing a variety of styles from black and greys, small and large, colors, portraits, and even 3 booths doing Samoan tap tap (ouch & kudos to those guys). So neat to watch as well! One artist stood out to me in particular because his color work was so extremely vibrant! Tattoo Joe, he is based out of Vacaville, Ca, between Sacramento and San Francisco. He will be doing my sleeve & backpiece for sure! I don't remember this artists name but he gave my neice an entire bag of gummy worms because she couldn't eat the hard candy on the table, very very sweet of him! They had kids bouncy castles, a skateboard half pipe ramp set up, motorcycle competition, live music for entertainment. We stayed to watch the tattoo competition at the end of day sunday where the contestants were awarded with best small no color, large no color, and much more (I kind of missed some). The emcee was funny and entertaining! We also watched the human suspension show, where the performers have ring piercings and they either do tug of war with each other or one girl was suspended in the air. I didn't watch the entire show, I wasn't freaked out by the blood dripping or anything its just not my cup of tea. Kudos to those guys withstanding that much pain. They did warn parents not to have their children watch so I gave my neice my phone to play angry birds which made her perfectly content. They also had a vapor booth which was busy the entire time we were there, another kudos to the peeps quitting smoking! I'm really excited about next year and plan to have an appointment to get one of my two pieces done at the show....hopefully! If you want to book an appoitnment get there early on the first day or go online to the expo website and you can email the vendors directly. Thank you to the organizers of this event, I loved it and will be back every year I'm here! read more

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BEYOND KREATIONS TATTOO STUDIO ! AUG 4,5,6-14 IG: @marcdouglastattoo , @tigerlily_arts FB: @marcdouglastattoo , @lilyrodriguez read more

It was loud! It was crowded! A lot of skin showing! There was so much going on! Held at the Blaisdell Center, parking was in a private lot for a flat rate of $7. Parking rate keeps going up! You can park outside somewhere and walk it in. Unless you knew what you wanted to get and with which artist you wanted to work with, it was over whelming! There were so many talented artists there from all over the world! It was a great way to see what each person's different talents lie. You got to see some in action doing their craft. Many had pictures of their work to skim through. It was a good way to meet and greet to find your next tattoo artist. Not only did they have the known art ink on skin, but there were also for permanent make up as in eye liner tattoo, brows and lip liner. There was also hair art tattoo. The artist is a hairstylist by trade. He would shave your head with a design and color it to almost simulate a tattoo. It was pretty cool. Motorcycles and show cars were on display. There was a skate ramp with half naked go-go dancers. The main stage with entertainment. It was a tight fit around the main stage. I think the expo floor plans could have been set up a little better. There were other vendors there too. Tattooing supplies, a few beauty products, Art books, even a solar company. A lot of shirts and accessories booths. Thanks to the Yelp Elite opportunity, this was a great experience to see! read more

When I first heard about the first ever all out tattoo expo coming to Hawaii for the first time I was super stoked and excited. Usually for expos associating with tattoos, they are usually collaborated with other types of things like MMA, sports, cars, and other manly and tough guy kind of things. This expo had some motorcycle, Oldsmobile, and skating exhibitions but about 90 percent of it was all about tattoos. I went on the last weekend day on Sunday and it was pretty poppin' despite the pricey admission. The pricing for the expo is quite pricey about 20 bucks. You could get the whole weekend for 50 bucks. I think that has got to be the most expensive admission price for an expo at the Blaisdell I have ever witnessed and experienced. I guess it's because of the expenses of the Health regulations, security, and safety for the expo event. Luckily for my friend and I, we got hooked up from the Yelp yeeps. Speaking of Yelp, it's cool to see them associated with this expo. I guess it's because a lot of people Yelp about tattoo places especially in the discussion boards and what not. It was also nice to see them have a fairly big space for a booth down at the Expo. I didn't get a chance to sit on the comfy looking inflatable Yelp Red couches that they had out but I am sure it was a great lounge area for people waiting to get tatted up. Going back to the expo, there were ton of Artists and different studios promoting their shop, doing live demonstrations, setting appointments, making appointments, selling merchandise, showcasing equipment, handing out information, showcasing their portfolio, handing out freebies, talking to potential customers, etc. They had modern tattooing with electric machines as well as the traditional tapping method that was right next to the main stage area. There's other non-Tattoo related booths as well as such U-Down clothing, Good Life apparel, this one solar company, tattoo after care products, photo booths, etc. There was a lot of freebies and giveaways which if you are lucky enough, able to snatch away hoping to get your money's worth. I only saw one out of four places where I received my tattoos from and it was good to see them (808 Tattoo). Even my friend didn't see any of his tattoo Artists/ studios at the expo. There were a lot of Artists and studios from the outer neighbor islands that had booths and tattooing which was great to see as well. Going back to the price, if I hadn't had the Yelp hook up, I would not have gone. I was mostly there to check out the event overall and see what they had. I think it would be worth it if I was a person that was looking for a tattoo to get but I didn't have that in mind going into the expo. I also entered in one of the tattoo contest which I had to cough up 10 bucks to participate in. Although, I didn't place in anything it would be nice if we at least got some parting gifts for our time and our openness to share our body and Artist's work to the public. There were many other contests throughout the expo weekend that I would have entered in too. The contests are definitely a cool thing to see and they had different categories from each one. Winners got to take home a nice Tiki man trophy. It was cool to see some celebrities at the expo too like "Ruthless" from LA Ink and MMA Fighter Chris Leben. Overall, I think this is definitely a good expo for Hawaii and they should for sure continue it for many more years to come. The tattoo community in Hawaii is strong especially within local people and culture from traditional to modern. People and tattoos is just like technology, ever growing and ever changing. read more

Pacific Ink and Art Expo - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I LOVED this event. It was fantastic. There were hundreds of amazing people there, loads of incredible body art, vendors, etc. We spent a couple of hours there with our son in his stroller, and when he got too antsy it was nice to take him out to run around by the fish before heading back in. We even gained some extra time without him complaining by feeding him a giant burger from the back. I loved that I was able to network and find a couple of artists who will do Norse tattoos (my preference). One (Oli) is on the big island, and he and his wife were super friendly. They said to let them know ahead of time if I can make it over and they'll hook me up. They also introduced me to a guy on-island who will do the type of work I want! Just for the networking alone it was worth the ticket price. It was neat to see everyone's body art. It was also REALLY cool to see Robert Patrick (I wish, in hindsight, that I'd gotten a picture with him, especially after I learned he's playing Alcide's dad on True Blood :P). I cannot wait for next year's event! Until then, I'll rock the PIAE tshirt I bought and revel in my memories. read more

If I had more time and knew what I wanted I might have sucked it up and sat in the chair to get something done. Instead I got a great Elite-Yelper-tunity to check out the expo with my good friend Jenn H. She loves tattoos and knew some artists. As for myself I went around and looked at different peoples portfolios. I thought it was a good way to see alot of local businesses in one spot. There were some visiting artists and shops, too. What I didn't like didn't have anything to do with the Artist's or anything. It was just whoever was running the expo they had some weird ways of doing things such as re-entry to the event, vendor loading, etc. It seemed a little clustered. It was great to see Thomas, I missed out on seeing Pua, but I did get me some great yelp tats. read more

I've been to the expo the past two years (2015, 2016). The first time we went on a Sat night...so there was a lot going on and tons of people. This time, we opted to go early Sunday (due to other engagements that weekend). I will definitely say there was a difference. It seemed like on Sunday a lot of the artists either weren't there or weren't there yet. Also, it seemed like they were booked for the rest of the expo by that point. The food booths were still going and there were lots of artists, just not like Sat night. There was great live music on the main stage. There is a ton of talent and I think they do a great job of getting a diverse group of artists from all over. I think the best thing to do is find an artist that you like, based on their portfolio, and then start working with them early. Then when expo time comes around, you can have your design ready to go and book your appointment that weekend. read more

Fourth year in a row that I will be attendening. Got an appointment set up for Friday with Gina Fote, first tattoo of the day! Can't wait, so excited! Thank you guys for putting on this awesome event every year. read more

Pacific Ink and Art Expo is an event that is much anticipated in Hawaii. Along with our Awsum local artist we look forward to being able to meet and see the artistry of nationally respected tattoo artist. I'm So looking forward to this event!!! read more

The arrest that did my tattoo was amazing. The resin for the 2 stars is because on the radio they state if you are getting a tattoo done your admission is free. But that's not the case. No one at the show New anything about that or how we could get a refund. It not a huge cost at $26 bucks but it's the principle. If you advertise something make sure the people working the show know what's going on. read more

Tattoos, tattoos, TATTOOS! Great art work for sale also. Loved seeing all the tattoo shops and was really interesting learning about the tattoo machines and ALL the different machine needed to tattoo. Went on Friday, they had the hard body contest going on throughout the ENTIRE event. Awesome eye candy for both men and women! Besides tattoos, got my eyelash extensions done for $60. love it! Also got some info on Chris Leben's gym...really wanna go and sign up for classes there. read more

Not sure what all the hype was about trying to ban this event but it was an experience. I attended since I had an appointment with a friend to vamp up my current tattoo stretching from my upper mid-back to my left upper arm (5 hours of pain). I was amazed at the admission, $21! Maybe next year it will be cheaper *crossing fingers*. As I walked in I heard the buzzing of hundreds of tattoo guns blazing away, immediately I was nervous. I was intrigued by the booths galore! If you ever wanted a tattoo but didn't know what or who to get it from this would have been the best place to start your search for that "artist". Interested parties could walk around and view all artists' work in one place! I have to add: THANK YOU BUDDHA FOR TURNING MY TATTOO INTO A MASTERPIECE! read more

Pacific Ink and Art Expo - Admission - Festivals Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Went to this show on Sunday. Got there after 3 p.m. with less than an hour to run through the kiosks. However, the time changed to 8 p.m. Nice. Got to see former artists who worked on me since 1992. Crazy! Met a ton of awesome folks! There were plenty of options to send the kids if they got bored! read more

WAAAA! I wish there was a yelp booth this year, but it wasn't! But its okay :) We don't have any tattoos but we are truly fascinated and appreciate the art of tattooing. This event was a 3 day affair but My hubby and I decided to go to this event last minute on the 2nd Day (Saturday) Tickets with a military discount still came to $18 at the box office of the Blaisdell, which was not bad at all. We got there at 2 PM and the place was stillllll poppin! The parking structure at the Baisdell $6 was packed on the first 2 floors! Once we got into the exhibit hall, we were impressed at the sheer amount of people. Tons of artists/teams set up with tables/booths and machines all over the exhibition floor. Along with the tattoo artists/tattooing/tattoo supplies -- was a half pipe inside the hall, a mini car show, clothing, tattoo care prodcuts and some small food booths. If you check their website they can give you live coverage and a play by play of what events are taking place each hour. When we got there we were just in time for the best Japanese inspired tattoo and best realistic tattoo shows. Anyone with these tattoos can enter these contest for a $10 fee on the spot! The contests were interesting and fun to watch. There seemed to be a lot of people getting their first tattoos here at the expo, which seemed like a good and bad idea. There were a lot of artists so you had the chance to browse and see who was the best fit for you, and on the flip side, tons of people watching you get tattooed! This was a very family friendly event, they even and a keiki section outside which was wonderful to see. Some of the famous artists we saw were Oliver Peck (Ink Masters), Big Gus (Tattoo Nightmares) and Tatu Baby (Ink Masters competitor) -- everyone seemed extremely down to earth, like we were all friends and this was just another normal day. My only issue with this event was the lack of variety of food. All the food that was there was small, and expensive.......and lord knows.....i'm all about the food at the end of the day :) read more

Wish they did this more than once a year. What a fantastic event and so well done. Plenty of amazing artists from all over Hawaii and plenty from the mainland, and they're all super talented! You can get inked on the spot, but some of the more well known and in demand artists you have to set up and appointment with. Most of them said they were lowering prices just because it was an expo event. They also had all kinds of different styles and methods, as well as treatment/care products and even inks for artists. What impressed me is it seemed very sanitary and like all cares and precautions were taken. They had sink areas set up all over for artists to wash their hands. Very good to know! The vibes were great. Lots of cool people with amazing body art and interesting looks, so it was awesome if you're a people watcher like me. Plus plenty of entertainment like a Maori ritual and Chinese drumming, and constant live music. They had punk rock playing on one side with a skate ramp, and reggae on the other side. Some good food vendors (tin hut bbq!) and a little area to sit and eat which is perfect. They had lots of contests and we're giving away lots of prizes. They were also selling jewelry and all kinds of other stuff, showing motorcycles and even had stuff for the kids like face painting and a moon bounce. It was definitely pretty family friendly and lots of people brought their keiki. Oh and I loved the cupcake and tea/lemonade stands for snacks. I went on Friday night because I knew it would be less crowded and there were plenty of people there so I can only imagine Saturday! Overall, it was just phenomenal in every way. I met lots of great artists and plan to visit them to get work done. Everyone was really friendly and happy to talk to you about their work, their pricing, etc. Now that I know what to expect, next year I plan to actually get inked at the show. Hats off to whoever organizes this and chooses the artists. They do an AMAZING job. I recommend anyone attend even if you're not into tattoos and just want to see something new and exciting. read more

My husband Allen Paulson and I were so honored to be apart of the very first Tattoo Convention in Hawaii.We have been in this industry for 15 years and have attended and worked more conventions than I can recall. This convention was hands down one of the best conventions We have ever been to! So many conventions nowadays are all about making money and cutting corners but not this one. I have never worked a convention that not only did the health department as well as the convention staff ask us what they could do better. That in itself shows the dedication to ensure that this would be successful. We came all the way from Dallas, TX to work this. This is a huge risk financially. So many conventions nowadays a financial flops. People were so excited to get tattooed the money was flowing for artist. I know that people are complaining about admission prices but really that's about average considering all the talent that was there and entertainment. Also pricing for tattoo contest, well thats average as well. However those were HANDS DOWN the dopiest flippin trophy's I have ever seen!!! So you want to win a trophy? Well your $10 tattoo contest fee helps pay for that!!! I can't wait to see what next year has in store! I promise you that the PIAE will continue to grow and make improvements ever year. They not only have the artist and vendors in mind but the people that come to check it out as well!!! Until we meet again! read more

This is the only official ink and tattoo festival for Hawaii. It brings together a number of great artists and tattoo aficionados right here to the islands. The cultural aspect is also very unique with both Polynesian and Japanese style tattooing. I have been fortunate enough to get some great work done over the years, so don't be shy. While you will find the occasional stuck up artist (they are everywhere) there are so many with great attitudes and even greater style that you will end up with some ink!! I will go every year. Awesome show, great art, fun eye candy... And it's in Hawaii! A Hui Hou! read more

I totally agree with Sunshine Grrl P. I love tattoos and went with a couple friends to the Pacific Ink and Art Expo hoping to have a good time and see some good artwork. Overall it was just "meh". There were a lot of mediocre books out on the tables with only a few that really stood out. Also, a lot of people at the booths were sitting way back from their tables and not interacting with anyone. Half of them looked more interested in checking their phones, especially the girls in the Wild Bean Espresso booth. ((I was going to talk to them because I thought it might be fun to bring my MIL by this place when she comes to visit for a good laugh. She's from rural Georgia and things are pretty conservative there.)) The highlights of the Expo for me: Large greyscale judging, Seeing people get their ink, and the people doing traditional tattooing over by the stage. There was also a great artist from the big island, but I can't remember the name. We spoke to his wife while he was doing some tattoos. Keeping in mind that this is their first year and that I went on a Sunday, I still don't think I'll be back next year unless they make some pretty big changes. There just wasn't enough to do here to justify spending the $20. read more

First tattoo convention I've ever been too and it was amazing! So many different artists both local and famous! You don't have to get a tattoo or even have tattoos to enjoy the convention. They have something there for everyone all 3 days. It's a great way to view and enjoy art. And if you love tattoos it's a great way to meet your favorite artists and have the opportunity to get a tattoo done by them. Can't wait for next year! read more

Aloha again. I have the privilege of volunteering for the PIAE this year. I did not think that it could have been better than it was last, boy was I surprised. You could not ask for a better Tattoo Expo experience. Fun for the whole family. read more

I wanted this to be amazing but left feeling that my $20 bucks (+ $6 for parking) was wasted. It was great because there were so many companies and artists participating but you walk past booths, people way back are grimacing in pain while getting inked, and there's an inadequate sound system. It had sooooo much potential but unless you are there to see artists and friends from the past its an expensive bit of voyeurism. read more

i got my first tattoos here and iv been getting one each year ever since the first one came to oahu so many great artist show up each year so theirs a lot of options to chose from all styles and forms from all over if your looking to get a tattoo this is the place to start. all the artist friendly and polite i havent seen one bad tattoo come from any of them. i look forward to it every year and im looking foward to getting a tatt this year c: read more

I think for the 2nd expo they did a great job. I believe they will work out the kinks and maybe next year they can get a bigger venue. Great to see all the different types of hand tap tatau. Will be back next year. read more

This year I had the pleasure of working as a translator for a tattoo artist from Brazil. (yes, he came all the way from São Paulo to work at the PIAE 2013), and I couldn't be happier I chose to work the whole weekend for him. Being also a huge tattoo fan, I found that this great weekend was also a really fun event for the whole family. Kids were having a blast at the skate ramp, parents were enjoying the live music and all the AMAZING artists around leaving their art on people's skin were awesome to watch. Also many many MAHALOS to Danny and Lynette for being so friendly and really helpful with everything. The organization was really professional and really took care of the artists. I can't wait to come back next year!!! And get another tattoo from Arthur de Camargo!!! He totally free-handed my arm, doing what he does the best: japanese style art. NO JOKE, he really draw my tattoo on the spot and absolutely translated what I wanted. Finally I got my so long waited half-sleeve, and of course won't stop at that! :-) See you guys again in 2014! read more

Just got back from the expo. I didn't really know what to expect since it was my first time. I did go to check it out & to possibly get a tattoo because it's a known fact that regardless of what type of expo prices are usually lower. In this case I was hoping that the price of getting a tattoo would be lower at the expo than if you were going to visit the tattoo parlor. Before I headed to the expo I did email Pacific Ink and Art Expo and inquired about a couple things. I inquired about the type of payment that's accepted by the tattoo artist. They wrote back & they said they take credit card & cash. Well, take it from someone who just got done attending the expo. Make sure you bring enough cash with you because most of the tattoo artists I spoke with said they only accept cash. In addition, the food establishments their also mostly took cash. Don't make the mistake of using the ATM there because first off, you'll get the ATM fees and the ATMs there only spit out $200 at a time. However, the. ATM there allowed me to take out a 2nd time, but again, I paid 2 sets of ATM fees. Basically, I paid about $7.00 in ATM fees. Those fees could've been used towards my meal or the parking. More importantly, there was a pretty long line for the ATMs, especially when one was not operational. So plan ahead. Now as far as which tattoo artist to choose from, well that is where you're going to have to do research on. When I arrived at the expo there are quite a few tattoo artist and it was really hard to choose for me. Of course, unless you are a huge tattoo guru then you wouldn't have any problems choosing. Overall, it was a pleasant experience and my kids enjoyed themselves at the bounce house. So at least their time was occupied while I got my tattoo. read more

i havent missed a year.. every year it continues to grow with the most amazing artists from all over coming to the islands... the music.. entertainment... kids area.. EVERYTHING i love it... already planning vacay time for next year... i do have 1 question... would they consider a 3-day parking pass... KEEP UP THE AMAZING JOB OF PUTTING THIS EVENT TOGETHER... read more