Tattoo and Body Art Expo to add Auckland show

Matthew Johnson and Phil Stoddart will add an Auckland show to the Tattoo and Body Art Expo program in 2015.

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Ex-DMG worldwide duo Matthew Johnson and Phil Stoddart have confirmed that they will add an Auckland show to the Tattoo and Body Art Expo program in 2015.

Speaking at the Sydney show on the weekend, Johnson told SpiceNews that Auckland will launch in 2015 and that a Brisbane show is next on the list.

The Sydney show, which attracted 16,000 visitors on the weekend, has been deemed a success with 80 per cent of exhibitors rebooking on the last day of the show.

With the addition of a show by Dave McKenna, a Yamaha factory stunt-rider, Johnson said that the formula for the annual expo is improving with the consolidation of the various components.

Johnson said, “Over the years, the organisers tried a lot of different things, from burlesque and pin-up shows, to retro bikes, custom cars and live music. This year we integrated all of these things into the expo and it’s gone really well.

“Next year we’re aiming to attract between 10 – 20 top quality international artists so we can run a masterclass and we want to improve the quality of the bands overall.”
The show organisers hit a hurdle when the NSW state government introduced a law that all tattoo artists had to be licenced with Fair Trading in order to work in the state. Johnson said they managed to get around this for their interstate and international guests but there were a few nervous moments until the laws were waived.

Next year the organisers will move the show to the following weekend (14 – 15 March 2015) due to the timing clash with Future Music Festival, Top Gear Live and the soccer.

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