Trying Something New: Pop-Up Tattoo Studios at Events – What I Learned
More than 10 years ago, I got my very first tattoo from Bradley Bosch, an artist I found through Facebook, whose work I instantly loved. Since then, Bradley has become a good friend, and today, he remains the only tattoo artist I've trusted with my skin.
When I launched Plant Fest, I knew we needed something special to make the event stand out. So I reached out to Bradley with an idea: plant-themed flash tattoos at the festival. The first Plant Fest had a capacity of just 500 attendees, but Bradley and his fellow artist Carla were booked out all day. It was a hit – people loved it! The idea brought a fresh, unexpected edge to the event and attracted a whole new crowd who might not have otherwise attended.
When we hosted the next Plant Fest, Bradley returned with another talented artist, and once again, they were fully booked. As the event grew, we moved to a larger venue, and Bradley organised even more tattoo artists to come along. The queues were out the door – they were booked out within 15 minutes of opening! Plant Fest quickly became synonymous with getting a one-off, plant-themed tattoo – a real point of difference that helped cement its place in the festival scene.
Even now, years after I sold Plant Fest, the event continues to offer a pop-up tattoo studio experience – now with a new artist at the helm. It's amazing to see this little idea live on and remain part of the event’s unique identity.
Fast forward to when I joined the Bay of Plenty Garden and Art Festival team. Part of my role was organising Bloom in the Bay, the festival’s central hub full of workshops, wellness activities, food, drinks, and entertainment. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to introduce the pop-up tattoo studio idea again – after all, tattooing is a powerful form of art!
Bradley and his team created stunning garden and art-themed flash sheets and set up a beautiful pop-up studio on-site. But this time, the response was different. While lots of people stopped to chat, admire the work, and learn more about the art, bookings were slower. They had a few walk-ins and some bookings from the artists and vendors, but it wasn’t the non-stop success we’d seen at Plant Fest.
Despite the difference in outcomes, the team stayed positive and used it as a learning experience. And it gave me some great insights too.
My Takeaways:
Know your audience. Plant Fest and Bloom in the Bay had very different demographics. The pop-up tattoo studio resonated instantly with the Plant Fest crowd, but Bloom’s audience wasn't quite there yet.
Building new audiences takes time. Bloom’s goal is to slowly attract a younger, more diverse crowd. Initiatives like wellness events, workshops, and the waterfront bar helped, but it’ll take a few more festivals to fully shift perceptions.
Innovation always involves a bit of risk. Sometimes ideas land perfectly, sometimes they don’t. It’s all part of building events that evolve and stay fresh.
Would I book the pop-up tattoo studio again?
What do you think? Would you try it again if you were me?
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
