PRESS RELEASE: Cancellation of the 9th Annual PIAE
The P.I.A.E GROUP, LLC SADLY AND WITH GREAT RELUCTANCE ANNOUNCES...
The CANCELLATION of
The 9th Annual “PACIFIC INK & ART EXPO”
July 31st and August 1st and 2nd, 2020
“HAWAII’S FIRST & FINEST TATTOO EXPO”
– Est. 2012 – Hawaii Convention Center – Waikiki, Hawaii
Despite the fact that our 9th Annual Pacific Ink & Art Expo (“PIAE”) completely sold out all of its booths and floor space to artists and vendors months in advance of the show, and even though our dedicated and loyal following and fans have been looking forward to again be a part of the finest attractions and vendors offered anywhere as well as the best tattoo artists from Hawai’i, the mainland and around the world, each showcasing LIVE tattooing under one roof, the safety and security and health of our artists and vendors and fans and our close-knit tattoo `ohana take priority over everything else. So, most regrettably, PIAE 2020 simply must be cancelled, to return in all its glory in 2021.
Our dedicated and devoted PIAE staff has been working for months to ensure that our 2020 Expo would again live up to its deserving reputation as one of the best attended, most culturally significant and finest tattoo Expos in the United States, if not the world, with over 400 artists and vendors among over 250 booths to explore and enjoy. Anyone and everyone who has been a part of our longstanding show agrees, “There’s nothing like PIAE anywhere!” But, the sad and stark reality is this: as ready as we have been for months to stage our 9th Annual Hawaii Tattoo Expo, the Nation and our State are not prepared to allow an event as large as PIAE to go forward under current COVID-19 restrictions mandated and still ordered by government leaders. Stated a bit more directly, it is literally impossible for PIAE 2020 to take place with airline/travel restrictions now in place (which include 14-day quarantine requirements). The social distancing of 6 feet also impacts the number of artists, vendors, booths and attractions permitted on the Expo floor, not to mention the number of fans wanting to attend would be limited to a number not workable for anyone involved. Let’s face it, “nobody wins,” and that’s not what PIAE is all about.
Our Hawaii Tattoo Expo has always offered and boasted a celebrity artist line-up second to none, to include cultural practitioners, oriental art masters, and many guest artists from Australia, New Zealand, Europe and of course the finest the U.S. mainland and Hawaii has to offer! Beyond the finest tattooists anywhere, PIAE is famous for offering a non-stop lineup of local musicians, tattoo contests, cultural dancers, food eating contests, the famed “Ms. PIAE” contest and tons of raffle and prize giveaways. But, none of these non-stop activities can be done, and done as PIAE always has since its first Expo in 2012, under the current COVID-19 restrictions, mandates and orders. It’s simply not possible.
None of the planning, organization and preparation for the now cancelled 2020 show has been done for nothing, however. The PIAE will return in all its glory in August 2021, and every artist and vendor who is part of our 2020 show, and who already has a booth for the 2020 show, will be automatically a part of the 2021 Expo, and the dedicated PIAE `ohana is currently working with each artist and vendor to ensure that there is a seamless transition from 2020 to 2021 with as minimal inconvenience and paperwork as possible.
The state-of-the-art new and improved PIAE website, developed by one of the finest webmasters in the business, was just about to launch when the 9th Annual Pacific Ink & Art Expo was cancelled; so, it needs to be “converted” from 2020 to 2021, but will be up very soon. Please visit the new PIAE website soon and visit it often for all the details about our 2021 show. Don’t forget to support our other PIAE social media platforms, to include Instagram and Facebook, where a lot more information about the cancellation of the 2020 Expo will be posted and shared as well as exciting information about the 2021 show to be held at Waikiki’s and our Island State’s finest venue, the Hawaii Convention Center. The goal at PIAE is simple. PIAE promotes Aloha, Art, Culture, Respect, Education and Safety, and that’s why there was no choice but to cancel the 2020 show. Looking ahead, we invite you to come and experience The Pacific Ink & Art Expo 2021 as we celebrate our 10th Year Anniversary (2012-2021) in our Islands.
This Press Release is proudly presented by The P.I.A.E Group, LLC, dba Pacific Ink & Art Expo, aka Hawaii Tattoo Expo (all applicable rights and trade names reserved).
- Danny Casler