29 Viva Las Vegas

29 Viva Las Vegas was a tattoo convention held April 8 through April 11, 2001, at The Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event occupied the convention center at the hotel, located on Tropicana Avenue west of the Las Vegas Strip. The convention lasted four days. Tattoo artists from across the country set up booths to work on clients during the event. Attendees could walk the floor and watch tattoos being applied in real time, from stencil placement to final shading. The event included vendor booths selling tattoo machines, needles, ink, and flash sheets. Artists competed in categories based on style and size of work, with judging likely occurring on the final days. Seminars or demonstrations may have occurred in side rooms, covering techniques or business practices. Las Vegas has supported tattoo shops since the 1940s, with a concentration of studios on the Strip and downtown. The city is known for traditional American tattooing, black and gray work, and Japanese-inspired pieces. By 2001, Vegas had established itself as a destination for collectors seeking work from artists who traveled the convention circuit. The local scene included long-running shops that served casino workers and tourists alike. The Orleans Hotel provided parking for visitors and hotel rooms for out-of-town guests. The venue was accessible from Interstate 15 and located near the Strip. Attendees in 2001 found dining options and gaming at the hotel, typical of Las Vegas properties of that era. The convention space allowed for multiple rows of vendor booths and tattoo stations. Tickets for the event were likely available at the door or through advance purchase at participating tattoo shops. Four-day passes and single-day tickets were standard options for conventions of this period. Visitors brought cash for deposits, photo identification, and reference materials for custom tattoo requests. Some attendees brought cameras to document work, though this was before the widespread use of digital photography in tattoo documentation. This event represented part of the tattoo convention circuit of the early 2000s. The 2001 edition occurred during a period when tattooing was moving from subculture to mainstream visibility in the United States.