Body Piercing Convention

ALYSSA ORR/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
"I never actually thought I'd be working in the industry," Cale Belford (left) said at The Association of Professional Piercers 16th Annual Conference and Exposition on Tuesday, June 7, 2011. "It's good times," Belford said. "I love it."   Belford is from Denver, Colo., and came to Las Vegas just for the convention.  Belford and Jeremy Milinazzo (far right), of Davis, Calif., peruse plugs together at Omerica Organic. 

ALYSSA ORR/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Prince Cyrus of Maya Organic Jewelry, writes up invoices at The Association of Professional Piercers 16th Annual Conference and Exposition on Tuesday, June 7, 2011. 

ALYSSA ORR/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Frank Tran, 30, of Orange County, Calif., and Erin Thompson, 22, also of Orange County, look at necklaces during The Association of Professional Piercers 16th Annual Conference and Exposition at Tawapa on Tuesday, June 7, 2011.  Tran and Thompson both work at the tattoo shop Tran owns in Fountain Valley, Calif., called Eighth Element Tattoo. 

When I found out I was going to a body piercing convention I got really excited.  I was thinking that people would actually be getting things pierced.  That wasn't really the case at all.  Mostly there were just people selling merchandise for body piercers, so I tried to make the most of it.