Miami Ink Courts a Growth Industry

Some things just seem to fit together, like chocolate and peanut butter, or government officials and corruption. And according to the cast and crew of the TLC network's uber-popular reality TV show Miami Ink, so do tattoos and porn.

The show's casting director, George Gladstone, will be in town beginning March 30 to scour the hallways of the Miami Beach Convention Center during Exxxotica -- an adult industry convention -- in search of people willing to get inked on camera for the upcoming third season.

"Events like Exxxotica attract fun, outgoing people, and that is what we want on our show," said Gladstone. "If there is someone we feel strongly about, we will conduct an on-the-spot interview."

Last year's inaugral Exxxotica bash attracted more than 16,000 visitors, and this year organizers are hoping to top attendance figures. In addition to recruiting for the reality TV show, they've added new live entertainment, such as a Ms. Exxxotica competition, the O Face Film Festival, and a live "Nearly Nude" mechanical bull riding competition.

Though the cast of Miami Ink is not schedueld to appear at any specific time, Exxotica creator Jay Handy said "you never know who will show up." He also wanted to point out the following: "The word of the year for Exxxotica is growth." --Joanne Green