your batting choice dictates the 'density' of your quilting- and personal choice- some batts *like warm & natural* allow up to 10" between quilting lines- some batts like hobbs heirloom says to quilt 2-4" which can be quite 'dense'- it is a personal choice how close you quilt- as long as you do at least as much as the batting recommends- if you have a batt that says it needs to be quilted every 2" and you only quilt it every 10" when the quilt is washed the batting will separate and create (globs) in your quilt- it is important to follow the recommendations- but there are many to choose from and it's easy to find a batt that allows the quilting you want.
it does seem as if alot of show entries are really showcasing dense quilting- but it is not necessary- it is a choice.