From August 18 to August 20, one of the grand concerts KCONLA 2023 took place in Los Angeles. This event stands as the world's largest fan celebration of Korean culture and music, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center drawing around 140,000 fans from across the globe.
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"Within the Convention Center, fans waved light sticks of their favorite groups, proudly sported homemade T-shirts adorned with straightforward slogans like "I HEART MINGI," collected sticker-covered books, K-beauty products, and queued up for tteokbokki", as reported by AP.
At the festival, attendees immersed themselves in K-Pop, K-Beauty, and K-Food, engaging with captivating panels, a bustling exhibition featuring innovative products, and idol performances. Exclusive KCON programs and artist showcases allowed many fans a chance to meet and touch their beloved K-Pop stars.
The lineup of prominent performers included: Stray Kids, ATEEZ, Rain, (G)-Idle, ITZY, Shownu x Hungwon(MonstaX).
KCON is an annual convention held in various locations worldwide, created by CJ E & M. It was first introduced in Southern California in 2012.
An online substitute for KCON due to the COVID-19 pandemic, titled KCON: TACT, was launched in 2020, via YouTube, AIS Play, and Shopee.
The initial goal of KCON was to host a flagship event that would enhance the experiences of American fans, offering them an accessible means of interaction with each other, artists, and K-Pop industry professionals.
Shin Hyun Kwan, President of Mnet CJ E & M's Content Division, stated,
"The KCON events in Abu Dhabi in March, Japan in April, and Paris earlier this month were not just about making money. Numbers are important, but the potential created by the event for the next 5, 10, and 20 years is even more critical."
Shin added that the company aims to increase product and service exports to the global market by expanding partnerships with small and medium-sized Korean enterprises.
For the 2014 event, Mnet America launched a new web series called "KCON EXPERIENCE 2014," featuring multiple episodes that included footage of stars' arrivals at Los Angeles airport, behind-the-scenes events, weekend discussions, fan meetings, and food kiosks. The convention encompassed an open trade platform, a food truck alley, a 4DX mini-theater, and an open stage, along with panels and masterclasses covering music, K-dramas, esports, choreography styles, makeup, and hairstyle trends.
List of countries hosting KCON: USA, Japan, South Korea, UAE, France, Mexico, Australia, Thailand.
According to AP, "The culture of inclusivity is massive," said 40-year-old Anna Holston from Florida, who discovered K-Pop through her daughter. "We've made so many friends being here."
Premium tickets priced at $500 per day allowed attendees to walk the "Red Carpet," where artists posed for portraits and answered two to three questions within a 30-minute window, along with access to the convention and concert. For an additional $100, fans could opt for "Hi-Touch" – a brief encounter where fans and performers exchange high-fives – to a group of their choice. Due to resurging COVID-19 concerns, "Hi-Touch" became "Hi-Wave".
This experience served as a long-awaited reminder of a crucial aspect of the music industry that K-Pop knows remarkably well and far better than most: fandom is the most profitable and enduring resource in this business.
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