CJ E&M opens its doors to 68 Korean companies at KCON this week

KCON LA 2017​

The three-day KCON event, which takes place between 18th - 20th August 2017, will be held in two separate venues. The 68 Korean companies attending will make their way to the Los Angeles Convention Center from 18th to 20th August, in addition to the Staples Center from 19th to 20th August 2017.

The annual event, which is held in both Los Angeles and New York, is in its fifth year, after launching in Irvine, California in 2012 following the influx of Korean brand and trends in the US.

All Things Hallyu​

Adopting the theme of the Korean wave, commonly known as Hallyu, KCON is hailed as “the world’s largest festival to promote Korean culture”​. KCON prepares to present its 2017 LA theme of "All Things Hallyu”.​

Hallyu comes from han, which roughly means ‘Korean’, while liu or ryu means ‘flow’ or ‘wave’, referencing the dispersion of Korean culture.

There will be a wide range of cultural events that optimise K-beauty, content, fashion and music throughout the three-day convention.

For this year’s event, CJ E&M has chosen to select 68 companies to join the 2017 KCON LA showcase, “after taking into consideration its relevance to Hallyu, local market power and competitiveness”.​

K-beauty programme​

The three-day showcase will present leaders and experts in the world of beauty and cosmetics, with speakers revealing the tips, tricks and trends that keep- K-beauty such a sought-after phenomenon.

Resident K-Beauty extraordinaires, Charlotte of Soko Glam, Edward Avila, & Joan Kim will show visitors the top Korean-inspired beauty hacks to transform their make up routines.

This will be followed by a variety of events and panels that include interactive make up tips and tutorials, the current hottest trends, beauty trends from the world of Korean drama (K-Drama), DIY skin care routines and a male beauty class.

Making global waves​

Following the ongoing success of beauty brands originating from Korea, making their way onto the shelves and into the baskets of US and Western shoppers, CJ E&M extended the festival beyond North American consumers and moved into Central and South America, the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

Since 2012, the KCON has been held a total of 14 times.

KCON started as a one-day event in the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, California. IN 2015, it then expanded to a five-day festival in two locations in 2015: its three-day display held in Los Angeles Convention Center, two nights of concerts at the Staples Center and the first KCON event in New York.

In 2016, KCON then entered the Japanese marketplace and showcased the popularity of K-beauty trends in the UAE with KCON Abu Dhabi.