A few weeks ago, I attended my very first KCON. For those who are not familiar, KCON is a celebration of Korean pop culture. This fun-filled weekend highlights Korean food, K-Beauty (make-up and skincare products), and of course…K-Pop music!
KCON was held at the Convention Center in downtown LA.
I was invited to attend the conference as a member of the media. Although I’m not well-versed in all things K-Pop, I thoroughly immersed myself as soon as I got there!
My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are huge K-Pop fan. They bought their tickets well in advance, so I was happy to tag along with them as we made our way through the Expo Hall. First on our list…hitting up the KCON Beauty booths!
There were booths featuring skincare products, make-up, fragrances, you name it!
We looked at products from Korean beauty brands Olive Young, Mediheal, COSRX, The YEON, and many more! Some of the brands even passed out free samples.
I also met with a representative from ID Placosmetics, where I learned more about their awesome product, Face Fit V Fit-Ler Ampoule!
After perusing about half of the KCON conference floor, it was time for lunch. I headed to KCON Food Street, which was located outside STAPLES Center, while my sister-in-law left for her Artist Engagement appointment.
KCON offers workshops, Meet & Greet fan club access, and Artist Engagement sessions where music fans get to meet with K-Pop groups in small conference rooms. It’s a cross between a Q&A or panel session set in an intimate setting. This requires a separate ticket but the up close and personal access that you get with the artist is priceless. Check out this selfie photo of a K-Pop group during their Artist Engagement session with the fans!
(Image Source: KCON USA)
Meanwhile, over on KCON Food Street, there were food stalls and food trucks galore! I had a hard time deciding what to eat because everything looked good.
I finally settled on a chicken rice bowl from Belly Bombz. It was delicious!
After lunch, I made my way back to the Expo Hall to walk the rest of the convention floor. There was a Marketplace where you could buy K-Pop merchandise like posters, journals, t-shirts, etc. People were playing games for prizes and dancing to K-Pop music in the Play Lounge area.
There were food demos in the KCON Foodie section.
This year’s concert, held at STAPLES Center took place on Saturday and Sunday night. The featured acts included the following K-Pop artists:
- AB6IX
- ATEEZ
- IZ*ONE
- LOONA
- MOMOLAND
- NU’EST
- SF9
- fromis_9
- ITZY
- MAMAMOO
- N.Flying
- SEVENTEEN
- Stray Kids
- VERIVERY
While I didn’t get a chance to attend a KCON concert, I did see N.Flying on the KCON Stage in the Expo Hall.
They handed out the award for Best K-Pop Cover by a Vocalist.
Interested in attending KCON next year? For more information and the latest KCON news, visit www.kconusa.com. You can also check out the recap videos on KCON USA’s YouTube channel for highlights!
Thanks KCON LA for inviting me to attend this awesome event!
Disclosure: No monetary compensation was received for this post. I was issued a press pass which helped facilitate this review. All images are my own unless otherwise noted. As always, my opinions are 100% my own.
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