'2025 Gwangju ACE Fair' Opens on August 28

507 Booths by 400 Companies at DJ Center Until August 31
20th Anniversary Festival of Asia’s Leading Convergence Content
Programs Include Investment Meet-ups and AI Competition
Buyers from 32 Countries Accelerate Global Expansion for Companies

'Gwangju Ace Fair' poster. Provided by Gwangju City

The 2025 Gwangju ACE Fair (Asia Content & Entertainment Fair), the largest content-focused exhibition in Korea hosted by Gwangju City and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will be held at the Kimdaejung Convention Center from August 28 to 31.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the ACE Fair will take place under the theme "Invitation from Gwangju: Beyond the Paradigm."

This year’s exhibition will go beyond displays and business meetings, introducing a variety of new programs such as a 20th anniversary themed pavilion, hands-on experiences with cutting-edge extended reality (XR) technologies, investment meet-ups, and a youth artificial intelligence (AI) content competition. These programs aim to showcase trends in the future content industry.

The 20th anniversary themed pavilion is centered on "A Great Journey, A Greater Future," which is synchronized with Gwangju. It begins with a prologue titled "20 Years of ACE Fair: The Footsteps of Gwangju’s Content Industry," offering a comprehensive look at the city’s content industry growth over the past two decades. The pavilion is divided into three convergence sections: Character & Animation, Broadcasting & Webtoon, and Digital Content.

In the Digital Zone, visitors can experience the latest XR technologies, including "XR-Runner" by immersive XR content company Newjak and an XR shooting game, providing a unique experience that connects the past and future.

This year, 400 companies (368 domestic and 32 international) will participate, operating a total of 507 booths. Local Gwangju companies such as Studio Button, Ultragreen, Pingo Entertainment, and Icecream Studio will run character and animation booths.

In the broadcasting content sector, SK Broadband, CJ ENM, and D'Live will participate. Leading domestic animation studio SAMG Entertainment will also hold meetings with international buyers based on its popular works such as "Catch! Teenieping" and "Metal Carbot."

Thanks to the global popularity of K-content, about 200 buyers from 32 countries will attend this year, while major domestic content companies including Kakao, KBS Media, SBS Medianet, and MBC will also take part.

In addition to business meetings with international buyers, the fair will feature various events aimed at tangible results, such as investment meet-ups to support the overseas expansion of local content companies.

A range of events for visitors’ enjoyment will also be held at the venue. The festive atmosphere will be heightened by the concurrent "Beer Fest Gwangju," the largest beer festival in the city.

At the Illustration Fair, director Jang Sungho from Gwangju, who helmed the animated film "King of Kings" (which surpassed one million viewers), and MindC, creator of the popular webtoon "Will You Marry Me," will deliver special lectures.

The "2025 Youth AI Content Competition" for the next generation will provide a platform for young people to showcase their creativity using AI technology, helping to discover local creative talent and lay the foundation for entry into the industry.

Additionally, a variety of events such as influencer lectures in the webtoon and illustration fields, live drawing sessions, cosplay competitions, and a goods market will be held, offering a wealth of entertainment for citizens.

On August 21, Jeon Eunok, Director of Culture and Sports, stated, "Marking its 20th anniversary, this year’s ACE Fair will evolve beyond a simple exhibition to become a comprehensive content platform leading future technology, citizen experiences, and industry convergence. We will build a unique content ecosystem in Gwangju and grow into a content market that represents not only Korea but all of Asia."

Director Jeon added, "I invite many citizens to experience firsthand the valuable achievements of the past 20 years and the great future ahead, and to enjoy the diverse events and festivities at the 2025 Gwangju ACE Fair."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.