[The Evolution of KCON] "Olive Young Festa" Debuts, Expanding Consumer Experiences for Global Fans

Olive Young Festa and ScreenX Make Their KCON Debut
From Experience to Purchase: A Collaborative Strategy for Success

The highlight of this year's convention is the "Olive Young Festa." For the first time, Olive Young has incorporated its annual K-beauty festival brand into KCON. The 164-pyeong booth is designed to resemble an actual Olive Young store, and the pathways are arranged to recreate the atmosphere of Myeong-dong and Hongdae streets, enhancing the sense of immersion.

Last year's KCON Japan convention site.

According to the industry on May 8, CJ ENM and Olive Young have further strengthened experiential content this year, building on the potential for success confirmed at last year's event. They believe that KCON can evolve beyond a simple concert into a platform that promotes K-beauty and K-lifestyle to the world. In fact, at last year's Los Angeles event, Olive Young operated a 130-pyeong booth and attracted 36,000 visitors over three days. On-site, 66 brands and 164 products were introduced.

An Olive Young representative said, "The skin diagnosis service and starter kits were so popular that lines continued to form."

This year, 36 products that won the "Olive Young Awards," selected based on last year's annual purchase data, will be showcased. The products are divided into three categories—skincare, makeup, and inner beauty—with step-by-step routines proposed, and beauty consultants offering makeup services and skin concern tests. Visitors can purchase the products they experience on site at the maximum discounted price.

The K-Food Zone is themed around Korea's night streets. Trendy desserts such as Dubai Chewy Cookies and Krungji, which are also popular in Japan, are featured prominently, and there are tasting corners offering a variety of Korean street foods.

The newly established K-Story Zone is highlighted by a ScreenX theater with 100 seats. Kyu Mok Koo, head of CJ ENM's Music Visual AI Creative Team, said, "We designed the theater and concession area inspired by CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall," adding, "We aimed to maximize the brand experience through unique colors and structures."

On the three-sided (front, side walls, and ceiling) screens, footage from last year's KCON Japan and a live concert film by JO1 will be screened. On this day, there will also be a K-Cinema showcase, featuring behind-the-scenes looks at films that incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) technology, such as "Sword: The Blade of Godumakhan," "Aden Bay," "Stage Wings," "OK Madam 2," and "Dream Game." Directors Kim Hanmin, Kang Yoonseong, and Lee Cheolha will participate in person.

The creation of these spaces is the result of meticulous collaboration. CJ ENM shares visual elements and color guidelines, which Olive Young, CJ 4DPLEX, and other partners use as the basis to create initial drafts. Koo explained, "Large-scale projects like Olive Young Festa go through multiple revisions and refinements during the concept expansion process," adding, "Every step is designed with consumer experience as the top priority."

The Korean Wave now stands at a point where new breakthroughs are needed. According to the "2026 Overseas Korean Wave Survey" released in March by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, the favorability rating for Korean cultural content has remained in the 70% range for five consecutive years since reaching 77.7% in 2021. This suggests that growth is becoming difficult to sustain through online content alone.

In this context, offline experiential spaces like KCON are emerging as a new alternative. Experiences such as trying cosmetics at Olive Young Festa, enjoying content in the ScreenX theater, and tasting new foods at the K-Food Zone are leading to consumer purchases. There is growing recognition that meticulously designed spatial experiences are becoming a new growth engine for the Korean Wave.

Last year's KCON Japan convention site.

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