KCON LA 2024, presented by Samsung Galaxy, marked the festival's 12th anniversary from July 26-28, 2024. The event is reported to have been its most successful to date, with a record-breaking 5.9 million fans participating both online and onsite at the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena. The festival featured a wide spectrum of multigenerational K-Pop acts, including legendary first-generation groups like g.o.d., prominent second-generation acts such as TAEMIN and HYOLYN, and newly debuted groups like ME:I and KATSEYE. The lineup also included AleXa, A.C.E., APOKI, BIBI, BINI, BOYNEXTDOOR, CRAXY, DRIPPIN, DXMON, ENHYPEN, INI, Isaac Hong, Jeon Somi, Jo Yuri, Kep1er, KATSEYE, Kim Soo Hyun, LOREN, NCT 127, NMIXX, P1Harmony, Park Min Young, POW, STAYC, TWS, Tiger JK, ZEROBASEONE, and ZICO. The convention portion took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, while the concert portion was held at Crypto.com Arena. For the first time, the event was broadcast live on U.S. national primetime television via The CW Network on Sunday evening, July 28, 2024.
The convention area served as a central hub for promotional activities and consumer engagement. The Gilbert Lindsay Plaza housed the KCON Fan Square, which included food trucks and a spacious tented area with chairs and tables for dining and resting. This location was also the final stop for a stamp tour scavenger hunt designed to encourage fans to visit all new areas of the festival. The final prize for completing the scavenger hunt was reported to be a KCON crossbody bag.
Inside the Los Angeles Convention Center, the south hall floor featured several alleys of booths from companies representing various sectors of Korean culture. These included web comics, Korean beauty brands, and Korean food brands. The festival utilized four stages across several locations on or near the convention center grounds. These stages included the M Countdown stage, the KCON stage, a meet and greet stage, and a showcase stage intended to introduce Los Angeles fans to rookie acts. The convention also included three specific stages: the KCON Stage, the Meet & Greet Stage, and the Connecting Stage, which featured performances and appearances from artists throughout all three days. The KCON Stage was expanded this year and positioned in its own separate room with a larger stage, including an extended platform jutting into the audience. This setup provided a more immersive concert experience within the convention hall.
Promotional Booths and Brand Freebies
Promotional booths were a significant component of the KCON 2024 experience, offering attendees opportunities to engage with brands and receive free samples and swag. The following brands and entities were explicitly mentioned in connection with promotional activities and freebies at the event.
Samsung Galaxy
Samsung Galaxy, the presenting sponsor of KCON 2024, maintained a large presence at the festival. The company brought musical acts to the convention floor to meet fans. Specific details regarding the distribution of free samples or trials were not provided in the source material, but their active participation in fan interactions was noted.
TirTir
TirTir, a makeup and skincare brand, operated a booth at the convention. Attendees reported visiting the TirTir booth to spin a wheel to win a prize and test out makeup products. While specific details of the free items distributed were not listed, the interaction involved product testing and prize winning.
Olive Young and Dr. Jart
Iconic beauty brands Olive Young and Dr. Jart were present at the event. These brands drew big crowds with the distribution of samples and interactive experiences. The source material confirms the availability of samples but does not detail the specific products or quantities distributed.
Bibigo
The Bibigo booth was noted for bringing "the flavors of Korea to life with yummy bites." This suggests the distribution of food samples, though the specific items and availability rules were not detailed in the provided chunks.
The Boys Planet 2 Booth
The Boys Planet 2 booth showcased all contestants on a massive display and allowed fans to vote in real time. While primarily an interactive experience rather than a traditional product freebie, it represents a form of promotional engagement.
The Produce 101 Japan Booth
This booth featured "iconic gachapon machines" and, for the first time, in-person auditions at KCON. Similar to the Boys Planet booth, this was an engagement-focused activation rather than a consumer product giveaway.
Survival Show Alumni
The event featured appearances from survival show alumni such as Kep1er, ZEROBASEONE, JO1, and others. While these appearances are primarily artist performances, they contribute to the promotional atmosphere of the event.
Consumer Experiences and Event Logistics
Attendees reported that the convention offered a variety of activities beyond the main stages. The stamp tour scavenger hunt was a structured activity encouraging exploration. The final prize, a KCON crossbody bag, was a tangible reward for participation.
The event layout facilitated a mix of shopping, dining, and fan interaction. The availability of food trucks and a tented seating area in the Gilbert Lindsay Plaza provided logistical support for attendees spending the day at the venue.
The expansion of the KCON Stage into a dedicated room with a larger stage indicates a significant investment in the attendee experience, aiming to provide a concert-like atmosphere without requiring entry to the paid concert venue at Crypto.com Arena. Performances at the KCON Stage included artists such as Jo Yuri, P1Harmony, AleXa, ZeroBaseOne, NMIXX, Hyolyn, Loren, and BoyNextDoor. Each artist reportedly performed approximately five songs.
Geographic and Cultural Expansion
KCON USA first launched in 2012 with an attendance of 10,000. The festival has since grown significantly, coinciding with the boom of Korean culture and music throughout North America. In 2024, KCON extended its reach by adding a new location in Europe. KCON Germany was announced to debut at the Messe Frankfurt on September 28-29, 2024, with an artist lineup comparable to the Los Angeles event.
Summary of Offerings
Based on the provided sources, the freebies and promotional offers at KCON 2024 included: * Samples: Provided by beauty brands such as Olive Young and Dr. Jart. * Product Testing: Opportunities to test makeup and skincare products, as noted at the TirTir booth. * Food Samples: Likely available at the Bibigo booth, described as "yummy bites." * Event Merchandise: A KCON crossbody bag awarded as the final prize for the stamp tour scavenger hunt. * Interactive Prizes: Wheel spins and gachapon machine prizes at specific brand and show booths.
Conclusion
KCON LA 2024 offered a comprehensive festival experience that combined high-profile musical performances with extensive promotional opportunities. The convention floor served as a marketplace for Korean culture, featuring beauty brands like Olive Young, Dr. Jart, and TirTir, which provided samples and interactive experiences. Food brands such as Bibigo offered culinary samples, while entertainment franchises like Boys Planet 2 and Produce 101 Japan engaged fans through interactive voting and auditions. The event also featured a structured scavenger hunt rewarding participants with event merchandise. The expansion of the convention stages and the addition of a European location indicate the festival's continued growth and commitment to fan engagement.