KCON STUDIO: LIVE from the USA Week is back for KCON:TACT HI 5! 🎉🎉

KCON:TACT HI 5 kicks off in September and we’re excited to announce our SUPER special programming for our KCONUSA fans!

Get ready to join Lai Frances, Jeff Benjamin, JUN, Riley Tollett, and Tiffany Lui from Lovely St. Shop for an exciting week filled with some of your favorite KCONUSA programming!

With new content, new programming, and new guests for you to enjoy, be sure to follow us on social and show our special guests some love by following their accounts too!

Without further ado, let’s go into our special guests and their program details further down below!

LAI FRANCES 

Lai Frances is a minted multimedia journalist with 5+ years of experience in editorial, video, radio and streaming contributions. In combining a rigorous academic experience with professional roles in digital media and pop culture spheres, she has exemplified a keen ability to coordinate social media activity, develop written and visual content, and utilize editorial skills at an expert level.

Currently, Lai is a Social Media Producer at CNET by day and a Contributing Writer at MTV News, Teen Vogue, tmrw and PopCrush by night. Sometimes, you can find her hosting live talks with K-pop artists on BUILD Series. Most of Lai’s projects revolve around pop culture, entertainment, music (K-pop/Top 40/Global), fashion (sneakers and streetwear) and more. Having a “glad to be here” attitude wherever she goes, Lai is always open to learn and grow with opportunities presented themselves.

JEFF BENJAMIN

Jeff Benjamin is an award-winning music journalist, curator and host based in New York City. He’s covered K-pop for nearly a decade, acting as Billboard’s K-Pop Columnist and TIDAL’s K-Pop Editor while contributing writing and commentary about the scene in places like the New York Times, CNN, Rolling Stone and more. Recently, he’s helped launch new products in the K-pop space including acting as an editor-at-large for Rolling Stone Korea and the new art magazine eLe magazine.

JUN

Jun is a violinist and artist on YouTube and is currently based in South Korea. He has made countless hits with his violin/dance covers on YouTube that have garnered millions of views and followers to this day. He is currently pursuing his solo career and plans to make more original content in the future.

RILEY TOLLETT

Riley T is a published portrait photographer who’s lived in Seoul since 2015 and been a Kpop fan since 2009. As KCON’s number one fan and supporter, she takes her job of convincing new people to like Kpop very seriously. She’s done backup dancing for old school Kpop artists and voiceovers for concerts as big as Super Show, and her favorite part of doing photoshoots with artists is how creative you can get with your concepts when the models are so talented. You can find her photography in Kpop albums, magazines, KCON lineup announcements, and you are ALWAYS welcome to tweet at DSP asking them to hire her to take photos for KARD.

TIFFANY LUI

Tiffany Lui, owner of Lovely St. Shop creates one of a kind K-pop inspired stationery & home goods. Some of her most recent creations include decorated top loaders and beaded keychains. She has been a long time K-pop fan attending multiple concerts and events. She has also partnered with several businesses to host cup sleeve events & loved being able to connect with other fans. She’s so excited to be given this opportunity to meet other fans and K-pop lovers.

To celebrate a new season of KCON:TACT we’ll be having more content for you to enjoy through our LIVE from the USA Countdown Week! We’re bringing some of our beloved KCON USA programs to the virtual world.

What is KCON STUDIO – LIVE FROM THE USA?

A week full of interactions with special guests via Zoom! We just announced our special guests who will be joining us for this amazing countdown week to KCON:TACT HI 5! This countdown week will consist of 3 programs that will take place via Twitter Spaces and Zoom during Sept 9-13.

Schedule

How do I join KCON STUDIO – LIVE FROM THE USA?

Fill out the form for which session you’d like a chance to join! Below you will find a link to the forms for each session. Please note that due to limited capacity, participants will be selected at random and notified via email if they have been selected to join. Each individual may only submit one form for each session. Forms will close on Tuesday, Sept 7, 1PM PDT.

When will I find out if I have been selected to participate in a session?

You will receive an email no later than Wednesday, Sept 8, 7PM PDT if you have been selected to participate in a session.

Do I need to pay to join?

No! Just fill out a form for the session you are interested in, for a chance to participate.

Are minors able to view?

Yes. In each form, there is a link to a consent form that ALL participants must download, sign, and date. If you are unable to access the form on the link, please find it below as well: https://bit.ly/387F3wD

Continuing on from the successful Twitter Spaces sessions from KCON:TACT 4 U, let’s kick off KCON:TACT HI 5 with our Opening Ceremony session for Day 1 of LIVE from the USA week! Veteran K-Pop writers Lai Frances and Jeff Benjamin are back for the 2^nd time to welcome KCON-ers back to another season of KCON:TACT while also talking about this season’s lineup artists!

Bringing back one the most popular panel program of KCONUSA, we’re excited to have JUN for the first time on LIVE from the USA week! Fans will get to meet JUN, have a QnA session with him, and get to enjoy a very special music session! The queen of KCON MCs and colorful hair Riley Tollett will also be joining to MC the Meet & Greet!

The hottest art trend in the K-Pop world, POLCO with Tiffany from Lovely St. Shop! An interactive art workshop where fans get to learn, interact, and enjoy the art of POLCO with POLCO master Tiffany Lui of Lovely St. Shop!

We can’t wait to have you join our KCON STUDIO: LIVE from the USA events coming up soon! Be sure to apply early so you don’t miss your chance, and we hope you enjoy everything that we have to offer for this season’s KCON:TACT HI 5 events! See you soon, KCON-ers!