My KCON Adventure – As a Parent, Is There Anything I Can Do?
Hello! Were you brought here because your child is a big K-Pop, K-beauty, or just general Korean culture fan? Or did you come here with your family because you wanted to do something exciting with your children? No need to fret! We have plenty of programs for people of all ages to enjoy. You might not enjoy K-Pop yourself, but check out the schedule below for programs you can enjoy with your family. — First things first, though, we have to inform you of our generic policies and programs that will help you enjoy the convention. KCON Convention Registration The events and programs we will be recommending can only be accessed at our KCON Convention, which means you will need to purchase a Convention wristband. If you have one already, that’s great! If you don’t have a wristband yet, you can purchase and register a 2-day wristband for $20 each on this website or on-site. On-site registration will take some time, however, so we recommend you and your family register your wristband online in order to have more to explore the Convention. KCON Check-In Now that you have your wristband, you’re ready for check-in! The Convention itself will be open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM on both June 23rd and 24th. You can check-in anytime from 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM on those days. However, we highly encourage you do early check-in on June 22nd from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. You’ll save yourself more time to enjoy the actual Convention on Saturday and Sunday. If you or any of your family have purchased artist engagement vouchers, you will definitely want to check-in on June 22nd or the morning of June 23rd before the Convention starts so that you don’t accidentally miss any of your engagements. Hydration & Merchandise The convention is big and with programs happening in different locations, you might find yourself hurriedly power-walking across the Convention. If you are coming with children, you may even find yourself hurriedly chasing after them as they excitedly power-walk to the next program. As this pattern repeats throughout the day, you’ll most likely find yourself parched and hot. This year, to help keep our fans hydrated, we added a water bottle to our merchandise lineup. You’ll be able to refill your water bottle at the water refill stations to stay hydrated even after all that rushing around to keep your children in your sight. Get Your Updates!! Onsite, there will be schedule changes, announcements of artist booth appearances, and important reminders. Please make sure to download the KCONUSA app (iOs | Android), and follow us on social media (Instagram | Twitter | Facebook) for realtime updates. It will be well-worth the minor annoyance of push notifications so that you know why people are rushing towards a certain direction or to which booth or program your child may have secretly rushed off on his or her own. Maps As mentioned earlier, the convention is big and you will probably want to familiarize yourself with where everything is at the KCON Convention. Take a look at the following two maps of the K-Activity Zone and K-Culture Zones so you can orient yourself before the event starts. (If you decide to let your 18-year-old children go off on their own, familiarizing yourself with the map will help you reconnect with them throughout the day and understand what they mean when they say “I’m at BHHH right now. I’ll see you at Champion Plaza.”) As you might notice in the photos, we added a PARENT’S LOUNGE this year. We’ll have a few seats and water for you to refresh yourself, so do stop by! — Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s start with the actual itinerary specifically designed for PARENTS! The itinerary assumes you have already checked-in prior to the Convention start time. Of course, the programs listed below are what we think parents will enjoy and you are free to take or add programs from this sample itinerary. SATURDAY, JUNE 23rd 10:00 – 11:00 AM: Exploration Time Convention programs won’t start until 11 AM, so you can use this hour to get yourself acquainted with the KCON Convention. Make sure your children don’t run because we don’t wish for them to get injured. Here are the four main areas you will need to know: K-Activity Zone: This is the area where you can experience all of our convention panels and workshops, including our dance workshops. If there’s a panel you or your children are really excited about, you will want to get a seat early. K-Culture Zone: In this zone, you can find our market, sponsors, picnic area, and our stage. A lot of sponsors and vendors have great things to see, purchase, and/or giveaway, so it’s good spot to peruse before it gets busy! Plus, our official KCON Merchandise Booth is here. Get your merch (i.e. water bottle) before they sell out! Championship Plaza: This is the registration area and it’s also where the Information Booth & Lost and Found are located. If you’re coming with children, you are probably aware that things get lost all the time so you will probably want to know where you can go to find your lost item. Barnaby Health Hockey House (BHHH): Here is where all the artist engagements, KLUB KCON, and Red Carpet events will take place. 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: KCON Paint Nite If you are planning on exploring the Convention with your family, you’ll want to check out this workshop moderated by the lovely Susie Kelly, who also ran this workshop for the first time last year. It may (or may not) get a bit messy but it’ll be fun releasing or even finding your inner artist 😉 2:00 – 3:00 PM: Learn How to Make Jumeokbap and Oi Naengguk with Culinary Chef Shin Kim Unless you know Korean or know how to read Korean romanization, you are probably confused about how to even read the food workshop name. But, in this workshop, you will be learning how to make refreshing cucumber soup (oi naengguk) and rice balls (jumeokbap)! Yum! The workshop will be
My KCON Adventure – First Time KCON-ers!
So, it’s your first KCON. You’re being bombarded by KCON vocab like “K-Activity Zone,” “STAR Live Talk,” and “Star Square,” not to mention panels, workshops, artist engagements, and two concerts. There’s just a lot of stuff. And, that’s on purpose. We want there to be such a variety of things to do that you’ll be able to carve out the unique “KCON adventure” that suits you. If this is your first ever KCON, or if you’re just curious about what things you can do, then read on. We’ll release more “adventures” in the coming days to suit those KCON-ers who may have different interests like Dance, Beauty, etc… But, this is a handcrafted, convention adventure for those who we have the honor of welcoming for the first time. We couldn’t be happier to have you, welcome. GENERAL INFORMATION KCON Convention Registration The events and programs that we are recommending below are available at our KCON Convention, which means you’re going to need a Convention wristband. If you haven’t gotten one yet, please register for the KCON Convention here. (1) 2-day pass is $20, and we’re going to use this article to show you why that’s definitely money well-spent. Of course, if you haven’t decided yet whether you’re going or if you haven’t convinced your friend yet that they should come, you can always purchase onsite. Onsite registration takes some time, so online registration is the best way to make sure you and your fellow fans get through the line fast! View the full Convention Schedule. KCON Check-in The KCON Convention will be open from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM on June 23 and June 24. We encourage you do early check-in on June 22 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. But, if you’re not available, you’ll be able to check-in anytime from 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM on June 23 and June 24. If you have artist engagement vouchers, we can’t encourage you enough to check-in before the event starts either on June 22 or the morning of June 23 so that you don’t miss any of your engagements. Hydration & Merchandise Summertime in the East Coast is…humid and hot. This year, to help keep our fans hydrated, we added a water bottle to our merchandise lineup. With this KCON water bottle, you can use our water refill station to stay hydrated even after a ton of dancing. You can purchase your water bottle and other KCON merchandise until June 17th on Mwave or onsite at KCON 2018 NY. Get Your Updates!! Onsite, there will be schedule changes, announcements of artist booth appearances, and important reminders. Please make sure to download the KCONUSA app (iOs | Android), and follow us on social media (Instagram | Twitter | Facebook) for realtime updates. It’s well-worth the minor annoyance of push notifications so that you don’t miss your favorite artist appearing by surprise at the convention. Maps Just to give you a more visual sense of where everything is at the KCON Convention, we’re going to share you the two maps of the K-Activity and K-Culture Zones. Hopefully, as you flip through all of the recommended programs below, you’ll be able to orient yourself even before the event starts! MY KCON ADVENTURE: It’s My First Time at KCON! (Woooooo!) Welcome to your first KCON! We know that with Hallyu only getting bigger, many of you have different reasons for coming to KCON–whether that be K-Pop, K-Beauty, K-Dance, or K-Food. Below would be our ideal schedule if we we’re a fan like you who is coming to KCON for the first time, but who also wants to experience everything. We can’t promise everything (there’s a lot of stuff going on all at once!), but we’ll try our best to show you the KCON world in two-and-a-half days. Let’s KCON! Also! Just in case you’re new to the K-Pop world or you’re sharing this with a friend who is, we’ll be including GIF’s from all of the KCON 2018 NY lineup and if you click them, you’ll be taken that artist’s MV. June 22 – KLUB KCON! KLUB KCON If you’re coming for early check-in on June 22, don’t head home just yet. Go straight to KLUB KCON! KLUB KCON is a massive K-Pop party that takes place from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM and is open to KCON-ers of all ages (if you’re under 13 yrs of age, you must bring a guardian). KLUB KCON is a Convention ticket add on, and you can register for it along with the Convention here. That’s the definition, but here’s what you can expect: 1. A DJ who’s got K-Pop spinning experience and is ready to make you dance with your friends and maybe help you meet some new ones. 2. Artist appearances. In the past we’ve had major artists like SEVENTEEN perform and say “hi!” to fans, and even DEAN and Amber perform in LA. It’s super memorable because you’ll be able to see major idols in a chill, close setting. What artists are coming this year? STRAY KIDS & PENTAGON! Are you ready to learn the “hammer dance”? June 23 – KCON DAY 1! 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Check-in If you’re a Convention attendee (and to attend all of the programs we’re about to recommend, it’s a must), please head to Championship Plaza with your registration. It’s time to make it rain paper (or digital paper for mobile registrants) like PENTAGON! A hint of a smile à la Hongseok would be nice too 😉 This registration will have a QR Codes that our staff will scan to give you your wristband and any related items like artist engagement packs. If you went to KLUB KCON, you will have already had to check-in so you can bypass this step. Win!
[STAR LIVE TALK]
Don’t miss your chance to catch the artists at KCON Stage and hear their individual stories through themed talk shows – STAR Live Talk! Check out different topics tailored for each artist here! Billboard will be hosting KCON18NY STAR Live Talk starting at 12:30PM EDT on both 6/23 and 6/24! Be sure to tune in via billboard‘s Facebook and YouTube! 6/23 (SAT) Individual schedules to be revealed closer to event date STAR Live Talk with Heize [Hit Female Singer-Songwriter] STAR Live Talk with Pentagon [Self-Producing Idols] STAR Live Talk with Stray Kids [Debut: Behind the Scenes] STAR Live Talk with Super Junior [Multi-Entertainer Idols] 6/24 (SUN) Individual schedules to be revealed closer to event date STAR Live Talk with EXID [Long Lasting K-Pop Girl Group] STAR Live Talk with fromis_9 [fromise to you: To be the Best Idol Group] STAR Live Talk with Golden Child [Golden Child : Once on a Century] Get convention tickets here to catch them at the convention!
[#KCON18LA] Artist Reveal – SEVENTEEN
SEVENTEEN is a 13-member boy group who debuted under Pledis Entertainment in 2015. The members are S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino. They are also active with three different sub-units: “Hip Hop Unit,” “Vocal Unit,” and “Performance Unit.” The group is known as the “self-producing” idol group as the members are deeply involved in the composition and production of their discography and choreography. Seventeen debuted on May 26 with a live showcase and was the first male Kpop group to debut with an one-hour live showcase on a major broadcasting channel. Their debut EP 17 Carat became the longest-charting K-pop album of the year in the US and was the only rookie album to appear on Billboard‘s “10 Best K-pop Albums of 2015” chart. In February 2018, Seventeen released a special album Director’s Cut with title track “Thanks” which topped iTunes charts in 29 countries. Time magazine named Seventeen one of the best K-pop groups during this promotion period. Seventeen is scheduled to officially debut in Japan on May 30 with their first Japanese mini-album, We Make You.
[#KCON18LA] Artist Reveal – fromis_9
fromis_9, an initialism for “From Idol School,” is a nine-member girl group formed through Mnet’s reality show “Idol School” in 2017, which ran from July 13 to September 29. As a result of live and online voting, Roh Ji Sun, Song Ha Young, Lee Sae Rom, Lee Chae Young, Lee Na Gyung, Park Ji Won, Lee Seo Yeon, Baek Ji Heon and Jang Gyu Ri secured spots in the final ranking and formed Fromis_9 on the same day. Before their official debut, the group performed their pre-debut single “Glass Shoes” at the 2017 Mnet Asian Music Awards in Japan. The group officially debuted on January 24, 2018 with their first EP “To. Heart” along with their lead single “To Heart.”
[PANEL #1] MEET THE REACTION VIDEO SUPERSTARS
TIME: Sunday, June 24th from 5:00 – 6:00 PM MODERATOR: InternetsNathan PANELISTS: BRISxLIFE, The Producer, ReacttotheK, Your Sweet Guys
[PANEL #2] HOW WE MADE IT: KOREAN AMERICAN EDITION
TIME: Saturday, June 23rd from 1:00 – 2:00 PM MODERATORS: Stevie Chong PANELISTS: Donna Kim, Ellie Lee, Niña Park DESCRIPTION: Come hear Korean-Americans discuss how they all had to overcome the same adversity to make it in their fields: their Korean parents. Get career advice, ask questions and learn the secrets on how these young professionals are changing the game.
[PANEL #1] READING KOREAN HORROR COMICS
TIME: Saturday, June 23rd from 2:00 – 3:00 PM MODERATORS: JRE, Sunny’s Channel, TerryTV, WhitneyBae DESCRIPTION: Boo! Do you like to get your blood pumping with ultra-scary Korean comics? Come see for yourself if you can withstand the horror of some the best horror stories that have been translated into English!
[PANEL #1] BEHIND THE SCENES WITH SAGA ENTERTAINMENT: YG ENTERTAINMENT’S LIVE BANDS!
TIME: Sunday, June 24th from 2:00 – 3:00 PM PANELISTS: Gil Smith DESCRIPTION: All K-Pop concerts are an amazing experience, but when a live band comes into play, everything changes! The individuals who have brought the stages of BIGBANG’s, GD’s, and Taeyang’s concert to life, share their experience of what it’s like to be touring with some of the most iconic names in the K-Pop industry.
[PANEL #2] THE K-BEAUTY CRAZE: WHY EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT K-BEAUTY
TIME: Sunday, June 24th from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM MODERATOR: Stevie Chong PANELISTS: Devon Abelman, Joan Kim, Caro Malis, Sarah Han DESCRIPTION: From print to digital, Instagram to YouTube, everyone is buzzing about K-beauty! Come hear from industry experts on why K-beauty is exploding in 2018.