KBEE 2011: Where the Korean Wave Meets Culture and Brand, All in One Spot!

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From Dec 1st to 3rd, Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo 2011 opened at the exhibition hall of La Grande Arche de la Défense in Paris. It was a weekend full of exhibition consultations at KBEE 2011, where 200 buyers from K-pop, 70 Korean companies, and 16 European countries participated.

To be honest, the popularity of the Korean Wave in other parts of the world like Europe can't be felt directly felt while living in Korea. But it was felt through SM Entertainment's concert in Pairs that was held in June. Concert tickets for this event in France sold out in one day! Thus, the concert was extended and added another evening of K-pop excitement for a total of 14,000 fans to enjoy. With all this, people began to realize that home favorites of K-pop and famous Korean singers like Shinee and 2NE1 are just as popular in Europe.

At KBEE 2011, popular Korean girl group Secret participated to add more excitement. Even with an injured leg, Secret's Jun Hyo-seong still made the trip over to Paris to participate in the event. It was a pleasant surprise to see people singing along to the songs of Secret, which is relatively a new group. Many people gathered to enter the exhibition hall to look at Secret, watch the Cover Dance Contest and JYP audition, so a long queue was formed.

SECRET during one of their performances. Image source here

Cover Dance is a kind of a fan costume play that have contestants re-do well know songs or imitate the dance performance, and as the Korean Wave is sweeping nations with its syndrome, A 'K-POP Cover Dance' that imitates Korean singers' song or dance was nothing short of popular, and a mania for the K-POP Cover Dance contest has formed; making it an icon of new popularity. The Cover Dance Contest that was held at KBEE 2011 provided a place for Cover Dance fanatics to show off their skills and to shed new light upon the Korean Wave, checking the popularity of K-pop in France. Many people participated at 'Cover Dance Contest'. It was amazing and surprising to see Western people dancing Cover Dance, after watching only Asian people dancing it. They created fun with more powerful dance.

Winners of the Cover Dance Contest! Image source here

Other than this, JYP auditions were also held. They received over 550 applications from all over France, from people who wanted to spread their dream of being a star in Korea. The applicants applied for various genres such as POP, dance, rap, acting, and model, proving the tremendous popularity of Korean Wwave. It is said that the results would be revealed later on, and I am curious as to who participated at JYP audition!

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KBEE introduced various Korean brands such as Korean tea, food, craft, and medical technology other than K-pop, and I think that it was a place for people, who are interested in Korea, to enjoy. Korean companies that participated were related to the local Korean fever. Especially, the products were mainly focused on the products that used Korean wave stars' portrait rights, K-pop album, Korean food, and clothes and accessories that Korean stars wore in dramas, and also culture contents products such as character, animation, and comic received buyers' attention. Especially at this expo, global record companies like Sony Music gauged the possibility of K-pop going overseas.

The interesting points of KBEE are that it promoted the participation of young people with events related to K-pop that is getting popular, and that it also promoted the participation and business of buyers by introducing Korean companies and products. I think the buyers who came to work also had fun at the event where a diverse group of participants and fans of K-pop . I hope that Korean culture is widely shared in France through this opportunity!

About the authorby Ashley Lee

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I'm one of main communicators of AT&D Korea. I have very many curiosities and interests, but these days I am interested in smartphones, design, tablet PCs, Korean culture and the Korean wave. I'm always on Facebook, so If you have any questions that have to do with anything in Korea, don't hesitate to contact me!

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