Hellooooo lovely people! This is the third installment of F10$$! How has it been so far?

On today’s episode we are going to KCON LA! One of our writers wrote announcing this one. Check it out here!

Yes right in the heart of downtown los Angeles. Let me tell you. It was a ride. Literally because we had to drive there (ha!).

Traffic wasn’t as bad in the morning like you would think. To be honest it was faster than anticipated. For reference, I got up around 5am. I started getting ready after a while I believe. I couldn’t even get my makeup on like I wanted (was doing most of it in the car), but I still ended up looking pretty good. We got there around 10am. Which ya’ll here’s a tip:

Tip: Get there later in the day. Especially if you live in LA. You’ll be okay trust me. You won’t miss out on much. Unless there was a segment you really wanted to see.

That morning, I was feeling a bit under the weather. And the heat didn’t make it any better. And the walk to get to the convention was short, but it was hot.

Tip: Drink lots of water and eat something before going.

Okay before we shout “LET’S KCON”, “let’s jump” into the Disclaimer!

Disclaimer:

The F10$$ Series is written in an informal tone meant to sound conversational. It includes a DIML (“Day in My Life”) style with opinion. If you have an event, you think we should attend, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

This review is not sponsored by KCON, Crypto. com Arena, or the Los Angeles Convention Center! Also to note, this is only from what I saw or did. Like always, I will not really focus on the controversies as well in relation to some of the talents/events. This is not a commentary on those things.

I did my best to edit it well and analyze it from the event pov and not the controversies. Please understand. I will continue to edit this article (like usual). Okay let’s get into the review and my experience at the convention!

Convention Center

Outside of the Convention Center

So, when we got there to the Convention Center, the security was very nice at the same time, they diligently did the bag checks and security checks. Once in, you see a lot of the posters of the talent that will be at the Arena later. We go to the parking structure where everyone gets their tickets checked. It was a long long line. I thought that it would never end. I also thought it would be extremely crowded in the convention itself. Surprisingly, that wasn’t really the case.

Inside of the Convention Center

While in line we took some nice picture of our wristbands and shoes. I have to say. I really, really love how the wristbands look! Some places don’t have decorated ones you can keep as keepsakes later, so they did amazing with those!

Cool Wristbands! (Credit: King’s Crown)

The line wasn’t as long as I thought it was. We probably waited about 30 minutes max. Waiting there we talked about who and what we would see, King’s Crown’s debut performance, and how freaking hot it was in there. My goodness, if there was an AC, it wasn’t working. I mean it’s a parking lot, but that plus the summer heat…I was surprised I wasn’t drenched before we left. The KCON filming crew also did some filming of the line. I love watching videographers and so it was fascinating to see.

Tip: Be camera ready!

You never know when you might make an appearance! The best thing to wear is confidence! It’s important, no matter where you go.

There was a lot of stuff there. I kind of got overwhelmed to be honest. I only went in for a little while and then went back out. So let’s take a break to talk about the pros and cons of this place.

BREAK TIME

I forgot to mention. We were here for Day 3 of the convention. However, King’s Crown was there prior and if you check out his channel (which you should obvi) you will see some really cool stuff! His video will be towards the end of the article like usual.

Positives so far:

PRO: The security checks were swift and thorough. And ticketing and other staff was really nice as well in the convention. And the people managing the booths.

PRO: There’s a lot of things to do! You will not get bored easy. Whether it is the workshops, the booths (and shopping), the mini exhibits, or the actual shows being filmed, there’s a lot to do.

PRO: I love how there’s things in many categories. You got beauty, you got music, you got food, and you got entertainment for days. I think that no matter who you are, you can find something of interest. I even enjoyed looking at the staff film the segments.

PRO: The ads were very entertaining, cute, and catchy! I even started singing some of them.

Cute ads + Freebies from fellow KCONERS in crowd

I hate to be that person, but KCON had some of cons (no pun intended). Let’s get into them:

This is focusing on inside the main part of the convention! Not the other places as we did not visit them unfortunately this time around.

Con: (LACK OF SEATING*): From where I did go throughout the place, I was disappointed with the lack of seating. I did think about how many people would do it and how safety comes into play… However, I think having it off to the side can be very helpful. In my opinion it’s better than sitting to the side where things are blocked off or on the steps. If there were places just to sit down, it would be a nice cool down area especially for people who would like to make the most out of what they paid.

Con: (LACK OF DECOR) I hate to be that person, but I was a little disappointed with the decor. I am familiar with the venue as I have attended before (for different event), but…there wasn’t much there that screamed KCON (except for the name). I don’t know what is allowed in terms of decoration, but if you’re going to pay for a venue to hold your event, you want it to stand out.

For example: I wanted more photo-op opportunities. I mean we meticiously plan outfits and poses to take pictures where? And if we were to go with more people, wouldn’t you want more places to take memorable photos to look back on? Even solo, it’s just fun to do and elevates the experience. The significance of an unforgetable experience should not be discounted! It should be prioritized with more things to do. Though it might be more to move around and pack up, it’s a well worth sacrifice. And it will bring more promotion of your event as well! I hope this year’s will have more of this.

Another free idea…(I know I know, you know where to contact me!)-hire a few photographers in another photo room. That would be cool too. So, it won’t bring pressure to everyone to purchase, but others who want it can have that service. And it helps us creatives. A win-win! Maybe you can take pictures like at theme parks and if people want them, they can purchase them at a desk in that VIP photo room. Come on! You see the vision! Okay enough ideas. On to the next!

CON: (Advertising*): We did miss out on a lot of stuff. Like for starters…how we missed where the workshops were located!? I wish we had more people to attend. I did see someone advertising one of the workshops while they were going up the stairs with a sign, but it’s easy to miss. I noticed a lot of influencers I follow that went, and I was a little sad I missed them, but hey, there’s always a next time. But if they advertised a bit more while in there, it would help tremendously. Especially for first time KCONers! And other’s who know the venue left to right.

*However, they did have some directories out! And it has a Chill Zone! And And I even took a selfie with them…so it was a matter of reading and not seeing them. I do wish that there was more of them surrounding the main part of the convention.

ROUND 2- START!

I got back in after a while, and it was time for round 2. I gained some energy through guilt of making the day a bummer. I will not spoil the day because I was feeling weak! Everything was good!

Various Booths

The convention itself is really cool! There are so many vendors to purchase from that it made it hard to make a decision. Other places had freebies and others you had to follow them and/or follow + shout them out which was pretty cool too. Some vendors had photo-op places and most of them were very nice. I think only one person had a bit of an attitude within the initial interaction with them. No clue why as we were very polite. But the pictures came out nice and that’s all that matters! And I am a fan of the brand. Hopefully this year things will be even better.

Hyolyn at the KCON meet & greet stage!

We also saw so many cool talents! I saw the last bit of StayC’s Meet & Greet Stage. We also saw Hyolyn (M&G), POW (Connecting Stage), ZEROBASEONE (Connecting Stage), ISAAC HONG (M&G), and Kim Soo-Hyun was there too*. We caught one more act later that day. But I won’t spoil it! Keep reading to see who it was!

Since the stages are all in close proximity of one another. So, you can hear them overlapping every now and then. However, the stages being so close together makes it easier to check out more shows. Instead of walking super far to the next one. However, if they could add more room, that wouldn’t be bad either…at least for competition to get to the front of the line.

Anyways, there was

LUNCH TIMEEEEEEEEEEEE

So, lunch was a struggle. Really.

So, we left the convention after one last segment with both stages. I was very shaky by then and energy was gone. Also, the muscle ache was no joke. So, tip time!

Tip: make sure to eat and hydrate a little throughout the day.

I do not suggest traveling away from the venue. Just for security reasons, I don’t recommend it. I’ll tell you something I saw after the journey. “You never know” is the phrase of life. It’s not a joke. Your life is valuable.

We crossed the street to the food and dance area they had. It’s kinda cool. You got good music and good food. You can dance and eat. Plus, you got a good walk in as well. I was happy the security was checking even over by the food zone. I was proud and felt safe. They were pretty chill too.

KCON Festival Grounds

Aesthetic wise, there wasn’t enough photo-esc places in my opinion. I think we needed more of that. I love the grass being nice and green on that nice blue sky of a day. They matched well. I wish they had more summer stuff. I won’t give ideas for free, but please hire me for the next one and trust me, I know it will be even more fun.

To elaborate more on the aesthetic, I think KCON is about fun and with conventions in general, you want to make new friends and take nice pictures. Once in a blue moon when I do go out, I really prefer fun things to talk about and remember. Things to keep me occupied. A couple of our members attended a fashion show here before, and the venue didn’t change much. I’m not even asking for drastic changes, but just enough especially with the money being earned for the convention. If you need ideas or want to expand, contact me! I’m more than willing to help.

We didn’t like the overpriced food, so we dipped. And seating was packed and limited. On top of that, there wasn’t enough options. I think that they would benefit with more options seriously. I had my eye on a place I spotted from a night market, but after seeing the price with limited options, I decided to skip on it.

Here’s the thing. You shouldn’t expect cheap prices. Especially how designers design cities with entertainment around it. There will be limited dining options, so you have to settle. But a fresh out of college student knows how to survive. And so, the best thing to do is hit up your closest convenient store and have fun. I’m not going to lie. I didn’t get “real food” because I just didn’t find it something I wanted from there. So instead, we both got snacks. And it totaled to less than $20. Way better than some food without a drink. And in this economy, it’s refreshing.

HACK: Now I must say here’s another option if you’re feeling a bit risky. Both Celsius and Prime was passing out free drinks in a cart and van. I’m guessing they were promoting? I don’t think it had anything related to the event. But they kind of pressure you pushing their product your way. And out of guilt I grabbed on the way to the food zone. So, you would be able to get food and a free drink. Now the health of those is debatable, but if you really wanted something to drink and some food, there’s options. And most places should have a water fountain, but I didn’t see many to be honest.

So, then we ran into the same hassle of not having a place to sit. And I was contemplating on going back to the foodzone. But instead, I didn’t we sat right by the entrance of the convention center. Luckily there was a spot. We ate.

And there was a couple of people who happen to be homeless who were a little aggressive, following people and hitting plants and trying to intimidate people. And again, this is Downtown LA tourist. There’s crime like anywhere else. And sadly, a lot of homeless here (don’t associate the two because criminals come in every shape and form and that’s not right). It doesn’t come as a surprise to us locals. However, I wish this issue would come to an end, but that’s for another day. Just be vigilant and stay safe. Even one of the staff there left out the way. But yeah, we had a nice conversation, had a nice “student” lunch (yes, we exist…barely), and went back into the venue.

RETURN OF THE VENUE

ROUND 3- START!

Round 3 of the venue I thought would go as planned. Each vlogger had their own plan, and we had a collective plan for this blog. Though…it didn’t work out. But we got pretty good pictures…right?

Round 3 was about beating the heat because there was too much time before the concert lineup still. And also, more freebies to collect!

Tip: Have enough time in between your convention and concert time. That way you can have some free time to relax.

There wasn’t much to do so we sat there and just calmed down. We watched TWS as well at the Meet & Greet Stage hosted with Alex Reid! I have to say. it’s really nice that they organized their screens the way they did. you can see them from pretty far away. So, I really appreciate those details of the layout. Then we did the last bit of freebie things we wanted to do and left. I still regret not hitting every booth. I think there was a lot I wanted to do that I didn’t. But I felt a bit out of it. That’s why it might be better to bring more people with you if you’re able to do so.

Let’s get into the F10$$ scale! If you are unfamiliar with F10$$, you can find out more about it here!

F10$$

BO$$: As a boss, it was pretty easy to get all the content that we wanted to show you. Do wish you were able to see all of the things they offered more easier. I think that the content wasn’t as accessible as it could have been. However, everything I did plan to see was easy to plan out. I got a lot of content I want to post. And with the various stages, I stayed entertained while still doing my job!

Various stages (Meet & Greet, Red Carpet, and Connecting Stage)

FAN: I mean this is KCON! As a kpop stan, this is the place to be. Especially if you are based in LA (or traveling). Los Angeles has a lot of stuff to do. And trust me, as a LA local, I can vouch for this. You can’t get bored here. Most of the talents are people we anticipate. Others are a surprise.

*I do think sometimes…some of the talents who come can be a bit controversial and I don’t know how they end up on the lineup, but that’s not my business and meant for a different segment. The beauty is that you choose your KCON experience. Just politely remove yourself from the place.

And remember even if you don’t prefer a specific talent, be respectful. You don’t have to like everyone but be respectful. Respect takes you far. So as a fan, amazing. As a person who anticipated going to KCON since getting into Kpop, I really enjoyed it. There is the online version as well. Similar to how Coachella has that option.

You can watch all of the Connecting Stages, Meet & Greet Stages, and other things online on their YouTube livestreams. However, I think if you have the privilege of going, there is a charm to live performance. And for us who like to see the behind the scenes, as you walk around you can see that. Definitely worth trying to go if you can! As a fan, this is an experience you don’t want to miss.

$$$: I’ll discuss both versions of this experience. The live option. And the livestream option.

So obviously there is the free version of this experience if you have Wi-Fi and a device. You can tune in on their YouTube livestream. I think that will always be worth a try. And you get to learn about the event a bit.

Now if you do commit to going to the event in person, it will cost you. Since we are just focusing on the convention, I’ll discuss that part for now. Check into the next article to see about the KCON stage (at the Crypto. com Arena)!

A while ago, KCON used to offer the convention and the Crypto stage separately, but in more recent years, they have stopped this option. I do not know why. So, I must consider it due to the price we had to pay. It was for both the show and the convention.

I think that it’s still worth it, but there’s too many options that are offered that it can be confusing. I think the price is pretty normal for even a farther back option at a solo concert. Even with the various lineups.

Personally, I do think they should go back to selling the show and convention separately. I think they should listen to their audience because they note this each year. Some people justify the prices more because they total a seat at each artist’s concert.

And of course, the VLOGS:

OUR HOST POV:

Check out how King’s Crown Day was:

Credit: King’s Crown on YouTube

So how was it? What do you look forward to most at the convention? In the next episode we will explore the Crypto. com Arena while going to the MNET KCON Stage!

Written by: A.P.