HYBE held a large-scale networking event for the first time in the United States, the global center of the music market, together with major local cultural industry organizations, sharing K-pop's current influence in the music world and its future vision.
HYBE said on the 12th that on the afternoon of the 9th (local time) it successfully held a special discussion and networking event titled "Reshaping global music industry: K-pop's entertainment blueprint" at The West Hollywood Edition in Los Angeles with Gold House and the Gold Music Alliance under the Recording Academy.
The event was organized to shed deeper light on the value of K-pop as a global cultural phenomenon for leaders and experts leading the global music market, and to form discourse on K-pop's impact on the market and its future. The event was attended by key executives and members of Gold House and the Gold Music Alliance under the Recording Academy, and about 100 global music industry experts.
Gold House, which co-hosted the event, is a U.S. nonprofit that supports businesspeople and cultural artists in the Asia-Pacific region, strengthening networks in Asia and contributing to cultural formation. Gold Music Alliance is an organization under the Recording Academy, the organizer of the Grammy Awards, established as part of D.R.E.A.M. (Diversity Reimagined by Engaging All Musicmakers) initiative. It helps Asian members expand their influence across the global music industry and highlights their contributions to cultural heritage and the music industry.
The event opened with remarks from Isaac Lee, chairman and CEO of HYBE America; Bing Chen, co-founder and chairman of Gold House; and Qiana Conley Akinro, senior executive vice president of the Recording Academy's Los Angeles chapter.
Bing Chen, chairman of Gold House, said, "K-pop started in one region but has shown the power to unite the world," adding, "(Asian culture including K-pop) is the fastest-growing in the United States, and it is already producing achievements like BTS and KATSEYE."
Qiana Conley Akinro, executive vice president of the Recording Academy's Los Angeles chapter, said, "In recent years the Recording Academy has seen K-pop's influence expand significantly," and added, "Through the Gold Music Alliance, I hope the voices of music professionals in the Asia-Pacific region will help shape the future of the global music industry."
Isaac Lee, CEO of HYBE America, said, "K-pop accounts for only 4% of the global music market, but it is already dominating major global charts and will grow more explosively," adding, "HYBE's vision is not simply to increase the size of the K-pop market, but to build on K-pop's successful strategies with artists and fans in regions around the world."
The panel session that followed included Weverse Company CEO Choi Jun-won; Mitra Darab, head of HYBE X Geffen Records; Grammy Award-winning producer Jonathan Yip; and Rick Choi, Live Nation's global tour promoter. They agreed that fandom culture and fandom platforms are unique features and success strategies of K-pop and said they are already influencing Western music markets.
Choi said, "K-pop fandoms are not mere listeners but very active and passionate core partners who want to participate directly in the artists' journeys," adding, "I believe that the combination of these fandom characteristics and the appealing elements of K-pop created K-pop's innovation."
The panelists said K-pop fandom culture is already influencing Western culture. Darab said, "K-pop always puts fans first, and using platforms like Weverse to communicate directly with fans is important," adding, "This is something Western culture, namely U.S. labels, can learn from K-pop, and many Western artists already want to join Weverse."
Darab also said Korea's strategy of utilizing music shows influenced KATSEYE's success. He mentioned that KATSEYE chose Korean music shows as the first promotional activity for their single "Gnarly" released in April, saying, "Korea's four major music shows, which have the highest production standards, are stages fans expect and are part of understanding fandom culture," and added, "Because the song required strong performance, this was a very strategic choice."
[Photo] Provided by HYBE.
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