Read Part 1 HERE !
Never would I have thought that K-Expo would have a lineup around the building simply for entry into the convention.
"Surely this must be for the giveaway of free concert tickets." was my suspicion when I passed the corner of Meridian Hall while en route to Union from St. Lawrence.
Alas, it was not.
"Surely this must be for the giveaway of free concert tickets." was my suspicion when I passed the corner of Meridian Hall while en route to Union from St. Lawrence.
Alas, it was not.
The concert buddies had abandoned the venue without letting me know, zipping off at the early hour of 2 PM when I had notified them of my slated 4 PM arrival.
Reasonable traffic volumes had allowed for a timely arrival, but didn't prepare me for queuing in the sun whatsoever.
Thankfully, a portion of the line remained in the shade. The total time from joining the queue to entry was about ten minutes. If any longer, the treacherous humidity and direct sunlight would have proved lethal.
Reasonable traffic volumes had allowed for a timely arrival, but didn't prepare me for queuing in the sun whatsoever.
Thankfully, a portion of the line remained in the shade. The total time from joining the queue to entry was about ten minutes. If any longer, the treacherous humidity and direct sunlight would have proved lethal.
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A member of staff holding a clicker had been positioned near the entrance, counting each member of public that walked through the double doors. Staggering entry was supposedly for the purpose of crowd control.
Not withstanding these measures, the inside of the entertainment space was brimming with people - to the point where moving about was arduous and stifling.
It felt like KCON all over again, but with lower ceilings, reduced illumination, and no lineup organization whatsoever. The scene was a strict travesty to behold.
Attractions had been dispersed across three floors, with ridiculous lineups were witnessed at practically every booth. Upon entering, there was a large sign to indicate the name of the event, but neither maps nor staff to provide clear direction.
The main floor was bustling with makeup demos, a complimentary photoism stall, and some games/sampling booths. On the upper floor were cooking demonstrations, a pop-up boutique retailing merchandise from the National Museum of Korea, more beauty-related content, and, most importantly, bathrooms. Frankly, I was unable to identify majority of these installations, for hoards of people camouflaged the booths' contents.
Not withstanding these measures, the inside of the entertainment space was brimming with people - to the point where moving about was arduous and stifling.
It felt like KCON all over again, but with lower ceilings, reduced illumination, and no lineup organization whatsoever. The scene was a strict travesty to behold.
Attractions had been dispersed across three floors, with ridiculous lineups were witnessed at practically every booth. Upon entering, there was a large sign to indicate the name of the event, but neither maps nor staff to provide clear direction.
The main floor was bustling with makeup demos, a complimentary photoism stall, and some games/sampling booths. On the upper floor were cooking demonstrations, a pop-up boutique retailing merchandise from the National Museum of Korea, more beauty-related content, and, most importantly, bathrooms. Frankly, I was unable to identify majority of these installations, for hoards of people camouflaged the booths' contents.
Some of the booths had posted signage about closing early: While the convention portion of the expo was scheduled to operate until 5 PM, the cut-off time for select attractions was moved to 4 PM. Staff members would also halt visitors from joining the queue, as it was unlikely that they would make the posted cut-off time, or even receive any freebies.
Further installations were present on the basement level, though I decided to make a sluggish lap about the main floor before proceeding. One of two concert buddies had advised that the booth to the right of the entrance handed out "passports". After visiting each booth, a sticker could be collected and used to redeem a prize at the end of the visit. By the time I succeeded in making my way towards the nearest uniformed staff member, I was informed that all passports had been distributed. Stickers could still be collected, but the selection of prizes had been reduced significantly.
The overall format was not dissimilar to my personal experience in Seoul, where events are multi-dimensional with time-consuming, game-like elements (ie. collecting stamps for prizes), but clarity is horribly lacking and rules of operation for individual attractions could be adjusted on the fly.
Further installations were present on the basement level, though I decided to make a sluggish lap about the main floor before proceeding. One of two concert buddies had advised that the booth to the right of the entrance handed out "passports". After visiting each booth, a sticker could be collected and used to redeem a prize at the end of the visit. By the time I succeeded in making my way towards the nearest uniformed staff member, I was informed that all passports had been distributed. Stickers could still be collected, but the selection of prizes had been reduced significantly.
The overall format was not dissimilar to my personal experience in Seoul, where events are multi-dimensional with time-consuming, game-like elements (ie. collecting stamps for prizes), but clarity is horribly lacking and rules of operation for individual attractions could be adjusted on the fly.
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I relayed my findings to my browsing partner on the spot, but decided to commit to a handful of booths seeing that I made my way inside anyway.
While queuing for a "ramen game" booth, I received two complimentary embroidered patches from a member of staff. Thirty minutes later, it was finally my turn to undertake the chopstick challenge. Players would use either rounded or flat metal chopsticks to fill a makeshift ramen bowl with plastic ingredients until the one-minute timer went off. My win earned me a complimentary pack of Shin Ramyun, Buldak ramen, or Shrimp Chips. Glaring at the bulky offerings with contempt, I negotiated acquisition of two embroidered patches instead. After all, lugging around snacks that would easily become crushed was a huge hassle.
While queuing for a "ramen game" booth, I received two complimentary embroidered patches from a member of staff. Thirty minutes later, it was finally my turn to undertake the chopstick challenge. Players would use either rounded or flat metal chopsticks to fill a makeshift ramen bowl with plastic ingredients until the one-minute timer went off. My win earned me a complimentary pack of Shin Ramyun, Buldak ramen, or Shrimp Chips. Glaring at the bulky offerings with contempt, I negotiated acquisition of two embroidered patches instead. After all, lugging around snacks that would easily become crushed was a huge hassle.
Completing a Google Forms survey earned me another embroidered path. Obtaining personal data appeared to be another facet of Korean event organization, along with growing follower counts on social media platforms.
Another lineup granted me a free Milkis sample. Then, I headed to the basement level. Besides rest areas and water fountains, the floor housed a variety of games and animation booths.
Another lineup granted me a free Milkis sample. Then, I headed to the basement level. Besides rest areas and water fountains, the floor housed a variety of games and animation booths.
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