'KBEE 2025' hosted by MOTIR and KOTRA drew 335 companies and 20,000 visitors from home and abroad.
The first-ever Hallyu Expo in North America captivated New Yorkers through cultural marketing in collaboration with K-pop stars, local distribution networks, and related organizations.
The event featured a diverse range of marketing activities including export consultations, consumer goods showcases, Hallyu experience zones, K-pop performances, and CSR initiatives.
Notably, the showcase included K-beauty, K-food, K-content, and K-fashion, with export contracts and MOUs totaling USD 11 million at the venue.

The '2025 New York Hallyu Expo (KBEE 2025 NEW YORK)', held from November 6-8 at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey, attracted nearly 20,000 visitors and secured USD 11 million in export contracts and MOUs on-site.

Recently, K-culture and consumer goods have become increasingly popular in North America. K-beauty, for example, became the number one importer of cosmetics in the U.S. in 2024, and many cosmetics manufacturers are expanding into the U.S. market. Additionally, the U.S. has become the largest export market for K-food, with exports of products like ramen and kimchi growing by 10 % annually over the past decade.

KBEE 2025 NEW YORK was designed to raise awareness of K-consumer goods in New York, the heart of trends and distribution, and to expand local distribution networks by leveraging the K-culture boom. The event featured a variety of programs, including one-on-one B2B export consultations between local buyers and Korean exporters, B2C promotional showcases, Hallyu experience zones, K-pop performances, and CSR activities.

▶K-Culture Meets K-Consumer Goods at Export Exhibitions and Consultations

The key program was the export exhibition and consultation, where 100 premium consumer goods companies (including beauty, food, and fashion) held 1,390 consultations with 235 buyers (185 from North America and 50 from Latin America). Distribution networks such as Hyundai Home Shopping, W Concept, and A-Land worked with SMEs to expand into the U.S. market, leveraging K-distribution platforms and reverse export marketing. The event also boosted buyer engagement and on-site sales through K-pop star performances and event marketing.

▶ Expanding Consumer Reach with B2C Promotional Showcases

To spread the Hallyu craze to New York consumers, large-scale B2C promotional showcases were held both online and offline. The event featured O2O (Online-to-Offline) omnichannel marketing combined with K-pop star performances and fan meetings. Partnerships with large U.S. Korean-American distribution networks such as H-Mart, A-Land, and Ultari Mall made purchasing more convenient for consumers. Online platforms such as eBay, W Concept, Deliverd Korea, KTown4U, and the National Museum Foundation of Korea’s reverse export platforms also sold K-pop star goods.

▶ Immersive Hallyu Experience Zone Using Advanced Technology

An immersive Hallyu marketing stage allowed visitors to experience K-culture content and purchase K-consumer goods simultaneously. At the entrance, holograms of ambassadors (Ha Ji-won, Taemin, and Hwasa) introduced the Expo. Events such as K-beauty makeup shows, K-food cooking shows, and Hallyu star costume zones were also very popular. A Hallyu content promotion booth operated in collaboration with Netflix, where visitors queued up for hologram photo booths, taking pictures as drama protagonists. The National Museum Foundation of Korea operated a museum goods booth, while a Hanbok and costume experience zone featuring Aespa drew many visitors.

▶Combining K-pop Performances and CSR to Achieve 'Cultural-Industrial Synergy'

The opening performance featured Hallyu stars Ha Ji-won, Taemin, and Hwasa, the official ambassadors of KBEE 2025, who thrilled the New York audience. On the second day, fan meetings and signings further promoted the K-beauty, K-fashion, and K-food boom.

KOTRA President Kang Kyung-sung said, "KBEE 2025 is a representative Hallyu marketing platform that has been raising awareness of K-consumer goods brands for 15 years by combining industry and culture. KOTRA will diversify K-consumer goods categories and markets and drive the virtuous cycle of Hallyu and industry to accelerate the arrival of the USD 1 trillion export era."



Source : KOTRA (2025.11.10.)