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![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.amny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/KPEX_Bluebackground.jpg\" "\\"KPEX:")
<\/a>The KPEX logoPhoto courtesy of KPEX\n<\/p>\n\u201cThis is a fanbase in search of a home, and we\u2019re honored and excited to build one,\u201d Topalian said.<\/p>\n
The convention is expected to welcome about 25,000 attendees in its inaugural year. By comparison, Anime NYC drew 170,000 attendees in 2026, and the Javits Center gives KPEX room to grow.<\/p>\n
While K-Pop may be one of the biggest draws, the founders stress that KPEX is designed to represent the interconnected world of Korean entertainment and culture.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re building KPEX with a festival mentality, rather than a group of separate groups that happen to share a building,\u201d Khoo said.\n<\/p>\n
He pointed to the connections between the different industries: K-Pop influences beauty and fashion, while games and dramas are often based on webtoons. KPEX aims to make those connections part of the experience while giving fans opportunities to discover interests beyond their existing fandoms.<\/p>\n
Programming is expected to range from premieres, concerts, dance workshops, language lessons and celebrity autograph sessions to comic signings, chef tastings and cultural workshops.<\/p>\n
Tatara said the team is also intentionally avoiding simply replicating the format of Anime NYC.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to be very careful we don\u2019t just take the Anime NYC floor plan and change the name at the top,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n
K-Food and K-Beauty, for example, will play a much larger role at KPEX, while interactive experiences such as workshops and cultural lessons will be central to the convention.<\/p>\n
New York already has a thriving Korean pop-culture scene, with events including KOOM and last year\u2019s KBEE, along with concerts, fan events, pop-ups and cultural programming throughout the year. Tatara said KPEX is not intended to compete with those events, but to bring the various corners of Korean entertainment together on a larger scale.<\/p>\n
\u201cKPEX doesn\u2019t look to compete with or replace any of these events, but rather to build something new, a larger community and an event that brings all the worlds of Korean culture and entertainment together,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The convention\u2019s location at the Javits Center is part of that ambition. The founders see the venue\u2019s scale as an opportunity to eventually turn KPEX into a major national destination.<\/p>\n
The team is already planning ways to welcome visitors from outside New York, including an official hotel block, partnerships with local Korean restaurants and shops, and a city map featuring recommendations for attendees.<\/p>\n