"BTS Captivates Las Vegas"... HYBE Expands Business Through 'The City'

HYBE 'BTS Permission to Dance the city-Las Vegas' Press Conference
Collaboration with MGM Resort Group Expands Experiences Including Accommodation and F&B Beyond Performances
COO Kim Tae-ho: "HYBE Needs a Success Formula, We Will Strive to Create Iconic Momentum"

Kim Tae-ho, Hive COO (Head of Hive Operations and Business). Photo by Hive

[Las Vegas (USA) = Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] HYBE explained the background and future plans of the 'The City' project, launched alongside the BTS concert in Las Vegas, USA.

On the morning of the 9th at 10 a.m. (local time), a briefing session for 'BTS Permission to Dance the city-Las Vegas' (hereafter The City) was held at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, USA.

'BTS Permission to Dance the city-Las Vegas' is a new city-type performance project that connects the city and artists along with BTS's concert in Las Vegas.

For this The City project, HYBE collaborated with MGM Resort Group to newly present Las Vegas as 'BTS CITY.'

Chris Baldizan, Vice President of MGM Resorts International, who attended the briefing, explained the background of the project collaboration with HYBE, saying, "What differentiates BTS from other artists is their passionate fandom, ARMY," and added, "We focused on providing memories that allow them to revisit Las Vegas with special experiences."

Popup store 'BTS POP-UP _ PERMISSION TO DANCE in Las Vegas'_ exterior view. Photo by HYBE

Kim Taeho, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of HYBE, said, "HYBE has continuously introduced various services aiming to innovate the business model of the music industry, and this The City program is also part of that," and evaluated, "The combined capabilities of HYBE's community, including labels, solutions, and platforms, were well demonstrated through this The City project."

Previously, HYBE prepared a project about various city experiences while holding BTS's 2019 'Love Yourself: Speak Yourself' (The Final) concert at Seoul Jamsil Olympic Stadium. However, due to the strengthened quarantine system amid the spread of COVID-19, the planned exhibitions and pop-up store operations were canceled.

COO Kim added, "The failure at that time became nourishment, and as we observed the improvement of the COVID-19 situation, we were looking for the right time to resume the project, which we judged to be this Las Vegas concert," and further explained, "The additional experience we gained in live play and online streaming through COVID-19 is an achievement and bonus we obtained because of the pandemic."

At 10 a.m. on the 9th (local time), a press conference for 'BTS Permission to Dance the city-Las Vegas' (hereinafter The City) was held at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, USA. Photo by HYBE

HYBE emphasized the importance of creating iconic momentum through The City project.

COO Kim said, "Our goal is to create something legendary that will be talked about for a long time, and we think Las Vegas is the starting point, not the result," adding, "Through this event, we are identifying areas for improvement and various customer demands, and based on these experiences and know-how, we will focus on creating much more iconic momentum."

HYBE stated that this project is not a one-time event but will continue, and plans to operate flexibly as a customized modular project for artists under its affiliated labels.

Scott Manson, Head of Hive America Business. Photo by Hive

Scott Manson, Head of HYBE America Business, who led the Las Vegas local pop-up store project, said, "Pop stars like Justin Bieber and Kanye West also had pop-up stores, but the scale conducted in Las Vegas this time is the first for BTS," and added, "We will continue to make various efforts to accommodate as many fans as possible and provide intimate and unique experiences."

'The City,' introduced by HYBE, is a 'city-type concert play park' project that offers expanded fan experiences by holding various events before and after the artist's concert. In Las Vegas, HYBE partnered with the global hotel chain MGM Resort Group to provide accommodation, food and beverage (F&B), and immersive performances, and set up pop-up exhibition halls and stores near the city to offer fans an expanded experience space to enjoy the entire city.