[Report] A Paradise for 'Byudeok', Visiting the 'Olive Young Festa'

'2023 Olive Young Awards & Festa' Held from 13th to 17th
Crowds of Participants Trying to Enter from 9 AM

VIP Ticket Holders Allowed Early Entry from 9:30 AM
Foreign Visitors Also Attend, Interest in K-Beauty Rising

"Shall we check out the color cosmetics first and then move on to skincare? We need to leave quickly before more people arrive."

A long line formed from 9 a.m., before the event started, with people trying to enter the venue.
[Photo by Minji Lee]

At 9:30 a.m. on the 13th at Seoul Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), office worker Mr. Jung (27) spoke urgently to three of his friends inside the '2023 Olive Young Awards & Festa' venue. He was holding a duffel bag and a guide map that he received upon entry. Having taken a day off and arrived early in the morning, Mr. Jung said, "I came last year and it was so great that I brought my friends this year," adding, "One of these friends lives in Cheongju and took the first train at dawn to get here. We have to see everything today," as he anxiously tapped his feet.

The Olive Young Awards & Festa is a beauty event hosted by Olive Young for the fifth time. It is held over five days, divided into morning and afternoon sessions, with 10 sessions in total (1,500 attendees per session). The event awards products that were popular at Olive Young throughout the year and provides consumers with the opportunity to experience those brands.

The '2023 Olive Young Awards & Festa,' held from the 13th to the 17th, took place successfully at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul.
[Photo by Olive Young]

Although the event is relatively new, it is considered the top beauty event in South Korea in terms of recognition and scale. This year, 79 brands participated. Attendees can explore products ranging from skin & care, color cosmetics, to body care all in one place, making it a "paradise" for "Byudeok" (a portmanteau of beauty and enthusiast). The event received a strong response again this year, with all 15,000 tickets sold out within 30 seconds of sales opening. On resale sites, tickets were traded at premiums up to 50% above face value.

The biggest feature of this year's event was the distinction between the "General Ticket (30,000 KRW)" and the "VIP Ticket (50,000 KRW)." Last year, only general tickets were sold, but this year a VIP ticket was introduced, allowing attendees to leisurely explore the venue from 9:30 a.m. and access the VIP lounge. Compared to last year's price (27,000 KRW), the VIP ticket is roughly twice as expensive, but the response was generally positive. The advantage is being able to explore and experience the event an hour before the general ticket entry time (10:30 a.m.) without the crowds.

The VIP-only lounge, established for the first time this year. The VIP lounge is equipped with rest facilities and a space for lectures. On the morning of the 13th, photographer Hashisibak gave a lecture.
[Photo by Minji Lee]

However, the creation of a VIP-only lounge resulted in smaller booth spaces inside the venue, which was seen as a downside. Graduate student Mr. Choi (25), who purchased a VIP ticket, said, "It was nice not to be pushed around by crowds, but the booths felt smaller than last year because of the VIP lounge," adding, "I think there were about 100 participating brands last year, but it seems fewer this year. I don't think I would pay extra to come again."

About 40 minutes into the event, the participants' previously light duffel bags appeared quite heavy. They seemed filled with giveaways received after enjoying visual and interactive content at each brand booth, such as taking photos, solving quizzes related to the product brands, lotteries, and matching games. Olive Young focused this year on experiential content rather than just distributing giveaways, aiming to stimulate curiosity about the brands. A mother and daughter participant waiting in line at a skincare booth said, "Last year, many booths required posting on Instagram to receive samples, which was inconvenient, but this year it seems designed so you can touch and see the products directly," adding, "However, it seems fewer booths gave out full-sized products as giveaways compared to last year."

A Chinese wanghong is selling products through TikTok. The number of viewers, which was about 4,000 at the beginning of the broadcast, soared to 8,000.
[Photo by Minji Lee]

Meanwhile, foreigners were also noticeable throughout the venue. Ms. Theresa, a German TikToker and graduate student who visited the event by invitation from a brand, said, "There is a high global interest in K-beauty, and I’m so happy to see it like this. I give it a 10 out of 10." At one booth, Chinese influencer Fei Jie, who has 590,000 followers, was spotted selling Olive Young’s private brand skincare lines ‘Bring Green’ and ‘Bio Heal Bo.’ Although it was early morning, the live stream had 8,000 concurrent viewers. An Olive Young official explained, "We plan to officially launch Bio Heal Bo products in China early next year, and we are creating content with the influencer accordingly," adding, "Currently, the live broadcast ranks sixth overall on TikTok, indicating strong Chinese interest in K-beauty."