Summary K-EnterTech Hub and its collaboration partner smartcms are building the Global K-Entertainment Tech Alliance. It will be announced on Nov. 4 at smartcms’s Waving Night in Seoul, and the two companies are recruiting companies and institutions for the CES 2027 Entertainment Tech Insight Program in Las Vegas in January, the alliance’s first activity. Networking continues at WIS 2027 in April, NY Tech Week in June and New York Comic Con in October.
K-EnterTech Hub (케이엔터테크허브) is launching the Global K-Entertainment Tech Alliance, a network that links Korean entertainment and technology companies, universities and institutions with partners abroad. It is building the alliance with its collaboration partner smartcms (스마트씨엠에스).
The alliance will be formally announced on Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. at EnterTech Waving Night, an event hosted by smartcms at FastFive Samseong 4 (패스트파이브 삼성4호점) in Seoul’s Samseong-dong. Its first official activities will take place at CES 2027 in Las Vegas, Jan. 6–9, and K-EnterTech Hub and smartcms are now recruiting companies and institutions for the CES 2027 Entertainment Tech Insight Program built around the show.
The alliance runs alongside networking events tied to major trade shows. After CES, members will meet overseas companies and institutions at World IT Show (WIS 2027) at COEX in Seoul in April, NY Tech Week in June and New York Comic Con in October.
CES 2027 Entertainment Tech Insight Program now recruiting
The program has three parts: guided tours of the CES show floor, an entertainment tech conference on Jan. 7, and visits to companies and institutions in Las Vegas. Itineraries are tailored to each participant’s focus, and companies can also join individual blocks only, such as the tour, networking or a seminar presentation. On-site attendance at the Jan. 7 conference is free.
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| CES show tour | Theme-based tours covering AI content, immersive technology and global K-content |
| Entertainment tech conference (Jan. 7) | Sessions with Korean and U.S. speakers plus networking; free on-site attendance |
| Site visits | Entertainment and tech companies and institutions in Las Vegas |
| Optional | Los Angeles extension, one-on-one business meetings |
| Materials | CES 2027 Entertainment Tech Report (about 100 pages) |
Source: K-EnterTech Hub, smartcms
Fees vary by package and are provided on request. Applications and inquiries go to Nam Hyun-jung (남현정), CEO of smartcms (emilia@smartcms.co.kr), or to K-EnterTech Hub (newsroom@kentertechhub.com). The program will also be presented, with consultations, at Waving Night on Nov. 4.
Korean content exports hit $14.9 billion, with games at 58%
Korea’s content industry exported about $14.9 billion in 2025, a record and up 5.9% from the previous year, according to preliminary figures from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (문화체육관광부) and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA, 한국콘텐츠진흥원), as reported by MTN (머니투데이방송) on June 8. Games accounted for $8.6 billion, or 57.7%, followed by music at $2.39 billion and broadcast and video at $1.35 billion. Music exports grew 32.4% and broadcast and video 7.3%.
The government has raised its K-culture export target to $110 billion by 2030. As exports grow, so does demand from Korean producers and tech companies for overseas distributors, platforms and technology partners. The alliance handles those connections through a framework that brings together companies, universities, public agencies, government and research institutes, rather than one company at a time.
South Koreans are 11.4% of CES attendees, and the first stop is Las Vegas
CES 2026 drew 148,392 attendees, including 55,841 (37.6%) from 141 countries and regions, according to audited figures released March 31 by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which runs the show. In CTA’s breakdown of CES 2025 attendees by country, South Korea ranked second at 11.4%, behind the U.S. at 59.4%.
Five networking stops in a year, from Waving Night to New York Comic Con
| When | Event | Where | Previous edition | Alliance program |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 4, 2026, 6 p.m. | EnterTech Waving Night (smartcms) | FastFive Samseong 4, Seoul | About 30 seats | Formal announcement; CES 2027 program briefing |
| Jan. 6–9, 2027 | CES 2027 | Las Vegas | 148,392 attendees (CES 2026) | First official activities; networking with U.S. companies and institutions |
| April 2027 | WIS 2027 | COEX, Seoul | 68,493 visitors (WIS 2026) | Networking in Korea |
| June 2027 | NY Tech Week | New York | Held June 1–7, 2026 | Networking with New York tech and investment players |
| October 2027 | New York Comic Con | Javits Center, New York | 250,000+ fans (2025) | Networking with content and IP players |
Sources: CTA, World IT Show secretariat, a16z, ReedPop, K-EnterTech Hub
Waving Night, hosted by smartcms, combines a review of the year in entertainment tech, an outlook for 2027, introductions to overseas experts and a briefing on the CES 2027 program. Admission is ₩30,000 (about $21), including dinner, and free for companies joining the CES 2027 program. World IT Show drew 68,493 visitors over three days in 2026.
The second half of 2027 moves to New York. NY Tech Week is held across the city by venture firm a16z every June and ran June 1–7 in 2026. New York Comic Con, the East Coast’s largest pop culture convention, takes place at the Javits Center every October and drew more than 250,000 fans in 2025. Exact 2027 dates for both have not been announced.
Four areas of cooperation across industry, academia, research and government
| Area | Korean participants | Overseas counterparts | Main activities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industry–academia–research–government | Companies, universities, public agencies, government, research institutes | — | Shared framework, regular networking |
| Overseas partners | Content, broadcast, platform and tech companies | Companies and institutions in the U.S., Asia and Europe | Partner matching, on-site meetings |
| Events and networking | All members | Participants at CES, NY Tech Week, New York Comic Con and other events | Linked sessions, networking events |
| Joint projects and research | Producers, tech companies, universities, research institutes | Overseas co-production and pilot partners | Co-production, technology pilots, industry research |
Source: K-EnterTech Hub
smartcms joins as collaboration partner, with two points of contact
The alliance is being built with collaboration partner smartcms, which hosts the Waving Night launch and co-runs the CES 2027 Entertainment Tech Insight Program with K-EnterTech Hub. Membership and partnership inquiries can go to either smartcms (emilia@smartcms.co.kr) or K-EnterTech Hub (newsroom@kentertechhub.com).
Outlook
K-EnterTech Hub plans to set out the alliance’s operating model and 2027 calendar at Waving Night and bring companies and institutions joining the CES 2027 program in as its first members. It will then grow membership and joint projects through WIS 2027 and the New York stops. Details will be posted on the About page as they are confirmed.
Won figures are converted at ₩1,400 per dollar.