SUMMARY
K-EnterTech Hub CEO Jung Han presents an Entertainment Tech 2026 review and 2027 outlook at Waving Night in Seoul on Nov. 4 at 6:05 p.m. The talk covers the shift of content discovery to short-form video, four trends for 2027, the CES 2027 conference and the Global K-Entertainment Tech Alliance.
Jung Han (한정훈), CEO of K-EnterTech Hub (K엔터테크허브), will present “Entertainment Tech 2026 Review and 2027 Outlook” at Waving Night on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 6:05 p.m. at FastFive Samseong 4 (패스트파이브 삼성4호점) in Gangnam, Seoul. The evening is co-hosted by smartcms (스마트씨엠에스) and K-EnterTech Hub.
The 20-minute talk reviews 2026 through the numbers the entertainment market produced this year, then sets out the trends to watch in 2027 and where Korean companies should look at CES 2027, which runs Jan. 6–9 in Las Vegas. It is followed by K-EnterTech Hub’s 2027 event plan and an introduction of the Global K-Entertainment Tech Alliance.
Jung Han presents the Entertainment Tech 2026 review and 2027 outlook at Waving Night on Nov. 4. Graphic: K-EnterTech Hub
57% of 18-to-24-year-olds find film and TV on short-form video
The first part of the talk looks at where audiences now discover content. In its October Social Media & Entertainment Discovery report, Luminate found that 57% of U.S. 18-to-24-year-olds discover film and TV through short-form video, ahead of browsing streaming services (55%). It is the only age group for which short-form is the top discovery route.
Short-form makes up 26% of weekly media time for 18-to-24-year-olds, twice the share among those 55 and older (12%). Among frequent moviegoers, 42% discover films on short-form video, compared with 33% of all movie viewers. Han will argue that Korean companies need to design trailers, clips and short-form IP as the first point of contact in overseas marketing. K-EnterTech Hub has covered streaming services bringing vertical feeds <a href="https://comicvibe.com/grassroots-protests-evolve-into-a-community/” title=”Grassroots protests evolve into a community”>into their own apps here.
Four trends for 2027: streaming’s third phase, microdramas, live experiences and AI licensing
The outlook groups 2027 into four trends. Streaming is becoming a tool to grow advertising, commerce and experiences, and Disney and Netflix have added vertical feeds to their apps. More companies are investing in mobile-first scripted series and microdramas.
Live entertainment, from concerts to theaters and immersive venues, is treated as a growth area AI cannot easily replace. Between AI and media companies, licensing deals now outnumber lawsuits, and deal terms are shifting from training fees to usage-based payments. Han will map each trend to specific halls at CES 2027.
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has framed CES 2027 around moving from AI adoption to AI revenue, Seoul Economic Daily reported on Oct. 14. At Waving Night, smartcms and K-EnterTech Hub will introduce the CES 2027 Entertainment Tech Conference, which they host at Caesars Palace on Jan. 7, and the CES 2027 Entertainment Tech Insight Tour.
The tour and conference are sold as stand-alone products: a half-day CES tour for KRW 500,000 (about $360), a full-day tour for KRW 1.3 million (about $930), three networking meetings for KRW 1 million, a conference talk for KRW 3 million, a talk plus exhibit for KRW 5 million and an SBS International U.S. press package for KRW 10 million, all excluding VAT. Attending the conference is free. Background is in our CES 2027 Entertainment Tech article.
Global K-Entertainment Tech Alliance, from CES to SXSW, WIS and Waving Night 2027
After the talk, K-EnterTech Hub will unveil its 2027 calendar: CES 2027 (Jan. 6–9, Las Vegas), SXSW 2027 (March 15–21, Austin), World IT Show (WIS) 2027 (April 21–23, COEX, Seoul) and Waving Night 2027 (November, Seoul).
Around that calendar, K-EnterTech Hub is building the Global K-Entertainment Tech Alliance to connect Korean and overseas companies, universities and institutions. smartcms joins as collaboration partner, and the alliance’s first activity is the CES 2027 program.
KRW 30,000 entry, 30 seats, three overseas experts and 1:1 meetings
Waving Night opens at 6 p.m. with remarks by smartcms CEO Nam Hyun-jung (남현정). After Han’s talk, Film Nevada director Kim Spurgeon, former WarnerMedia vice president Douglas Montgomery and AICON head Jayce Tham will speak with Korean companies. Dinner and 1:1 meetings run until 8 p.m.
Entry is KRW 30,000 and includes dinner and the briefing book “Entertainment Tech 2027 Outlook and CES Analysis.” Tickets can be bought in advance at the K-EnterTech Hub shop or paid on site. Companies joining the CES 2027 program attend free. Contact: Nam Hyun-jung, CEO, smartcms (operation@smartcms.co.kr, +82 10-7644-8812).
Two months before CES, planning 2027 around short-form and AI revenue
CES 2027 opens in two months. With discovery moving to short-form video and CES measuring AI by revenue, Korean entertainment and media companies need to decide what to see and whom to meet in Las Vegas in January. The Waving Night talk is meant to help them set that schedule early. A summary of the talk will be published on kentertechhub.com after the event.
