Summary K-EnterTech Hub and its collaboration partner smartcms are building the Global K-Entertainment Tech Alliance. The alliance will be formally announced at EnterTech Waving Night in Seoul on Nov. 4, hold its first official activities at CES 2027 in Las Vegas in January, and continue with networking alongside World IT Show (WIS 2027) in April.
K-EnterTech Hub (케이엔터테크허브) is launching the Global K-Entertainment Tech Alliance, a network that links Korean entertainment and technology companies and institutions with partners abroad. The Seoul- and Las Vegas-based publisher is building it with its collaboration partner smartcms (스마트씨엠에스).
The alliance will be formally announced at EnterTech Waving Night, co-hosted by smartcms and K-EnterTech Hub on Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. 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. In April, networking continues alongside World IT Show (WIS 2027) at COEX in Seoul.
Rather than operating only as a committee, the alliance will run networking events tied to major trade shows, so members can meet overseas companies and institutions on site and line up partnerships that lead to joint projects.
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%.
Korean content exports by sector, 2025 (preliminary)
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%.
Share of CES 2025 attendees by country
During CES 2027, K-EnterTech Hub will host an entertainment tech conference on Jan. 7 and run the CES 2027 Entertainment Tech Insight Tour in Las Vegas. Alliance members will hold their first official networking with U.S. companies and institutions during that program.
Three networking stops over six months: Waving Night, CES and WIS
| When | Event | Where | Previous edition | Alliance program |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 4, 2026, 6 p.m. | EnterTech Waving Night | FastFive Samseong 4, Seoul | About 30 seats | Formal announcement; 2027 entertainment tech outlook |
| 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 |
Waving Night 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.
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, NAB Show, MIPCOM and other trade shows | 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 |
smartcms joins as collaboration partner, with two points of contact
The alliance is being built with collaboration partner smartcms, which co-runs Waving Night and the CES 2027 Entertainment Tech Insight Tour with K-EnterTech Hub. Membership and partnership inquiries can go to either K-EnterTech Hub (newsroom@kentertechhub.com) or smartcms (emilia@smartcms.co.kr).
Outlook
K-EnterTech Hub plans to set out the alliance’s operating model and its 2027 calendar at Waving Night, then grow its membership and joint projects through CES 2027 and WIS 2027. Details will be posted on the About page as they are confirmed.
Won figures are converted at ₩1,400 per dollar.
1 Comment
Pingback: Switch 2 is heading for a strong year: A look ahead at 2027 - Comic Vibe