Hey All!
I recently had the amazing time of attending an amazing preview of Hello Kitty Con 2014: The First Ever Hello Kitty Fan Convention. Hello Kitty Con has taken Los Angeles and brought adorable to the big city. Sanrio, the global lifestyle brand best known for beloved pop icon Hello Kitty, created the most adorable conference I’ve ever been too.
Even the press badges were amazing. Yes it was a pin. From the amazing Hello Kitty Murals which lined the exterior of the con…
To this amazing Duff Charm City Cakes Hello Kitty House Cake that was on display, Everything was beyond adorable. As someone who grew up loving Hello Kitty it was a Hello Kitty Paradise.
The media cocktail party included Hello Kitty themed hor dourves and Hello Kitty Wine. Yes Hello Kitty even has her own wine!
The Hello Kitty Cafe van was on display selling some amazing Hello Kitty themed treats as well. I want this van!
I couldn’t resist the Hello Kitty Donuts and Petit Fours. They were beyond delish and it was amazing to hear that LA will be the first to get it’s own actual Hello Kitty Cafe in 2015!
Once inside the conference there were Hello Kitty Fashions on Display…
Hello Kitty Charging Stations, The First Hello Kitty Purse ever made was on display…
Hello Kitty Vintage toys that brought me back to my childhood were on display and of course Hello Kitty herself came out and sang and danced the night away.
My favorite section of the convention had to be Target gaming lounge area. This amazing area allowed you to play games as many times as you’d like and win some amazing Hello Kitty Products. You could win everything from a Hello Kitty Radio to toys depending on the amount of points you got up to 4000 points. I spent hours in this area and took home some amazing products just in time for Christmas. Oh Target always knows how to partner with brands and do the most amazing things. Celebrating more than 15 years of partnership, Target teamed up with Sanrio to offer fun, interactive and immersive activations at Hello Kitty Con 2014.
Target’s Bullseye even showed up to celebrate with Hello Kitty. Sanrio and Target will offer limited-edition, co-branded product available only at the convention. A further offering of exclusive Hello Kitty 40th Anniversary product – from apparel and cosmetics, to accessories and toys – will be available at Target stores nationwide and at Target.com.
Hello Kitty Con 2014 offers fans the following:
DISCOVERY: Hello Kitty-fy your life by participating in workshops on Hello Kitty scrapbooking, flower arranging, nail art, DIY jewelry making and more; panel discussions on topics ranging from Hello Kitty super fans, Japanese pop culture, Lolita culture, Hello Kitty as muse and more; and lectures featuring a first time Q&A with Hello Kitty head designer from Tokyo Yuko Yamaguchi, Simone Legno, artist and creator of the tokidoki brand; and Dr. Christine Yano, co-curator of Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty; among others. Tickets for workshops are on sale now at http://www.sanrio.com/hellokittycon-workshopinfo/. Panels, lectures and signings will be handled on a first come, first served basis.
EXPLORATION: Stroll down memory lane in the Hello Kitty Product Retrospective showcasing classic vintage products — including the first Hello Kitty product ever created, the original Hello Kitty coin purse (on display for the first time in the U.S.)! Stroll through Hello Kitty’s Friendship Village and visit the Hello Kitty House to discover a life-size home decorated in Hello Kitty inside & out and wander through various Hello Kitty photo opps.
SHOPPING: Pick up limited edition Hello Kitty Con exclusives, special items from around the world and collaboration products in the Hello Kitty Friendship Station Pop-Up Shop; sift through authentic, rare, collectible Hello Kitty products in the Sanrio Vintage Shoppe and visit the Super Supermarket for exclusives, limited edition products, gifts and goodies from special Sanrio partners & collaborators including SEPHORA, JapanLA, Loungefly, Dylan’s Candy Bar, SPAM® Brand, Major League Baseball, Chan Luu, Perfect Square/VIZ Media, Upper Deck, and many more.
ART: Enjoy interactive art installations and photo ops created by artists POSE and Dabs Myla; and instruction from artists Camilla d’Errico, Esther Kim, Dabs Myla, and Martin Hsu, who will be on hand throughout the four days to lecture & teach Hello Kitty Art Classes. Five leading tattoo artists have created custom flash artwork & will offer FREE (real!) tattoos at the Hello Kitty Tattoo Shop – throughout the convention, on a first come, first served basis. Sanrio Tokyo’s resident nail artist and Hello Kitty Nail Art book author Masako Kojima will be on hand giving fans a chance to Hello Kitty-fy their nails. The JapanLA Art + Fashion Shop will feature super limited art prints, figures and artist tees from favorite artists including 64 Colors, Buff Monster, Crowded Teeth, Joe Ledbetter, Miss Kika, and more.
FASHION: Check out super fantastical Hello Kitty fashion on display at Lovely Kitty Wonder: A Hello Kitty Fashion Installation curated by Stephiee Nguyen of JapanLA Clothing. See one-of-a-kind creations by 13 designers from all over the globe including Ophelia Overdose, Abigail Greydanus, a- morir, Fiori Couture and dolleyes.
FOOD: From Hello Kitty sweet treats to L.A.’s yummiest food trucks, there is no need to leave Hello Kitty Con when your stomach is rumbling.
FUN: Ticket holders can enjoy free activities including crafts, games, giveaways, a Hello Kitty pumpkin patch, photo booths, special sneak peeks at upcoming Hello Kitty projects, and many more superfun surprises throughout.
SOCIAL (#HelloKittyCon): Fans can stay connected with all things Hello Kitty Con through a variety of social elements aimed at both convention goers and those not attendingthe event. Hello Kitty’s millions of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram friends can share photos and access contests and behind-the-scenes footage to connect with their Hello Kitty fan community. Sanrio will also host a contest giving fans a chance to win a VIP trip to Hello Kitty Con 2014.
Hello Kitty Con 2014 will run concurrently with Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty, the first ever Hello Kitty museum exhibition in North America, taking place across the street at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) from October 11th through April 2015. Hello Kitty Con ticket holders will have access to the museum exhibition, where they can explore a retrospective of rare and unique pieces from Sanrio’s archives and an art exhibit featuring 40 mixed-media works by contemporary artists, throughout the duration of Hello Kitty Con.
Tickets for Hello Kitty Con 2014 are available for purchase now on Sanrio.com (http://www.sanrio.com/hellokittycon-tickets/). Further details and updates on Hello Kitty’s 40th Anniversary celebration can be found at http://www.sanrio.com/hellokitty40th/, where fans can visit throughout the year to stay connected and informed about Hello Kitty Con 2014, Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty at JANM, exclusive products and more.
I absolutely loved Hello Kitty Con and I hope they come back next year. It’s the most fun I’ve had at a conference for some time.
I was solely invited to attend this event as media. All opinions are my own.
Welcome!
Comments
Much as I love Hello Kitty, this would be my kind of event!
Our youngest daughter LOVES Hello Kitty! She would have gone crazy with excitement if I had taken her to something like this! Glad you had fun!
Wow I didnt know they had anything like this, girls everywhere would love to join I’m sure.
I’m absolutely floored that there is enough Hello Kitty merchandise to warrant a convention. I had NO idea!
Oh my goodness! Who knew that Hello Kitty was such a popular market to have a huge confrence/convention for it 🙂
What a fun experience and a unique event. I have a lot of friends that adore Hello Kitty, as well as my younger daughter, and I had no idea the product line was so extensive!