Is the demand for K-pop overhyped?  Or are Korean entertainment management companies working with unreasonably high standards?

It is not uncommon to hear nowadays that a K-pop concert is cancelled or postponed due to unforeseen issues.  Digging deeper into the real reasons behind such cancellations, it is often found out that management companies usually initiate the pull-out of artists from a concert lineup.  And the reasons entertainment companies give usually is about technical issues (i.e. rider clauses about stage set-up cannot be met)  or about a breach of contract.  The term "breach of contract" is such a tricky phrase.  Oftentimes, since the contract is confidential between the parties, the K-pop audience community can only speculate what clause in the contract was breached, and the most likely speculated reason is ticket sales being poor. 

If the demand for K-pop is so high, then why are ticket sales not being met?  Fans would say that they sometimes feel that entertainment companies are milking them for all their money.  The K-pop audience community is still niche, and oftentimes fandoms share fans with each other, with a fan of one artist  being a fan of another.  So, when artists come in droves and showcasing in separate events, fans are either made to prioritize or choose between which events to actually go to.  Oftentimes, the choice becomes as easy as determining which artist can give them the most valuable experience -- i.e. longer concert, rare performance or as difficult as choosing how close to their 'oppas' or 'unnis' they can actually get-- i.e. stretching the money they could and determining the best ticket tiers they can reward themselves with for each performance. A VIP ticketholder for one concert is more likely to take a lower ticket tier for another concert, due to the steep prices of tickets.

On the other hand, we see management companies developing some unreasonable expectations based on past K-pop event success.  For example, the success of the Big Bang World Tour can sometimes be used as a standard for K-pop concerts in general.  "If Big Bang sold out, then this event will sell out, too," this kind of thinking encourages expectation myopia, in that companies become too engrossed in topping someone else's number.  It becomes a game of numbers, especially with headlines or press releases often citing the audience turn-out first.  

Having to meet such lofty expectations from management companies induces pressure to promoters and organizers, especially if it becomes nearly unrealistic.  How can a concert be expected to have a turnout similar to a sold-out concert just a week before, if the fans are going to be from the same circles?  For example, the audience in Los Angeles or New York will not just be made up of fans from those locales, we've often seen them travel cross-country or even overseas just to see their favorite groups.  It is common among the K-pop fan communities to have many favorite groups, so there is a high chance favorites are performing one after each other in a span of so little time.  Spacing event schedules so close to each other becomes a huge drain for fans who are not only shelling out big bucks for concert passes, but also for travel, merchandise and everything else.  

Additionally, event dates are commonly announced at the last minute.  The trend for K-pop event announcements average 1.5 months prior to a concert or event, and this is usually not enough time for fans to plan ahead and work their costs around.  Sold-out concerts do share a common trait, however, in that they are often announced far in advance in line with the global music industry (i.e. Big Bang World Tour stops were announced more than two months before the concert dates, and a few weeks before tickets were available to the public), allowing people to prioritize.  

In Malaysia, one of the super concerts was cancelled late last year in the wake of another of a similar style concert being a success. In the US, the SBS Super Concert had to be postponed twice before it finally saw the stage.  And now in Australia, the KpopHeart concert was postponed two weeks into the event.  Something is common there too, no?  Super concerts seem to be good in theory, because who wouldn't want to see the hottest artists in one event, right?  However, if we analyze deeply, we see the trend in audience preferences.  This cancellation/postponement data indicates that fans end up prioritizing a full concert of one artist with 2 hours and 23-song setlists rather than treating themselves to a sampler of everything. Perhaps super concerts would work better if the line-up was fewer.  This would not only mean longer performances to the delight of fans, but also less operational expense for the organizer to meet.  Or perhaps super concerts would work better if artists come from one management company (i.e. FNC, YG, Cube). Nonetheless, the experience needs to be new and worthwhile for each concert.

Nonetheless, a few things remain true for the K-pop reality.  Fans of K-pop float in the same circles of artist preferences (a fan of BEAST can also be a fan of CNBLUE can also be a fan of Big Bang - and yes that's me), hence the possibility of having a divided crowd, as dictated by economic reality.  There are great costs tied to concert attendance, and this can sometimes be the deterring factor from buying that pass.  It is not a game of numbers. 10,000 means the same as 2,000 across 5 (venues) if this means fans leave happy and fulfilled seeing their anticipated idols perform live.  While the big numbers could look good for PR or is quite impressive, it also runs the risk of making fans feel like a statistic, which should not be the feeling to evoke.  Loyalty from fans require a great deal of TLC through fan-service, and oftentimes that is hinged on having a positive experience, more than just being a tiny fish in a big sea.  And it is that loyalty that will entice fans to attend a concert, no matter the cost or timing.  Once organizers or management companies ignore that, they risk the sticker-shock of producing a big event with low attendance.  In K-pop, as anywhere, reality does not always meet expectations.

Editorial Writer: Dorothy Advincula