Seoul, Wednesday, 22 October 2025.
The World Webtoon Festival transformed Lotte Town Jamsil into an IP‑first destination from Sunday to Wednesday, temporarily repurposing spaces such as the ice rink and adjacent retail to host exhibitions, themed pop‑ups and life‑size props tied to major webtoon franchises. For operators, most striking outcome was commercial: over 1,200 products across 12 companies and several pop‑up stores sold out on the first day, showing how digital‑native IP can drive incremental visitation, on‑site retail and F&B spend. Organisers — including D&C Media, Naver Webtoon and public agencies — navigated spatial reprogramming, mixed‑use crowd flows, rights‑managed supply chains and brand licensing at scale. The festival deepened cross‑sector partnerships and offers a replicable blueprint for turning episodic events into seasonal or permanent guest experiences. Retail and attractions teams should note operational lessons on inventory, queueing and experiential merchandising; consider how platform content can be activated to extend dwell time and monetise fandom.