KOOM Festival 2025

1. About the client

United Korean Founders (UKF) is a network of Korean founders in North America. It started in 2019 as the 82 Startup community, six people in Silicon Valley, later merged the West Coast 82 Startup with Korean Startup Forum New York, and now runs an event in Silicon Valley every January and in New York every October. UKF is a nonprofit, so its events are built on donations and volunteers.

KOOM Festival 2025 ran from October 16 to 18, 2025 at Duggal Greenhouse in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. More than 10,000 people attended over three days, with 120+ brand booths, 50+ speakers and 15 artist teams. Speakers included Oh-Hyun Kwon, former chairman of Samsung Electronics, Hyuk Bin Kwon of Smilegate, Bongjin Kim of Woowa Brothers and Jun Koo Kim of Naver Webtoon.

Umoh handled ticket sales and payments, the Eventbrite roster sync, participant networking, and on-site check-in and badge printing.

2. Why they came to Umoh

Earlier that year, on January 10, UKF ran the [SF] 2025 UKF 82 Startup Summit at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City on Umoh. About 1,100 people took part. Buying a ticket created a profile and QR code automatically, and four QR kiosks handled self check-in at the venue.

KOOM was ten times the size and sold tickets through two channels. The same tickets went on sale on Eventbrite, which local audiences already knew, and on the Umoh event page, in an all-inclusive pass for the conference, exhibition and festival plus conference-only and concert-only options. Wherever someone bought, they had to walk in with the same QR code and badge, and three days of daytime sessions and evening concerts had to run from one roster.

3. What they used

1) Ticket sales and payments

Attendees picked a ticket type on the Umoh event page, paid in dollars and created their profile. Sales ran from September 22 to the last day of the festival.

2) Eventbrite sync

Tickets bought on Eventbrite flowed into the same roster through Umoh's integration, which created a profile and QR code for each buyer. Both channels became one participant list, and staff never had to ask where a ticket came from.

3) Participant networking

Attendees from both channels found each other in the same directory, chatted and requested meetings. Over the three days that added up to more than 1,000 chats and more than 400 matches.

4) On-site check-in and badge printing

At the entrance, staff scanned each attendee's QR code and printed their badge on the spot. Eventbrite buyers entered through the same flow, and more than 13,000 badges came off the printers over the three days.

4. Results

• Two channels, one roster: tickets sold on Eventbrite and Umoh merged into a single list, so entry and headcounts were handled once.
• 13,000+ badges: whatever the channel or ticket type, each attendee checked in and got a badge with one QR code.
• 1,000+ chats, 400+ matches: networking happened in one directory regardless of where the ticket was bought.

"With Umoh, check-in and networking ran in one seamless flow. Sponsors saw audience visibility immediately, and follow-up sponsorship inquiries rolled in."

— Hyunsun Ahn, UKF Head of Operations