The Seoul Business Agency (SBA) successfully held the ‘Seoul Awards x Seoul Vibe 2026’ on October 23 in the Seongsu-dong area of Seoul, at the venue ‘Mapdalseoul.’ This event aimed to promote the award-winning products from the Seoul Awards and expand connections with creators to support the global spread of participating companies.
Co-hosted by the SBA, the global creator platform Seoul Vibe, and Pick Entertainment, the event was organized in partnership with the Influencer MBA program at the Graduate School of Science and Technology Management (aSSIST). The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) participated as a collaborative partner to facilitate the entry of promising Korean products, including K-Beauty and K-Food, into the North American market.
Over 500 attendees, including domestic and international creators and representatives from companies awarded at the Seoul Awards, participated in the event. Attendees could experience the Seoul Award products firsthand in dedicated exhibition areas and brand pop-ups, designed to foster interaction between creators and company representatives. This setup provided opportunities for product experiences to translate into content creation and brand promotion.
The event began with a welcoming speech by Park Bo-kyung, Director of the Business Division at the SBA, followed by congratulatory remarks from AMCHAM Chairman James Kim. The collaboration aims to provide a foothold for small and medium-sized brands in Seoul, focusing on their entry into the North American market.
The exhibition featured approximately 60 exemplary products selected for the 2025-2026 Seoul Awards, allowing creators to explore and experience a variety of products. The Seoul Awards is a system that identifies outstanding products from SMEs based in Seoul, assessing their quality and market potential to aid in domestic and overseas marketing initiatives. The exhibition focused on beauty products, offering creators the chance to engage directly with the award-winning products.
Additionally, five companies from the 2025-2026 Seoul Awards, namely 3il-Ae, Rootonics, Lily Cover, URPIC, and CUSTYX, participated in brand pop-ups that will operate until October 29, showcasing their technological prowess and global competitiveness.
The 3il-Ae’s ‘Time72 Exosome Recovery Balm Plus,’ selected for 2025, is a BB cream that combines exosomes extracted from Hallabong stem cells with various nutrients. Utilizing a low-temperature fermentation process over 72 hours, it achieves both a lightweight feel and adherence. It is currently expanding its global reach with exports to 25 countries and entry into Amazon.
Rootonics’ skincare and haircare brand ‘roobliss,’ honored for two consecutive years (2025, 2026), showcased ‘Velvet Veil Hair Perfume,’ a 2-in-1 product that provides both fragrance management and hair care, containing 11 types of plant-based proteins. With a scent concentration comparable to Eau de Parfum, it features four fragrance lines to align with global scent layering trends, participating in overseas exhibitions in nine countries this year.
Lily Cover’s AI-customized cosmetic brand ‘BALANX,’ awarded for two consecutive years (2025, 2026), introduced tailored essences that vary in formulation based on skin diagnostic data. Users check their skin condition with the diagnostic device ‘MUILLI’ and manufacture products on-site through the system ‘ENIMA,’ enabling approximately 2,500 formulation options for personalized skincare solutions.
URPIC’s ‘Exomera Glow Pore Cover Cushion,’ awarded for two consecutive years (2025, 2026), contains NMN and is designed to cover pores and skin imperfections with a semi-matte finish while providing a natural glow. The day of the event also featured an awards ceremony recognizing brands linked to creators, where winners received the ‘Exomera Radiance Set,’ consisting of 3N Ampoule, Mist, Cushion, and Sun Milk, garnering positive responses from global creators.
CUSTYX, recognized for 2026, presented ‘Lesstopy Atocream,’ a moisturizing cream focusing on skin barrier recovery, enhanced with patent ingredients from Plantago lanceolata leaf extract and organic components. Holding COSMOS Organic certification, with a Dermatest EXCELLENT rating and endorsement from the National Eczema Association (NEA), it proposes daily moisturizing care suitable for the entire family.
Jae-hoon Lee, Head of Marketing at SBA, emphasized, “The Seoul Awards' value lies not just in identifying outstanding products but in creating opportunities for interaction with consumers and the market. We will continue to enhance the visibility of the award-selected products and support their global dissemination through creator content and international networks.”
