Takii World Tour Presents: About: KPK

KPOP-alypse-KON, founded in November 2014, is the debut convention series for The Asian Karaoke Idol Invitational’s TAKII World Tour. Its premier iteration, KPOP-alypse-KON 2015, also coined as “Philadelphia’s 1ST-EVER Korean pop culture convention”, will take place from the International House Philadelphia Conference Center located 3701 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104 on April 10th & 11th, 2015 with operating hours for BOTH DAYS = 10:00am - 6:00pm EST. Condensing, without compromising quality, what other cons take 12 months to do in only a fraction of the time, all of the pieces are in place to make history in a vibrant display of Korean culture fandom by way of special K-Pop idol performers, a diverse slate of all-ages & Korean-centric programming, a wealth of vendors, an unprecedented community outreach campaign, & much more. There’s no better place to ride the Hallyu (Korean Wave) than at KPOP-alypse-KON!! ^_^ Damien “D-Chan”The Warsavage Staff A highly motivated and visionary man, Damien, affectionately known as D-Chan, is the founder of TAKII and respectively it’s first ever convention on the TAKII WORLD TOUR circuit, KPOP-alpyse-KON! Damien is a talented performer as well as business man. When not bringing to life amazing events and conventions, he is performing some of the best J-Genre songs around! Having poured his blood, sweat, and tears into bringing happiness to fans of Asian entertainment everywhere, it is now time for his hardwork to pay off and time for the K-Fanatics to rejoice in his creation: KPOP-alpyse-KON 2015! Geneva Champagne A multi-time “TAKII Show” champion & freestyle K-Pop dancer, this talented young lady is Team KPK’s “Guests & Performers PLUS” Co-Coordinator. She has played a huge role in snagging some of the guests that we have coming this year & has dabbled into reaching out to some of the biggest K-Culture groups out there to spread our good word, such as Kmusic (Korean Music), Pop Box Asia, & Japako Music, to name but a few. Geneva has designed the convention’s Hardcore Handbook you are currently holding, featuring our schedule, & has primed it for your pleasure. GG, you wear many hats, but “friend” to KPK is the most important of them all. Destiny “Bunni” Long In her roles as both Team KPK “Interaction PLUS” & “Festivities PLUS” Co-Coordinator, she has been instrumental in promoting the KPOP-alypse-KON brand & coming up with a unique slate of Korean-themed programming to enjoy at our con’s debut. Des is also primarily responsible for inviting highly-acclaimed guests Official Gemini & Alan Z to perform for us, giving up so much of what she has at her disposal to make things work. She protects those whom she loves the most & her passion for this convention is truly unmatched. So much of what KPK is today is thanks in large part to her efforts, many of which you’ll see the fruits of in just over a Alisha Gaillard week’s time. A quiet person who lets her supreme artistry do the talking for her, she’s Team KPK’s “Festivities PLUS” Co-Coordinator & the originator of our mascot! She’s also the one responsible for the swag that we will be having on sale at the convention & the design of some of our collectible items (available to all those who pre-regged & in limited quantities to those who purchase their Passes at the door). Without her, KPOP-alypse-KON would have no artistic “face” & for that we all are truly thankful.

Samantha “Seba” Ayala A manager for the Moe Maid Café, she’s Team KPK’s other “Guests & Performers PLUS” Co-Coordinator, in addition to assisting Destiny with crafting the convention’s festivities for this year. Her consistency has shined through this entire process & she proved to be a vital “voice of reason” when different perspectives needed to be considered. Thanks to what she has done for the con, you’ll be able to enjoy even MORE guests & performers that each have their own special talents to bring to the KPK table.

Kuma A member of a few Philadelphia-area Japanese maid cafés & a talented artist, she’s Team KPK’s “Locale & Directions PLUS” Co-Coordinator. She will be the one responsible for making sure everything’s in its place & that everyone has a secure & stress-free venue to enjoy. Sometimes being a venue director for any convention can be a largely thankless job, but she has handled the role with dedication & class. So when you step foot into our UPGRADED VENUE at the International House Philadelphia Conference Center, make sure you say a special “thanks” to this young lady for all that she does.

Stan Hwang Whenever he isn’t teaching students the highest levels of mathematics, he’s been our “Registration PLUS” Co-Coordinator. With his attention to detail & past experience in similar roles at other conventions & festivals, he is more than ready for the challenge that KPK 2015 possesses in terms of a smooth & efficient reg process. Who wants to be standing in a line for hours? NO ONE -- & Stan is the man to make sure that doesn’t happen. Our Guests Alan Z Alan Z began his musical journey as a Rap artist at 12, working with different rap groups & freestyling in school & local ciphers. By the time he turned 15, he began focusing on singing, but only on the side. At 1st Alan was reluctant to pursue it fully (due to his love for Hip Hop), especially when he was being offered recording contracts as a rapper from local Seattle record labels. However, Mr. Z soon realized singing was his true calling when he began noticing the warm reception he received ( especially from the ladies). When he was 17, he decided to move down to Atlanta, the Mecca of Urban music. Influenced by Eminem, 2Pac, Michael Jackson, Rakim, Big Pun, Lauryn Hill, Usher, Trey Songz, Chris Brown, R. Kelly, The Weeknd, Tonedeff, & Chino XL, among many others, Alan Z strives to be a trailblazer for Asian Americans in the entertainment industry with a relatively simple message: God is love & the concept of race should not matter in what kind of life you want to lead & what dreams you wish to pursue. Catch him on Facebook (alanzmusic), Twit- ter (AlanZmusic), Instagram (alanzmusic), MTV (www.mtv.com/artists/alan-z), YouTube (AlanZmusic), & SoundCloud (alanzmusic). Team KPK couldn’t be more excited about this dynamic performer helping us to make Hallyu history, only at KPOP-alypse-KON 2015! Aaron Lim Aaron Lim is a man of few words who lets all of his music do the talking. A well-known K-Music cover artist, he is best known for his K-Hop Hop performance at KCON 2014 & being “partners in crime” with fellow K-Music savant & KPK 2015 guest performer, Gemini. When Mr. Lim isn’t too busy releasing more masterpieces for the masses on his YouTube channel (aaronx102) & SoundCloud (aaronx102), he can he found hittin’ up his fans on Facebook (AaronLim.Music), & Instagram (aaronx102). Y’all ain’t ready for this K-Hip Hop hype, but Aaron Lim’s gonna bring it to ya (& then some) when KPOP-alypse- KON 2015 touches down this coming April 10th & 11th, 2015!

Annabelle Annabelle, more personally known as Anna Lepetri, is a 17 year-old singer & dancer who decided to incorporate her love for K-Pop into her budding music career. Originally thinking that covering music of a different language & culture was out of the question, she participated in the American music scene on shows such as American Idol & The Voice. However, nothing was hitting Annabelle like K-Pop did, so she decided to give it a chance & has been putting her all into K-Music vocal & dance covers ever since. Ms. Lepetri’s excited for all of her musical events in 2015, but none will be as awe-inspiring as when she’ll be rockin’ us all to our collective K-Music cores at the premier of KPOP-alypse-KON 2015. If you wanna show Annabelle some love on social media & beyond, make sure to visit her at the following hubs: YouTube (AnnaX3noelle), Twitter (Annabelle_ NYC), iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/under-the-sun-single/id808428254), SoundCloud (annax3noelle), Instagram (anna_lepetri), & Blogger (kpopkillsannabelle.blogspot.com).

Double the FIRE Shervonne & Todd are a DC-based K-Pop duo known as Double The FIRE, drawn to each other by a shared passion & dreams of performing on stage in Korea. Having won the K-Pop World Festival Regionals in DC, these talented individuals have garnered the attention of K-Pop media outlets worldwide. In addition to their YouTube channel (DoubleTheFire2XTF) being featured on various Korean websites, they have also made an appearance on MNET’s reality series “Hashtag MyKPop”. Double The FIRE’s vision is to become a universal sensation by creating & presenting quality music that is internationally appealing, aided in great part by their fan-powered accessibility via Facebook (doublethefire), & Twitter (doublethefire). FIRE Nation + KPK Family = HWAITING KPOP-ALYPSE-KON 2015!! ^_^

Gabriela Gabriela Lo Basso is a singer, dancer, songwriter, pianist, & performer. She loves music & art with a passion & wishes to share her talents & sentiments with the world! In her young career, Gabriella has had the distinction of performing at Dimmick Park’s Musikfest, winning 2nd place in the dancing/singing competition at New York’s Chuseok Festival, winning 1st prize in Quakertown, PA’s Autumn Alive singing competition, & performing in West Chester (PA) Idol, with more accolades to be added in the days, weeks, months, & years to come. When all is said & done, this budding K-Pop chanteuse hopes to show others who feel like “don’t quite fit in” with K-Culture fandom that they should be proud of who they are & that they have someone they can relate to. If you can’t wait for her trailblazing performance from the IHP Conference Center at KPOP-alypse-KON 2015, feel free to experience all that Gabriela represents via Facebook (gabrielalobassofans), YouTube (Gabriela Lo Basso), Twitter (GabrielaLoBasso), & SoundCloud (https://soundcloud.com/profileglb). Welcome to the infamous KPK Family, Ms. Lo Basso! Gemini Born in 1994, Gemini is 1 of the hottest up-&-coming K-Hip Hop artists the West Coast has to offer. His passion for life comes through in everything that he puts his heart & soul into, including his string of highly acclaimed cover hits includ- ing EPIK HIGH’s “Born Hater”, GD X Taeyang’s “Good Boy (Remix)”, & SISTAR’s “Wow”, to name a few. A novice model in his spare time & if he isn’t a model, then he should be, Gemini also enjoys interacting with his fans all over social media via Facebook (OfficialGemini), Instagram (whoisgemini), & YouTube (OfficialGemini1), dispensing his own brand of well-received wisdom & encouragement. Expect this young superstar to redefine what it actually means to “set fire to the rain” all during KPK 2015 weekend -- satisfaction guaranteed!

Heesun Lee HeeSun Lee is an artist whose presence, talent, & life story has opened eyes in the Hip Hop community. Born in Korea & raised in Staten Island, NY, HeeSun uses her gifts as a poet/lyricist/performer to share her experiences & love for God with the world. By way of her debut album, “RE:Defined”, HeeSun displayed a vulnerability rarely seen in K-Hip Hop -- detailing life as a child adopted out of the foster care system & as a teenager struggling to find her identity. She’d follow-up that success with another album (2014’s “Stereotypes”) & performances alongside the likes of HBO Def Poet Shanelle Gabriel, Grammy nominated Canton Jones, Lecrae, Trip Lee, Lisa McClendon, Mali Mvusic, B.Reith, Pettidee, Ambassador, J.R., Sho Baraka, D-Maub, Papa San, Richie Righteous, SeDa, & K-Drama, among other musical luminaries. It is with open arms, minds, & hearts that the KPK Family embraces HeeSun Lee as she blesses us with her unparalleled vocal stylings at KPOP-alypse-KON 2015! Feel free to show Ms. Lee some K-Music love via her official website/Tumblr (heesunlee.com), Facebook (heesunleemusic), Twitter (heesunlee), instagram (MsHeesunLee), & iTunes (itunes.apple.com/us/artist/heesun-lee/id292289379). Jay Kane A PA native & avid K-Pop fan, Jay Kane is the creator & host of DailyDose (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpT- BYRfxcC5bNYRMEA3oiKQ), a K-Pop-centric YouTube channel where she discusses the hottest Hallyu topics & much more! She’s also a host for popular K-Pop forum OneHallyu’s very own radio broadcast, Radioh!, where she entertains listeners with their favorite K-Music hits & discussions on K-Culture as a whole. A social media maven, fans of Jay Kane can also interact with her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jay-Kane/392263647453656), Twitter (Official_RCU), Tumblr (radiocrapup), Instagram (instagram.com/rcujay), Blogger (dailydoseofjayk.blogspot.com), & Ask.fm (Jay781). KPOP-alypse-KON 2015 is proud to have Jay Kane as 1 of this year’s featured performers & if her prac- tice video is any indication, the KPK Family is in for a real treat! (^_^)

MisterPopo Michael Smith-Grant, born July 15th, 1989, better known by his stage name “(Mister) Popo”, is an American pianist, actor, published playwright, blogger, & YouTube personality. Popo is widely known for his YouTube channel, MisterPopoTV (misterpopotv), in which he creates reviews, reactions, rants, & parody videos largely within K-Music’s sphere of influence. Popo was actively into Japanese culture & entertainment, including anime & manga, since the age of 12 & would begin to learn what Hallyu was all about in 2007. His 1st video relating to K-Pop was uploaded on January 1st, 2012 & it was a reaction to highly acclaimed Korean girl group, Girls’ Generation’s music video, “I Got A Boy”. The passionate video would then grow to see over 25,000 views & earn his YouTube channel over 1,500+ subscribers in only a week’s timespan! Connect with Mister Popo on his Twitter (misterpopotv.com), Instagram (misterpopotv), & Facebook (misterpopotv), it’ll pale in comparison to the impact he will have on our very 1st edition of KPOP-alypse-KON.

STAMPede STAMPede is a New York-based dance team (under the guidance of the critically-acclaimed East Side Dance Company (esdanceco.com)) consisting of high school & college students ranging from the ages 16 to 20. The best of friends that have been performing with each over for 4 years, their shared mission is to excel in anything that they put their minds into, free of judgment & full of pro-dance promise. “We are more than a dance team, we are a family” says Desteny Echavarria, a STAMPede dance instructor. “The kind of family that eats, sleeps, & spends hours rehearsing together. We won’t stop until we’ve captivated the Universe with our powerful dance moves & humble hearts.” So how will STAMPede be received at “Philly’s 1ST-EVER Korean pop culture convention” this April 10th & 11th, 2015, you ask? If you watched their promo video you’d know you’re in for a real treat! (^_^). Day 1 Day 2 Day 2 The Venue

International House Philadelphia The International House Philadelphia (ihousephilly.org) has a critical 3-fold mission: to maintain a diverse & welcoming community for scholars from around the world while introducing them to the American experience; to broaden the horizons of its residents & the Greater Philadelphia community through high quality international arts & humanities programs; & to encourage understanding, respect, & cooperation among the people of all nations. As a hub of cascading cultures, this iconic entity presents hundreds of public programs throughout the year to Philadelphia-area residents, fostering a global community by celebrating the world’s diversity & exploring issues from an international perspective. An independent 501(c)3 organization with an extensive alumni network of thousands & philanthropic support from individuals, corporate partners, & foundations, International House Philadelphia continues to be the premiere presenter of soulful & insightful ethnic programming in Philadelphia. The TAKII World Tour is thrilled to befriend this passionate group of professionals & looks forward to their shared successes in Asian culture fandom for many years to come.

Located in the heart of Philadelphia’s University City, only a few blocks from The Rotunda, home of The Asian Karaoke Idol Invitational, the International House Philadelphia Conference Center (ihousephilly. org/private-event-space) has over 8,500 sq. ft. of available event space that includes a wide variety of meeting rooms perfectly sized to accommodate the needs of any group. The Ibrahim Theater, home to its award-winning film program, is the perfect place to host a screening, performance, wedding, gala, or party. In addition to the 360-seat theater, supplemental private event space is comprised of a variety of spacious rooms that are ideal for meetings, seminars, lectures, workshops, classes, training sessions, receptions, & retreats, with each room named after several of the Earth’s continents. The International House Philadelphia Conference Center has a distinctly global feel with neutral décor & KPOP-alypse-KON 2015 is proud & humbled to call it “HOME”.

Thank you!

The KPK staff would like to sincerely thank all who have contributed to the making and success of KPOP-alypse-KON 2015. A sincere thank you goes out to all who have supported, promoted, and sponsored us: Kmusic, Japako Music, Popboxasia, Ksoul, Geekadelphia, The Philadelphia Metro who have covered this event, all who have donated from their hearts to make this happen, the wonderful International House of Philadelphia for its amazing generosity and contributions from sponsorship to providing KPK its venue, Koreana for catering our VIP and providing us with delicious food, all those who have volunteered and assisted with putting on this convention, our wonderful guests and performers who are willing to share their talents with us, and last but certainly not least, all of the amazing K-culture fans who are the reason KPK was even created. Without all of you, your kindness, and generosity, KPK would be nonexistant. So for your time, hardwork, dedication, and love of all things K-culture, WE THANK YOU.