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Tens of Thousands of Participants at the European K-POP Dance Championship
How One Vision Created a K-POP Dance Contest for Thousands
Klab Insight
April 03, 2025
Hello, this is Klab Insight.
For this feature, we’re excited to introduce Silvio Franceschinelli, also known as DJ Shiru, a key figure in promoting K-POP and Asian culture across Europe. As the director of a language school specializing in Korean and Japanese, Silvio’s passion for Asian culture has led him to organize numerous festivals and events. In addition to his academic work, Silvio tours as a DJ, helping spread J-Pop and K-Pop worldwide. He has collaborated on stage with Japanese and Korean artists in the US, Europe, and parts of Asia under the name K-ble Jungle.
His notable achievement includes the creation of the European K-POP Dance Championship, a groundbreaking event that unites dancers from across Europe. Through his work, Silvio has made a significant impact in the K-POP scene, using music and events as tools to connect cultures and communities.
In this interview, Silvio shares his journey, the challenges of organizing large-scale events, and his vision for the future of K-POP festivals in Europe. His story is a source of inspiration for anyone looking to break into the K-POP event scene or promote Asian culture globally.
Pioneering K-POP events in Europe
The creation and growth of the European K-POP Dance Championship
The power of collaboration within the K-POP community
Silvio Franceschinelli
Q. Can you introduce yourself?
Silvio Franceschinelli, also known as DJ Shiru, is the director of a language school specialized in Korean and Japanese. He works in the entertainment business, supplying Asian content to festivals and events across Europe. As a DJ, he aims to spread J-Pop and K-Pop to new audiences while enjoying the experience.
Q. What inspired you to start organizing events and festivals related to Asian culture, including K-POP?
I have always worked in the organization of small and large events, specially related to music. Entering the world of Asian culture was a consequence of having a language school where my teachers teach Korean and Japanese. Pop culture festival (manga and anime, videogames, cosplay…) proved to be the best place to promote culture and languages from the Far East. I had lived in Japan for nearly two years, and travelled South Korea before it was fashionable to do it. Living there, I discovered how rich and diverse Asian music is and loved it.
Q. What inspired you to create the European K-POP Dance Championship, and how did the idea come about?
In the pop culture festivals where I work there is always a stage (or more than one) and I started, in collaboration with other agencies, organizing small K-Pop dance contests, which quickly grew into large events.
I’ve always loved large international events: last summer I went to the Olympics in Paris, and I worked at the World Cosplay Summit in Japan and other gatherings where people meet to compete and have fun. Because I have toured festivals as a DJ, I am in touch with a number of them around Europe, so it was the logical consequence to connect them into a network and have them friendly compete against each other: this is how the K-Pop Dance Fight Fest was created.
Try to make them feel comfortable, and involved in what happens. For example last year in the European contest we had a party night before the finals where the DJ (me!) played some songs from every participating nation.
Q. How do you collect participant feedback, and how do you incorporate it into future events?
If you build some sort of relationship with the participants, the feedback will come even uninvited. More importantly, I ask the feedback of the festivals around Europe who sent us the dancers: the dancers might not be straightforward with me, but they will be when complaining with events in their home country. And social networking websites are very useful to understand what people think about you and your event. Check the comments regularly.
The main challenge is probably organizing accommodation and transport for all the dancers coming to the finals. If you take into account that a festival such as Etna Comics has already hundreds of artists coming, adding 60 more is not easy. Luckily, I have a powerful team working with me (thank you Federica, Antonio and Giuseppe and all the staff of Etna Comics for helping me with the guests!).
Social media is slowly growing organically thanks to the interest of the crews and the lovers of K-Pop. We are contacting some online platforms to create a partnership and send them press releases, so that more and more people can get to know there is a European contest and maybe take part to it!
Q. How many spectators participate in the festival?
Comicon Napoli, site of the Italian finals, attracts 175,000 paying visitors, Etna Comics has 100,000. Of course, the K-Pop contest is just part of the program: there are concerts, exhibitions, conferences and workshops and a lot is going on.
Q. You have organized multiple K-POP-related events across Europe. What do you consider your biggest achievement in this field so far?
My biggest achievement is probably having convinced different associations, groups and events to work together for a bigger goal, rather than competing and creating many different championships.
Q. It must have been difficult to secure sponsors when you first started organizing the festival. How did you go about obtaining sponsors?
The first editions didn’t have any sponsors, the host events paid to cover the expenses. The Italian contest now has sponsors, as it was created earlier and will have the third edition in 2025. The European edition is still talking to some potential sponsors, but nothing has been confirmed yet. You can’t ask sponsors to give you money for something at its first edition, you need to do it and collect pictures, videos, grow on social media.
Q. How do you work with festival organizers, like Comicon and Etna Comics, to integrate the K-POP Dance Championship into their programs?
 | In the case of these two festivals I am the director of the stage, so it’s not too difficult to integrate K-Pop into my stage. I try to create a program that is K-Pop friendly on the day of the finals. For example I book some Korean or Japanese artists, or Italian artists that are musically related to the Far East, and we always have a random dance or DJ set on the day of the finals. |
Q. What are the most important factors in the early stages of planning a festival?
Having some basic experience, even just as a helper, in a similar event. Creating a network of people that includes artists, suppliers, partner events, and asking them advice so that you can get the point of view of all the people involved. The budget is of course a fundamental aspect of a festival, keep it in control all the time and be a saver, there will be for sure unexpected expenses! Hire a consultant if you can (I am available!).
Q. How does organizing a K-POP event like this compare to your other cultural event organizing experiences?
The main difference is the number of people involved. If you have a rock band you’ll have to manage five or six people, if you organize a fashion show you’ll have 20, including models and designers, but with a contest it’s hundreds of people, if you count dancers, helpers, staff for the crew.
Q. What role do you think K-POP events, like dance contests, play in the global spread of K-POP culture?
I think dance contests have a determinant role in the success of K-Pop around the world. It’s difficult to have “real” K-Pop artists on stage in Europe, as the cost is high, but with contests you can play the music loud and with the choreography performed live in front of hundreds of people. The first time you have 10 participants and 100 in the audience. Then
those in the audience love it, talk about it, and the next year the participants are 20 and the audience 200. Every year you add 100% people and you can see a sizable growth. Of course, they all start listening to the songs on Spotify and YouTube, buy CDs and tickets for concerts, and so the market grows.
Q. How do you plan to expand the European K-POP Dance Championship to include more countries and create a larger impact?
We are now working with Latvia, Italy, Slovakia, Spain, Czech Republic, France, Austria, Poland. We cannot grow more than one country a year, so that’s the plan. One day we might grow to include extra-European countries, but for sure not in the near future.
Q. What advice would you give to someone looking to break into organizing K-POP events and festivals?
Start by collaborating with existing events to gain experience. Help them, even for free, and see how they work. This will help you build a network and understand the challenges, and will bring new energy and ideas to events. Networking is often underestimated, but fundamental. After a while you can decide if keeping on working with them or go your own way.
If there are aspiring event and festival planners who want to start working in this field right now, could you share an action plan for them? Where should they begin?
Start by collaborating with existing events to gain experience. Help them, even for free, and see how they work. This will help you build a network, understand the challenges, and bring new energy and ideas to events. Networking is often underestimated, but it’s fundamental. Over time, you can decide whether to continue working with them or pursue your own path.
Q. Looking ahead, what are your future goals for K-POP-related events and festivals across Europe?
I hope we can have sponsors to increase our budgets, and possibly invite bigger K-Pop artists from Korea.
Q. Lastly, do you have any message for the readers?
As I said, networking is important, so if you are interested in working with Asian music look for me in social network websites and let’s connect! And if I am DJing somewhere come and dance with us! https://www.instagram.com/djshirukj/
Silvio's journey is a testament to the power of passion, cultural appreciation, and collaboration. His dedication to promoting K-POP and Asian culture across Europe shows us that with persistence, creativity, and the willingness to connect with others, even the most ambitious events can evolve into influential movements that bridge cultures and inspire fans worldwide.
For more updates and to get in touch, feel free to connect with Silvio on Instagram:
Key Insights
The Growth of K-POP Events in Europe
The European K-POP Dance Championship is growing rapidly, with participants from multiple countries. This highlights the increasing influence and appeal of K-POP in European culture.
Importance of Social Media in Event Promotion
Social media plays a vital role in attracting participants and fans to K-POP events. By leveraging online platforms, the K-POP Dance Championship continues to build a strong, engaged audience.
Challenges and Solutions in Event Organization
Organizing large-scale K-POP events requires careful planning, especially in managing logistics like accommodations and transportation for international participants. Building a strong team and working with established festivals can help overcome these challenges.
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We would love to hear your thoughts on this interview! Feel free to leave your comments below or email us at [email protected]. Your insights and questions are always welcome as we continue to explore the vibrant world of K-pop.
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