New York Festivals Advertising Awards Presents ‘New York Festivals Nite 2026’ in Seoul, South Korea

New York Festivals Advertising Awards (NYFA) hosted New York Festivals Nite 2026 at the Namsan Traditional Theater in Seoul, South Korea. The event brought together over 250 professionals from Korea’s advertising, creative, and academic communities for an evening of connection, inspiration, and cultural exchange.

New York Festivals selected Seoul, a dynamic hub of globally influential K-culture, as the host city for this special gathering. Set within the historic Namsangol Hanok Village, a destination dedicated to preserving Korean heritage and performing arts, the evening underscored NYFA’s ongoing commitment to bridging global creativity with local cultural identity.

The event welcomed a diverse audience of industry leaders, including advertisers, agency executives, past jurors, and award-winning creatives, alongside professors and students from universities affiliated with the New York Festivals Creative Center and other leading institutions. The program drew strong engagement throughout the evening.

The event opened with an outdoor networking reception on the Namsan Traditional Theater lawn, where attendees connected in an informal setting. Among those in attendance were NYF CEO Ellen Smyth and Director Donald J. Gherardi, alongside NYF Korea Representative Seog-Bong Bae and K-NBA CEO Ho-Cheon Ryu.

The second session commenced with a performance by acclaimed pansori artist Na-Hyun Kang, who presented the Jeju folk song “You and I Both Dear.” During the program, Ellen Smyth expanded NYF’s presence in Korea by appointing Professor Emeritus Sang-Soo Chong of Cheongju University as an NYF Advisor and naming soprano Hye-Myeong Kang as an official NYF Ambassador.

In her remarks, Smyth reflected on Korea’s growing influence in global creativity: “The work coming out of Korea, driven by bold thinking and world-class creativity, is not only innovative—it’s fearless. It resonates across borders, and these are exactly the kinds of ideas we are proud to celebrate at New York Festivals.”

A highlight of the evening was the keynote presentation, “How to Win a NYF Trophy,” delivered by Donald J. Gherardi. His talk emphasized that award-winning work must transcend expectations, noting that true distinction comes from ideas that deliver “something we haven’t seen before” showcasing concepts rooted in originality, creative risk, and bold execution.

During a Q&A session with NYF Advisor Sang-Soo Chong, several key insights emerged for entrants:

• Leading global brands including Samsung, Hyundai Motor Company, and LG are increasingly prioritizing emotionally resonant storytelling over product-driven messaging, a shift reflected across international markets.
  
  
• While AI continues to shape workflows from development through execution, the most impactful work remains grounded in human-centered ideas.
  
  
• Capturing attention within the first 15 seconds is critical to engaging both audiences and jurors.
  
  
• Strategic category selection plays a vital role in award success.
  
  

The evening concluded with a celebratory performance by soprano Hye-Myeong Kang, who delivered “O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini, alongside the Korean classic “Longing for Geumgangsan.” Her performance provided a warm and memorable finale to an evening that celebrated creativity, connection, and the global spirit of storytelling.