Songyi Yang gives an invited lecture at the 26th International Body Art Contest — New opportunities for K-beauty professionals in the AI era
Introducing the ‘2027 K-Beauty Global Pavilion’ concept, which connects individual expertise with demand around the world
On October 10, 2026, Songyi Yang of CONNECT AI gave an invited lecture at the 26th International Body Art Contest on the theme ‘When the world comes looking for your skills’.
The lecture began with a single question: “If someone overseas needs your skills, how will they find you?”
Songyi Yang described the possibilities of the ‘solo trader era’, in which AI connects an individual’s skills, training and products with demand around the world, and what K-beauty professionals can start preparing now.
The 26th International Body Art Contest
The contest is hosted by the K-Beauty Experts Federation and organized by the International Body Art Contest Organizing Committee. It showcases skills across a wide range of beauty fields, including semi-permanent makeup, SMP, eyelashes, nail art, makeup and skincare. This year’s 26th edition was held at the Sejong University Convention Center.
- Date
- Saturday, October 10, 2026
- Venue
- Sejong University Convention Center
- Host
- K-Beauty Experts Federation
- Organizer
- International Body Art Contest Organizing Committee
Scenes from the contest
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‘When the world comes looking for your skills’
Invited by the Federation, Songyi Yang took the stage as co-founder of CONNECT AI and head of its Global Business Division. In this lecture she presented ‘New opportunities for K-beauty professionals in the AI era’.
A co-author of Trade in the Hyper-Connected World, Songyi Yang explained the background to the lecture through the book’s subtitle, “Trade disappears, only connection remains.” This does not mean that exporting products or doing deals will disappear. It means that, before any transaction, the process of discovering each other’s needs and expertise and connecting them is becoming ever more important.
The same shift is happening for K-beauty professionals. When an overseas salon wants to learn Korean techniques, or is looking for specific training or products, an individual’s expertise can also cross borders and lead to new business.
The lecture also presented the start of training for AI trade intelligence specialists in Korea in 2026 and the introduction of AI trade education in the United States, China and at universities. A visit to Korea by officials from an Indonesian government export agency for AI trade training, planned for October 2026, was introduced as an upcoming example.
Lecture slides
How would a salon owner in Europe find a professional in Korea?
The lecture imagined an aesthetics business owner in Europe looking for melanin-care training from Korea.
This customer does not know any particular company’s name at the outset. Instead, they ask AI about the training they need. They check whether it can be taken in English, whether it includes hands-on practice, and whether it can be applied in their own salon. When they find training that fits their requirements, they ask about the schedule and fees.
The journey makes one thing clear. Even if customers don’t know my name, they can discover me through the expertise I offer.
※ This is a simulation to illustrate a customer’s journey from search to inquiry.
To prepare for this kind of connection, you need to know both which markets hold opportunities and who within them needs your expertise. The lecture introduced Market Intelligence, which examines market demand and opportunities, and Buyer Intelligence, which helps you understand customers’ needs and requirements.
There are also two ways to create connections. AI Visibility means preparing information so that overseas customers can discover and understand your expertise when they search with AI. Buyer Connect means finding the customers who need your expertise and delivering suitable proposals to them.
The first step in preparing for this is to put together materials that introduce your expertise and a channel for inquiries.
- Your expertise in one sentence — Write down what you can offer, and to which customers.
- Three works with descriptions — Describe what you did, who it is for and how you provide it.
- How you receive and answer inquiries — Decide how interested people can reach you and who will reply.
For individual expertise to become an opportunity for overseas customers, there needs to be a place where customers can look, understand and make inquiries. The lecture closed with a proposal to go one step beyond each professional presenting their own skills and work, and to show the world the many kinds of K-beauty expertise together.
The 2027 K-Beauty Global Pavilion concept
At the end of the lecture, Songyi Yang introduced the direction of the ‘2027 K-Beauty Global Pavilion’, which the K-Beauty Experts Federation and CONNECT AI are preparing together. It is a space designed to help overseas customers find the skills, training and products they need and contact the professionals behind them.
※ The presentation screens show an example of the pavilion concept. Specific participation terms and operating details have not yet been finalized.
Related introductory video
K-Beauty Experts Federation platform introduction · 1 min 15 sec
A video introducing how K-beauty expertise, training, products and services can be connected with the world.
More photos from the event4 more photos
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Connecting K-beauty professionals’ expertise with the world.
To connect your expertise with the world
What skills do you have? What training and products can you offer, and to whom? Professionals and companies interested in the K-Beauty Global Pavilion are invited to tell us about their field of expertise and the kind of collaboration they have in mind.