Going to the Kintex venue for the first time can be confusing, especially if visiting Korea. It can be overwhelming figuring things out as well as planning on what is needed for a day of matches. Here is a look at the top 5 must knows when heading to watch the Midseason Madness in the Kintex arena.
#1 Cellphones
Make sure you have a battery pack/external battery. There are no plug ins anywhere near where the seats are. With matches being 6 hours long, the battery life of the cellphone dwindles fast. This is especially true if videos and photos are also being taken. Your phone should have a good camera, as if not seated in the R or S seats the stage will be pretty far away. Luckily there is free Wifi at the arena, so no need to burn all the data at the matches.
#2 English
There are English signs, but not always for the small things. There are staff members that will help with English and give directions. But as the event is in Korea, everything will be in Korean. That also means the casting and desk comments. Unlike APEX there are no headphones to plug into the English broadcast. But the Korean casters are always so animated that even without knowing exactly what is being said, the vibe is easily understood. It is best to know a few words to help out understanding general directions. There are many fans also at the arena that are willing to help with Korean/English translations that you can reach out to on SNS.
#3 Fan Signs
These is not the signs that fans make, but the meet and greet with the players. The lines are long. From the middle of the line, it took over an hour to get to players for signs. One reason for this is that the players are so attentive to the fans in front of them. They will personalize the sign to the fan, will talk with fans, receive gifts from fans (this is a normal practice in Korea!), and will take selfies with fans. Get to the fan signs early. Start lining up before the match is even done. Once you see fans start to get up and leave, it is best to follow unless willing to give up an hour or more waiting in line.
#4 Food
Unlike the Burbank arena, there are no concessions in the arena. It was normal to see people eating and drinking at BALA or even the Grand Finals. But in Kintex there is no outside food. That means that fans need to run out and get food outside of the arena and eat it out there as well. The best time to do this is right at the end of the match. There is an 8-minute break between matches when the players are getting set up and the desk is analyzing the match. There are plenty of food options from sit-down restaurants, fast food, and bakery items to grab. This is also a good time to pop out to the bathroom, as there are no bathrooms in the arena as well. But the bathrooms are right outside the arena doors.
#5 Location
At the Kintex center there are multiple building. It is important to know that the Midseason Madness is in Kintex 2, which is behind Kintex 1. On top of that there are multiple halls and levels of each building. Midseason Madness is in Hall 10B and fans enter on the lower level not the upper level. Once near the right location, there are many signs to help guide the fans.
Must Knows
These 5 things will help prepare any fan getting ready to go to the Saturday or Sunday’s matches at the Kintex in South Korea!
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