Hello Kitty "friends" capture the live performance on their phones at Valley View Casino Center, San Diego. (VT photo)
REPORTING FROM SAN DIEGO — The VEE Corporation/Sanrio love child, Hello Kitty’s Supercute Friendship Festival, has begun its North American tour and made its way to Valley View Casino Center, San Diego, for five shows, June 19-21. The mix of afternoon and evening shows attracted a total of 1,847 attendants, most of whom left wearing Hello Kitty crowns.
“Sanrio’s philosophy is small gift, big smile,” said VEE Corp Brand Ambassador Laura “Piper” Gillespie. “So we really want people to come and enjoy themselves and collect the little gifts we give away, like our crowns and buttons, and leave with a smile. Hello Kitty is all about fun, friendship and happiness, so we want you to come and experience all those things here.”
Various pieces of Hello Kitty Couture were on display. (VT photo)
The festival took up the entire floor of Valley View Casino Center, with a main stage on one side and a smaller stage in the middle. Large, inflated character heads were hanging from the ceiling and upbeat pop music played in between live performances, which rotated between stages every 15 minutes or so.
“We try to give a great experience in every city,” said Gillespie. “There are things that are more popular in some cities than others, which is really cool to see.”
With the popularity of Hello Kitty Con 2014 last fall in Los Angeles, the festival is like a traveling version, offering exclusive merchandise and interactions with Hello Kitty and her friends.
“Kitty Con was in L.A., but this gives us the chance to go places where maybe people couldn’t make it and visit as many friends as possible in as many cities as possible,” said Gillespie. “People ask us all the time, when are you coming here? To those people, you can sign up for our newsletter online and get updates, because we really want to come to you. We’re just going to do our best to see as many people as we can.”
Both Friday and Saturday included an afternoon and evening show, but Marty Barker, marketing coordinator, said the turnaround was easy to handle. Multiple times are offered to ensure the festival floor never gets too packed.
Exclusive merchandise is offered at the show. (VT photo)
Another unique thing about Hello Kitty and this event is the range of ages it attracts. Kids were scampering from the inflatable Hello Kitty bounce house to the stand in line for temporary tattoos with their parents trailing after them. But young adults were getting in on the action too, snapping selfies with character cutouts and clapping along to musical numbers. The age difference can present a challenge, said Barker, as they decide which channels to use and what groups to target, but it also provides a large, interested audience.
“It’s cool because we have fans that come, and they’ve been fans for 35 years or whatever and then we have fans that are four and love Hello Kitty, and both of them look like little kids running around and having a good time,” said Gillespie. “Everyone is able to enjoy themselves. You don’t always get that feeling when you’re an adult, so it’s really nice to see them have that. And the kids are just pumped, and you can see them just jamming out to the music.”
Attendees were able to get their pictures taken with some of the characters, like Chococat. (VT photo)
The show opened at Target Center in Minneapolis on May 29, attracting what Sandy Sweester, senior director of Marketing and Event Services, described as a “diverse audience.”
“Since the tour was opening in the Twin Cities, we honestly weren’t sure what to expect as far as attendance,” said Sweester. “But we were happy with presold ticket quantities and also with the walk-up sales that were generated.”
Different VIP packages are offered at each show that give fans access to reserved seating for the live performances, meet and greets and exclusive merch.
One station gives steps for how to draw Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters. (VT photo)
As far as any tweaks or changes made to the show, Piper said they listen closely to feedback from attendees and are ready to address and even incorporate those suggestions as the festival continues to tour North America.
“We love our Sanrio friends, so we always listen to their suggestions,” said Gillespie. “This is the first time Hello Kitty and her friends are travelling across North America, so we’re happy to hear feedback and see what we can do. We want everyone to leave with a smile on their face, and I think everyone’s had a really good time. But if we do hear from a friend that has a suggestion, their voice is heard.”
The festival next heads to Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, Calif., on June 26, then to Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on July 10. At each stop, an average of five performances is offered over the three days.
“We truly believe that as the tour evolves and the marketing message and materials are refined, Hello Kitty’s Supercute Friendship Festival will continue to grow,” said Sweester.
Interviewed for this story: Mary Barker, (619) 308-4399 ext.399; Laura "Piper" Gillespie, (612) 375-9670; Sandy Sweester, (612) 673-1388