(Lotte) Lotte said Monday it will hold the 2026 Lotte-Korea Brand Expo in Madrid from May 27-29 to support the global expansion of Korean small and medium-sized enterprises.The Brand Expo is a co-prosperity program designed to help Korean SMEs expand overseas, jointly organized by Lotte, the Korean Commission for Corporate Partnership and Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, with support from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.This years’ expo will feature 50 Korean SMEs from sectors including beauty, food, fashion and lifestyle. More than 200 buyers from global companies across Europe are expected to participate in one-on-one trade consultations and product exhibitions.Lotte said the venue would be designed under the concept “Seoul Beauty Salon,” reflecting a Korean cosmetics pop-up experience. Buyers and local visitors will move through themed spaces including a welcome lounge, beauty salon, consulting lounge and culture lounge, where they can experience products and participate in trade consultations.Lotte also said the expo would feature cultural content aimed at promoting Korean brands and culture beyond product exhibitions. Planned programs include fan meetings with Korean artists and K-pop cover dance events.Since launching in 2016, the Brand Expo has been held across Asia, Europe and the Americas, establishing itself as a representative shared growth program.More than 1,500 SMEs had participated in the expo as of last year, generating over 11,000 export consultations and cumulative export consultation results worth approximately $1.2 billion, according to the company.A Lotte official said that the company would continue supporting small Korean firms' entry into global markets, including Europe.