MARCA BY BOLOGNAFIERE 2025: RECORD ATTENDANCE, GROWING INTERNATIONALISATION

Bologna, January 17 

The 21st edition of Marca by BolognaFiere concludes with unprecedented success, featuring 1.300 exhibitors, 9 halls, and 35.000 square metres of exhibition area. The number, representativeness, and authority of the attendees – over 23.000, including many international professionals – highlight the strong interest in an event that increasingly stands as a key reference point for Private Label. 24 major Retailers were present with their own booths: Alta Sfera, Ard/Ergon, C3, Carrefour, Conad, Coop, Coralis, Cortilia, Crai, D.it-Distribuzione Italiana, Decò Italia, Despar, Italy Discount, Fratelli Arena, Lekkerland, Marr, MD Italia, Migross, Pam Panorama, PiùMe, Risparmio Casa, S&C Consorzio Distribuzione Italia, Selex, VéGé.

Marca by BolognaFiere is growing and expanding, extending its influence well beyond national borders. Over 300 international buyers (twice as many as last year) - for a total of 60 represented countries, including the United States, China, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Australia, France, Germany, South Africa and India - contributed to increasing the global dimension of the event. More than 9.000 B2B meetings were held between private label companies and international retail chains, many of which took place during the new and highly appreciated International Buyers Preview on January 14, organised on the eve of the official opening of the fair.

Significant numbers mark the beginning of a new era for the event, which, starting next year, will become Marca by BolognaFiere and ADM. The longstanding collaboration between the two entities is being strengthened through the renewal of their partnership until 2031 and the joint ownership of the event’s brand.

The growth of Marca by BolognaFiere, which, in addition to its collaboration with ADM, enjoys the support of the Emilia-Romagna Region and the Bologna Chamber of Commerce, reflects the performance of Private Label. As of December 2024, Private Label have reached total revenues of €29.5 billion and a market share of 29.9%. The data from Circana, presented in the 21st Marca Report, confirm a 2.2% increase in value, supported by a significant rise in sales volumes (+3%).

"The trade fair year couldn't have started better," quoted Gianpiero Calzolari, President of BolognaFiere. "The 21st edition of Marca allowed us to achieve extraordinary milestones, both in the quality and quantity of the exhibition offerings. BolognaFiere thanks ADM, which will be Marca's partner until 2031, and the ICE-ITA Agency for contributing to the event's international growth. A special thanks also to the buyers, Retailers, and companies that chose to join us for this event, unique in Italy and Europe."

"ADM is extremely satisfied with the success of this edition of Marca, both in terms of the number of exhibitors and the dynamism shown by all the participants," commented Mauro Lusetti, President of ADM. "Success brings responsibility, which compels us to work even harder to ensure the continued growth of the event for the 2026 edition."

The spin-offs of Marca by BolognaFiere

BolognaFiere's two decades of expertise in managing Private Label are translated into a strategic action focused on internationalisation, with the expansion of new exhibition formats globally. After the success in China, the Marca model will be exported to Poland in 2025, opening the door to new business opportunities for Italian companies. The fourth edition of Marca China International Private Label Fair (Guangzhou, September 25-26, 2025) will be preceded by the debut of Marca Poland in Poznań on April 2-3, 2025, an event co-organized with MTP Grupa that will revolutionize the private label market in Poland and Eastern Europe, featuring over 200 exhibitors from various countries and 250 European retail buyers, with a focus on the eastern region.

At Marca China and Marca Poland, there will also be space for the winners of the International Private Label Selection (IPLS), another initiative that is growing rapidly. Promoted by Marca by BolognaFiere in collaboration with Expertise On Field – IPLC, the IPLS 2025 area showcased over 450 new products presented by the 180 participating exhibitors, and the 8 selected products will continue their journey on other international stages organised by Marca by BolognaFiere.

Marca online and offline

The 2025 edition of Marca also set record numbers in communication: over 400 journalists were accredited for the event, with Rai - Radiotelevisione Italiana (Italian Broadcasting) as Media Partner. In the last six months, the official website recorded 320.000 visits, marking a 120% increase compared to the 2024 edition, with 76.000 unique active users on the platform. In the first fifteen days of January, online content interest was particularly high, with 700.000 pages visited, 350.000 of which were related to the Exhibitor Directory. In the last quarter, 200.000 impressions were reached on LinkedIn and X platforms, accompanied by a steady growth in the digital community, now consisting of 7.500 followers.

The next edition of Marca by BolognaFiere will take place on January 14 and 15, 2026.

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