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The second edition of the international trade fair kicks off today, April 21–22, at the Poznań Congress Center. Bringing together the “Bologna Model” and the dynamism of the CEE market, the event features leading retailers, the ITA Hosted Buyers Programme and a high-level conference agenda focused on European markets.
Poznań, April 21, 2026 – MARCA Poland 2026 officially opens its doors today. The second edition, organised by BolognaFiere Group in partnership with Grupa MTP, further strengthens its role as a key platform for the Private Label (PL) sector in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
A market at a turning point
The event takes place at a pivotal moment for the market. In Poland, Private Label has reached a 24% share of household FMCG spending, with value sales growing by +6.6% year-on-year, according to the Circana report developed specifically for MARCA Poland. Across the region - including Romania and the Czech Republic - consumers are increasingly prioritising quality, health and wellness over purely price-driven choices, a shift that MARCA Poland aims to support and accelerate.
Opening remarks from industry leaders
Industry leaders welcomed exhibitors and buyers at the opening, underlining the strategic relevance of the event.
“Central Europe is one of the most promising frontiers for Private Label development,” said Rossano Bozzi, Business Unit Director of BolognaFiere. “MARCA Poland is our contribution to accelerating this growth and fostering closer collaboration between industrial excellence and modern distribution.”
Dariusz Wawrzyniak, Product Group Director at Grupa MTP, highlighted the role of the fair as a business enabler: “The Private Label sector in Poland is undergoing a profound transformation. MARCA Poland acts as a bridge to turn this potential into concrete business opportunities, enabling a deeper dialogue between industry and retail.”
International networking and Hosted Buyers Programme
The Hosted Buyers Programme, developed in partnership with the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), is a central pillar of MARCA Poland designed to ensure a qualified international audience. This independent initiative has been instrumental in establishing the event's international reach since its first edition, bringing professional retail buyers and distribution organization representatives from across Europe to Poznań.
Exhibitors utilize a dedicated B2B matching platform to connect directly with decision-makers, including category managers and strategic buyers, to generate concrete business opportunities
“The internationalisation of the Italian trade fair system is a key tool for connecting our companies with global markets,” said Roberto Cafiero, Director of ITA in Warsaw. “By strengthening the Hosted Buyer programme, we aim to consolidate MARCA Poland as a platform for bringing production and distribution together on an international scale.”
A retailer-centric model across Food and Non-Food
MARCA Poland reflects the retailer-centric approach developed in Bologna, where retailers take an active role in shaping the event. In Poznań, this model is supported by the partnership with POHiD (the Polish Organization of Trade and Distribution), in line with the experience of Italy’s ADM, and is reflected in the participation of major players such as Lidl Polska.
Conference programme and market insights
Alongside the exhibition area - covering both Food and Non-Food categories - the event also offers a programme of conferences and market insights designed to explore the evolution of Private Label across Europe.
On April 21, Alex Chiesa (Circana) presents an overview of global and European Private Label performance, with a focus on Poland and Romania, highlighting key growth drivers and the positioning of these markets within the broader competitive landscape.
On April 22, the sessions led by Expertise on Field focus on two complementary dimensions of Private Label development. The first explores innovation in retail brands across major European markets, with case studies and best practices on how to strengthen shopper loyalty and respond to increasing demand for sustainability and quality. The second examines the evolution of Private Label branding, highlighting how leading retailers - from Tesco and Mercadona to Conad and Coop - are increasingly positioning themselves as true brand owners through distinctive and high-value product ranges.
MARCA Awards showcase innovation in Private Label
Innovation is also highlighted through the MARCA Awards, featured in Poznań as a travelling exhibition showcasing the 15 finalist products selected from more than 300 candidates presented at the latest Bologna edition. The selected products represent excellence across key areas such as sustainability, food wellbeing, non-food wellbeing, supply chain transparency and technological innovation, offering a concrete snapshot of the direction in which Private Label is evolving. By bringing these case studies to Poland, the exhibition provides industry professionals with a curated overview of the most advanced solutions currently shaping the sector, reinforcing MARCA Poland’s role as a platform where innovation and market trends converge.
