From January 14 to 15, the Bologna exhibition center is hosting the 22th MARCA by BolognaFiere & ADM, an international event dedicated to private labels. Recognized as an important event for the entire sector, this year’s fair boasts figures that confirm its growth.
Ten pavilions (+19% exhibition space), 28 DMO brands with stands, 1,540 exhibitors, and 25,000 visitors expected, with over 5,000 profiled buyers from Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, North America, Latin America, and Asia. This scale consolidates the event’s position as unique on the international trade fair scene, the only one where retailers are both exhibitors and central players in the dialogue with the industry.
A complete ecosystem
Organized by BolognaFiere and ADM – Associazione della Distribuzione Moderna (Modern Distribution Association), the 22th MARCA integrates exhibition areas and in-depth content covering the entire universe of commercial brands into a single format: Food, Fresh, Non-Food, packaging, services, and solutions for the supply chain.
A complete ecosystem that connects every link in the value chain and makes the event a decision-making reference point for Italian and international DdmoMO.
Private labels drive growth in consumer goods
The 22th MARCA by BolognaFiere & ADM opened in a market context that confirms the increasingly strategic role of private labels, which grew from 26.6% in 2019 to 30.4%, with a projected turnover of €31.5 billion for 2025 (source: TEHA Group analysis of Circana data, 2026).
This structural evolution and growth marks the transition of private labels from a tactical convenience lever to a long-term strategy capable of sustaining food and non-food consumption in a low-growth national economic context.
Growing international dimension
The 22th MARCA by BolognaFiere & ADM reinforces the distinctive assets that make the exhibition unique on the international trade fair scene. Starting with MARCA Fresh, which doubles its exhibition space to accommodate over 80 exhibitors, confirming Italian excellence in fresh produce as the European benchmark. MARCA Tech covers the entire upstream supply chain, from packaging to logistics, positioned this year in synergy with MARCA Fresh in Hall 19. Finally, the new MARCA Trend, an area dedicated to innovation, hosts the finalists of the MARCA Awards: Best Innovation Product for the best product innovations and Best Copacker Profile for the excellence of production partners.
The international level of the Bologna event is also growing, the culmination of an ongoing project that includes MARCA Poland and MARCA China.
Finally, the program of the 22th MARCA by BolognaFiere & ADM www.marcabybolognafiere.com will offer high-profile insights. These include the presentation, on January 15, of the 22nd MARCA Report by Circana, analyzing the dynamics of the sector, alongside the GS1 Italy Non-Food Observatory on frictionless shopping experiences and artificial intelligence, in a packed schedule of technical workshops on the most current topics for retail.