Italy's Private Label Conference and Exhibition MARCA closes its 22nd edition with all-time highs in visitors, exhibitors and international participation
MARCA by BolognaFiere & ADM confirms its role as the global reference point for a category redefining retail strategy worldwide.
Next stop: MARCA Poland, April 21-22.
BOLOGNA, Italy, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The 22nd edition of MARCA by BolognaFiere & ADM delivered its strongest results on record: more than 25,000 professional visitors over two days (+9% on 2025), exhibition space sold out across 10 halls, and an exhibitor base that grew to 1,540 companies (+18%), including 110 international exhibitors - up 25% year on year.
A format with no equivalent worldwide, this fair was built on the founding idea of Large Scale Retailers exhibiting alongside their manufacturing partners and has since evolved into a complete Private Label ecosystem, reflecting the sector's growing role as a strategic growth driver across the entire retail assortment.
With food at its core, the event extends across the full non-food spectrum - personal care, home care, pet care and beyond - tracking Private Label's expansion into categories once dominated by national brands.
Among its unique sections, MARCA Fresh dedicates an entire section to fresh produce - fruit and vegetables above all. Italy's food culture gives its retailers a distinctive edge in fresh category management, and that expertise draws international professionals to Bologna to study the model firsthand.
Another distinctive feature of MARCA by BolognaFiere & ADM is its coverage of the entire supply chain. MARCA Tech brings together the packaging, logistics and retail service providers that sit upstream of the finished product. No other PL event addresses this dimension with the same depth.
Private Label: from price lever to strategic growth driver
Across Europe's most developed markets, Private Label has shifted from price-driven convenience to a value proposition, with retailers investing in premium ranges and innovations rivalling national brands. MARCA by BolognaFiere & ADM reflects this evolution through two Marca awards: Best Innovation Product, recognising the most advanced PL solutions, and Best Copacker Profile, highlighting the manufacturing partners underpinning PL quality. Shortlisted products have been exhibited in MARCA Trend, a live observatory of where PL is heading.
The conference programme, anchored by the annual Marca Private Label Report, by Circana, covers topics from sustainability to EU regulatory developments, making MARCA by BolognaFiere & ADM the one event where strategy, product and supply chain converge.
The international dimension is key: over 300 strategic buyers from 30 countries attended, for whom Bologna provides direct access to the full Private Label ecosystem – Italian food and fresh expertise, retail innovation, and supply chain excellence in one place.
The Bologna edition concludes, but the journey continues: MARCA Poland will be held on 21-22 April 2026, bringing the same format to one of Europe's fastest-growing PL markets. The series then expands further with MARCA China on 8-9 September in Guangzhou.
Retailers and manufacturers are invited to join the MARCA network, connect with industry leaders, explore the latest Private Label innovations.
For more info: Visit the website.
Press Office Marca by BolognaFiere & ADM:
AD MIRABILIA
Tel. +39 02 4382191
Email: [email protected]
Contact: Isabella Foschi + 39 342 054 1546
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SOURCE MARCA by BolognaFiere & ADM
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