BolognaFiere, acquisition in the US to strengthen in the wine sector

BolognaFiere continues its internationalisation path and strengthens its position in the wine sector with the entry into the capital of the US company United Experience, controlled by Maurizio Muzzetta's FiereItaliane Sea. The Bologna-based exhibition group has in fact taken over 30% of the company that, with the new corporate structure, will organise from next year three international events dedicated to wine in three markets with high development potential - the United Kingdom, Vietnam and Mexico - under the Wine Experience brand.

"We entered this sector through three events with very vertical and specialised focuses: Slow Wine Fair, dedicated to ethical and organic production, the Market for independent wines and winemakers, and Champagne Experience," explains Antonio Bruzzone, CEO of BolognaFiere, "and we realised that Italian producers need events abroad to strengthen their exports and diversify their destination geographies, especially at this time when the US market is threatened by Trump's tariffs and the Russian market has collapsed. Hence the decision - also to act in a complementary manner to the foreign activity of the main Italian exhibition brand in the sector, Vinitaly, which has an edition in the USA and several events in China - to focus on markets with high growth potential, two new ones (Vietnam and Mexico) and one already consolidated (the United Kingdom), with an initiative that was created to support Italian wineries in their internationalisation process, but which obviously aims to attract producers from all over the world.

In Vietnam, Italy now accounts for 24% of wine imports and demand is expected to grow by 45% in volume and 90% in value in 2026-27. Mexico, on the other hand, has recorded a 60% increase in wine consumption per capita in recent years, with a market projection in 2030 of USD 6 billion, 70% of which will be covered by imports.

The first Wine Experience will be held in London on 26 and 27 April 2026 and will be attended by more than 200 winning exhibitors joined by 60 food exhibitors. More than 1,500 buyers are expected. It will be followed by the Ho Chi Minh City edition (11 and 12 June 2026), and the Mexico City edition (10 and 11 November 2026)..

"This operation is part of our group's internationalisation strategy, which aims to strengthen its presence in the most dynamic markets and to confirm BolognaFiere as a global platform for Italian-made products," Bruzzone continues.