BolognaFiere increasingly becoming a wine hub: joins United Experience and launches three new events

More news from BolognaFiere, which continues to strengthen its presence beyond national borders, confirming its position as one of the leading players among trade fair centers, with an ever-increasing focus on the world of wine, of which it is now a hub of reference: BolognaFiere has announced that, through its American subsidiary BolognaFiere USA, it has acquired 30% of the US company United Experience, which until now was wholly owned by Maurizio Muzzetta's FiereItaliane Sea. United Experience operates in the events sector and, with the new corporate structure, will launch three international events dedicated to wine in 2026, in London, Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), and Mexico City, under the Wine Experience brand.
The initiative, explains a BolognaFiere press release, “was created to support Italian wineries in their expansion into new markets with high growth potential, at a time when US tariffs are forcing them to accelerate the diversification of their export destinations”. It is no coincidence that Vietnam, “with over 100 million inhabitants, is one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia, with GDP growing by 5% over the last three years. Demand for wine is constantly growing, and Italy, which currently accounts for 24% of imports, will benefit from a market expected to grow by 45% in volume and 90% in value in the two-year period 2026-2027. Mexico, on the other hand, has seen a 60% increase in per capita wine consumption in recent years, with a projected market value of $6 billion in 2030, 70% of which is covered by imports”.
The first edition of Wine Experience will be held in London on April 26 and 27, 2026, in the ExCel exhibition center, and will feature over 200 wine exhibitors alongside 60 food exhibitors. More than 1,500 buyers are expected to attend, in a country that is already one of the key markets for Italian wine exports (the third largest in 2024, worth €851 million in 2024, according to Istat data analyzed by WineNews, ed.). On June 11 and 12, 2026, it will be in Ho Chi Minh City at the Adora Exhibition Center (Vietnam), and on November 10 and 11, 2026, it will be in Mexico City at the Expo Santa Fe.
BolognaFiere’s interest in the wine sector is therefore growing, which is also a boost of confidence for the sector. BolognaFiere has been investing in wine for years: it did so first with its partnership with Slow Wine Fair and Slow Food, which is becoming even stronger this year with the addition of Presìdi and Slow Food to Sana Food, the organic food fair (with the two events taking place simultaneously in Bologna from February 22 to 24, 2026). It then did so with Fivi-Federazione Italiana Vignaioli Indipendenti (Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers), which brings together over 1,700 members from all over Italy and, for the last three editions, has staged the Mercato dei Vini (Wine Market), its most important event, at BolognaFiere, as it will also do in 2025, from November 15 to 17, and will continue to do so until 2028, given that Fivi, which represents thousands of small producers who follow the entire supply chain, from the vineyard to the shelf, and the Bologna fair, have renewed their agreement for the next three years. So, after organizing the Slow Wine Fair together with Slow Food, adding the Fivi Independent Winegrowers and Wine Market and the Champagne Experience (which comes from Modena, where previous editions were held, and is promoted and organized by Excellence Sidi, an Italian association of the best and most important distributors and importers, bringing them together with the great maisons and small vignerons of the famous French region, on October 5 and 6), BolognaFiere further consolidates its role as an international hub for the development of wine business and culture, expanding its network of events in support of the Italian wine industry in the most dynamic markets globally.
Antonio Bruzzone, CEO of BolognaFiere Group, explains that “the wine sector is one of the pillars of Italian agri-food and an extraordinary ambassador of our country’s culture around the world. With Wine Experience, BolognaFiere contributes to promoting this excellence, offering an innovative format and a concrete tool to support the export of Italian wineries in a complex and constantly evolving international context. This operation is fully in line with the group’s internationalization strategy, which aims to strengthen its presence in the most dynamic markets and confirm BolognaFiere as a global platform for Made in Italy”.
Maurizio Muzzetta, president of FiereItaliane Sea and founder of United Experience, added that “wine cannot remain anchored to traditional patterns that risk alienating potential new consumers. If other industries have been able to innovate thanks to technology and dialogue with the public, our sector must also take a leap forward, making itself more accessible, direct, and engaging. With Wine Experience, we want to transform wine fairs into opportunities for encounters that bring together culture and market, tradition and innovation; and, in this process, the entry of BolognaFiere is strategic: we are talking about a group that has already demonstrated its ability to export successful trade fair models to Asia and North America, with several successful events organized in 2025 alone. This international experience allows us to look to new markets with realism and ambition, positioning Italian wine at the center of the most dynamic trade routes on the planet”.