Mark Shapiro and Ari Emanuel pose outside the New York Stock Exchange during the TKO Group Holdings' listing on September 12, 2023. Michelle Farsi/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images MARI, the holding company founded by Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro, is expanding into collectibles.
The experiences-centric venture is acquiring Collect-A-Con, which holds events celebrating trading cards, anime, gaming and pop culture across the U.S. The company was founded in 2021, and this year is slated to hold 24 events, with more than 500,000 annual attendees.
The events bring together merchandise and collectibles, celebrities and voice actors, and live performances, all focused on its core enthusiast categories. Terms of the deal were not disclosed though Collect-A-Con’s current leadership and brand will continue to operate the company.
“Collect-A-Con has built something that is genuinely hard to replicate – a highly engaged community and a format that keeps people coming back,” said Ben Enowitz, MARI’s CFO, in a statement. “We see a significant opportunity to build on that foundation, supporting the collectibles market and bringing the format to more cities and audiences around the world.”
“Vendors love the opportunity to build direct relationships with customers, while fans are drawn to the sense of community and the in-person ‘treasure hunt’ experience,” added Matthew Weatherly, co-founder of Collect-A-Con. “Attendees often spend hours at each event – it’s a good indication of how engaged the audience is. As we grow, people can expect the same experience – from the marketplace and community atmosphere to live moments across the weekend, including trading cards like Pokémon alongside performances from major music artists such as Steve Aoki, Soulja Boy and Waka Flocka Flame.”
MARI launched last year with some of the assets that were once part of Endeavor Group Holdings, including a number of tennis events like the Miami Open, the Frieze arts festivals, and a majority stake in Barrett-Jackson, the automotive auction house and lifestyle brand.
It subsequently purchased the Broadway ticketing firm TodayTix, and earlier this year closed a deal for Bucket Listers, a live events discovery platform.
The theme across their deals is live events and experiences, with many (Collect-A-Con and Barrett-Jackson included) focused on certain fan cultures.
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