MARI, the holding company founded by Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro, is expanding into collectibles.
The experiences-focused project takes over Collect-A-Con, which holds events celebrating trading cards, anime, gaming, and pop culture across the United States. The company was founded in 2021, and this year it is scheduled to hold 24 events, with more than 500,000 people attending annually.
The events combine merchandise, collectibles, celebrities, voice actors and live performances, all focused on core enthusiast categories. Terms of the deal were not disclosed although current leadership of Collect-A-Con and the brand will continue to operate the company.
“Collect-A-Con has built something that is truly difficult to replicate — a highly engaged community and a format that keeps people coming back,” Ben Enowitz, MARI’s chief financial officer, said in a statement. “We see a huge opportunity to build on this foundation, support the collectibles market and bring the format to more cities and audiences around the world.”
“Resellers 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 – which is a good indicator of how engaged the audience is. As we grow, people can expect the same experience – from the market and community atmosphere to live moments over the weekend, including trading cards like Pokémon along with performances by major music artists like Steve Aoki, Soulja Boy and Waka Flocka Flame.”
MARI was launched last year with some assets that were previously part of Endeavor Group Holdings, including a number of tennis events such as the Miami Open, the Frieze arts festivals, and a majority stake in Barrett-Jackson, the car auction house and lifestyle brand.
It subsequently acquired Broadway ticket company TodayTix, and earlier this year struck a deal with Bucket Listers, a platform for discovering live events.
The theme in their deals is live events and experiences, with many (including Collect-A-Con and Barrett-Jackson) focusing on specific fan cultures.
