At this year’s National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) OneShow, operators will have a number of money-making opportunities. From thousands of dollars in random cash giveaways each day on the show floor to exclusive deals from OneShow exhibitors, attendees will have opportunities to pocket cash during the OneShow, April 25 to 27 at McCormick Place North in Chicago.
For the first time ever, $12,000 in cash prizes will be given away to operators attending the OneShow. Thanks to a generous prize donation from G&J Marketing, each day – twice a day $2,000 in cash will be handed out to an operator who is on the show floor. In addition, dozens of exhibitors have created OneShow-only specials so that operators who sign orders at the show can enjoy extra savings on the same products and services they always need to purchase to effectively run their businesses.
Drum Café kicks things off
Once at the show, the fun begins with the Drum Café where attendees will gather at Center Stage at 2 p.m. on Wednesday to collect their drum and help kick-off this year’s show. The Drum Café team will lead everyone in spirited, team-building session that will energize, spark creativity and send attendees away with renewed enthusiasm and motivation.
Also on Wednesday, attendees won’t want to miss “Federal Legislation Updates: How is the Federal Government Impacting Your Vending or Coffee Service Company?” which will look at the many new federal regulations enacted in the past year that affect our business, including healthcare legislation and calorie disclosure requirements, among others.
This first-of-its-kind program begins at with “How Can Vending Operators Effectively Comply with FDA-Required Calorie Disclosures?” followed by “What Impact Do the New ADA Regulations Have on Types of Vending Machine I Can Place in Locations?” and wraps up with “Economic Incentives, Tax Increases, Tax Breaks and Credits…What Can Be Done To Help Vending and Coffee Companies Grow and Prosper?”
Representatives from federal agencies have been invited to participate and clarify these issues, discuss their impact on business, and suggest what NAMA can do on your behalf. These three sessions will help you understand the complicated requirements of these regulations. Attendees interested in the impact of healthcare legislation will also want to attend “The Impact of Healthcare Reform” on Wednesday.
A host of new sessions
One of the new sessions, “Focusing Your Business Strategy on Growth Opportunities,” led by Dr. Mark L. Frigo, Center for Strategy, Execution and Valuation at the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University, will be held on Wednesday. Dr. Frigo will offer easy-to-use-tools for developing profitable growth opportunities to increase company value. He is the author of the book DRIVEN and has extensive experience as an advisor to CEOs for Inc. 500 and Fortune 500 companies. Each company attending Dr. Frigo’s session will receive a copy of his how-to book.
In addition, the “Vending/Coffee Service 101” program is back by popular demand and will be delivered on Friday by Vic Pemberton, president of Pepi Food Service, Bainbridge, Ga., and NAMA’s 2007 Vending Operator of the Year. .
Wednesday is also the day to learn about new technology at “Innovations in Vending Technology and The Benefits of Cashless,” moderated by NAMA Industry Leader of the Year and Endowed Professor Dr. Michael Kasavana, NCE5. This fast-paced series of presentations will cover everything surrounding the latest technologies designed to advance the vending industry, including the progress being made on the Vending Data Interchange Standard (VDI).
Another not-to-be-missed event on Wednesday for coffee and water service operators is the new Coffee & Water Service Operator Symposium, known in previous years as the “Open Forum.” Jeff Deitchler, general manager from Prairie-Fire Roasters, will moderate this ever-popular event. At the Symposium, experts will lead breakout sessions to discuss specific topics that relate directly to the coffee, tea and water industry, and afterwards will form a panel to answer questions and share key points from their specific topics. Panel members will include Steve Hyde from Brew-Tek, Mark Marino from Baronet Coffee and Tom Steuber from Associated Coffee & Water Service, San Leandro, Calif.
Coffee certification returns
Coffee service providers interested in brewing the best possible coffee will want to register for the Quality Coffee Certification Program (QCCP). The brewing fundamentals workshop will be held on Tuesday, and Coffee Fundamentals will be held on Wednesday. Participants will hear industry veteran Mike Tompkins of Coffee Products Associates passionately and enthusiastically share his coffee expertise and knowledge.
Following the Coffee & Water Service Operator Symposium is another new and valuable education session, “Finding Your Profit Leaks” by Fred Parrish, president of Profit Experts. As an added bonus, attendees will receive a memory stick loaded with formatted spreadsheets that will allow them to track sales and inventory.
OneShow attendees should also know that this year’s Coffee, Tea & Water Service Pavilion is already bigger than ever before, with a host of resources designed to help service providers in this area with every aspect of their businesses.
On Thursday, former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani will open the day with an insightful and inspiring presentation, “Principled Leadership: In the Face of Change and Crisis,” right on the show floor at Center Stage.
Also on Thursday, be sure to gather at Center Stage at 4:30 p.m. to help celebrate the 2011 NAMA Industry Award winners who will be recognized for professional achievements in our industry.
This year's 2011 industry award winners include:
- Industry Person of the Year: Michael Kasavana, Ph.D., NCE5, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.;
- Vending Operator of the Year: Craig Kushner, Monumental Vending, Beltsville, Md.
- Coffee Operator of the Year: Howard Chapman, NCE, CCS, Royal Cup, Birmingham, Ala.;
- Coffee Allied Member of the Year: Tim Cleland, Gavina Gourmet Coffee, Los Angeles, Calif.;
- Vending Allied Member of the Year: Steve Richardson, DeMitri Chesapeake Sales, Chase, Md.
Michigan State University basketball Coach Tom Izzo will host the awards ceremony.
Throughout the show, operators will also want to check in on the “Operator Perspectives” sessions, designed as a new way to facilitate operator-to-operator discussions. Each day at Center Stage on the show floor operators will lead discussions on key topics such as loss prevention, profitability, coffee, technology, cashless and unattended retail markets. Conversations will take place in front of Center Stage, and will provide a compelling opportunity for attendees to share best practices, solutions and ideas with each other.
Finally, each day’s opening session has been created to match the events of the day, which is why Friday opens with a laugh and a humorous perspective on what’s happening on Capitol Hill with the nationally acclaimed political satire troupe, The Capitol Steps.
