Vendors, suppliers converge at Navy Pier in Chicago

Vending and coffee service operators gathered at Chicago’s Navy Pier in late September for the last National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) National Expo under its 2-show per year format, which moves to one show per year next year. Despite a challenging economy, exhibitors were pleased with the operator turnout, thanks to the quality of the operators attending.

Operators, for their part, found plenty of new products, equipment and technology on the show floor. They also learned about some challenging governmental initiatives during the annual membership meeting.

Attendees were entertained at the annual meeting by humorist, author, economist and actor Ben Stein.

During a keynote presentation, Ken Schmidt, former Harley-Davidson public relations director, described how the motorcycle manufacturer revived its image and improved its sales.

For more show coverage, go to www.vendingmarketwatch.com/video/