Vending Market Watch News

» NAMA Will Move to One Show in 2010, Creating a Big 3-Day Event

The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) board of directors voted to combine the national and spring expos to create a fresh, 3-day springtime event that will deliver benefits for exhibitors and attendees alike, NAMA President and CEO Richard M. Geerdes, NCE, announced. Every aspect is being re-created to ensure attendees enjoy a completely innovative learning and networking experience.

In making the announcement, Geerdes said in a prepared statement, “This year the board of directors of NAMA decided that the time was right to refresh our event to a more powerful ‘must attend’ marketplace — one where everyone in our industry will converge at one time and place, allowing them to do everything at once. This combined show will become the place to go for all new solutions, ideas, education, products/services and connections to ensure that those attending will leave with a distinct competitive advantage.”

Advantages to creating one show include:

• A single springtime event means companies can better focus marketing efforts and launch new products more effectively;
• Exhibitors and attendees will enjoy cost savings;
• All of the industry’s decision makers will be under one roof at one time;
• One event is friendly to the environment with the elimination of an entire event carbon footprint.

The new and expanded show will premier April 28 to 30, 2010 in Chicago at McCormick Place North — which is a new environment — and will be followed in 2011 with the event scheduled for April 27 to 29. Future show locations will likely rotate between Las Vegas and Chicago.

As part of the decision, NAMA will build on the success of its Coffee Summit, launching an even stronger, harder-hitting, 2-day educational seminar event solely for the coffee community.

» NAMA Seeks People of the Year Nominations

Nominations are being accepted for the 2008 NAMA vending, coffee service and foodservice industry awards.
Nominations are welcome in one or all categories:

Golden Coin Operator of the Year — An individual and company who has exhibited the highest level of integrity, dedication and leadership in the vending industry.

Coffee Service Allied Member of the Year — An individual and company who best exemplifies support of the OCS industry through dedication, customer service and leadership.

Silver Coffee Service Operator of the Year — The operator who exhibits the highest level of integrity, dedication and leadership in the OCS industry.

Vending Allied Member of the Year Award — The individual and company that best exemplifies support of the vending industry through their dedication, customer service, and leadership.

Industry Person of the Year — An individual who has consistently exemplified the highest standards of professional excellence throughout his or her career in vending, OCS or foodservice management and who has been an inspiration to others.

The selection committee will consider e-mail nominations only. They must be received by Aug. 29. For information, visit www.vending.org.

» FDA Warns Consumers Against Raw Jalapenos in Salmonella Outbreak

Officials investigating a salmonella outbreak have isolated the bacteria in a jalapeño pepper from a small distribution facility in McAllen, Texas, and warned consumers nationwide to avoid eating raw jalapeños or products that contain them until more is known, according to news reports.

The Food and Drug Administration ended its warning against eating certain kinds of raw tomatoes, even though it had yet to pinpoint the source of the nation’s largest food-borne outbreak of illness in the last decade.

The National Restaurant Association claims the outbreak has cost the food industry at least $100 million.

A growers association called for Congress to investigate the Food and Drug Administration.

» Pierre Foods Files for Bankruptcy Protection