The Arkansas Vending Council (AVC) hosted its annual convention and legislative day as a combined event for the first time at the Wyndham Hotel in Little Rock, Ark. on February 20 to 21. The activities included a board meeting, a legislative update presentation by National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) Regional Legislative Director Sheree Edwards, and a roundtable discussion regarding industry issues in the state of Arkansas followed by a group dinner.
The next day, attendees visited the state capitol building where they dropped off product samples to Senate and House member offices and staff. Later, the legislative luncheon, hosted by AVC state lobbyists Bruce Hawkins and Camie Boggess, featured specially invited senators and representatives including Sen. Linda Chesterfield (N. Little Rock); Rep. Stephanie Malone (Ft. Smith); Rep. Mary Lou Slinkard (Gravett); Rep. Robert Dale (Dover); Rep. Dan Douglas (Bentonville) and Rep. Mark Perry (Jacksonville).
“AVC is taking a new approach to attracting people to our state association by combining our annual convention and legislative day into one event. In doing so, we believe it serves the dual-purpose of showcasing our industry while providing a valuable opportunity to educate elected officials on our efforts,” said AVC President Bill Tervin, in a prepared statement.
“AVC represents a broad range of members, from operators to manufacturers and we want to demonstrate that we’re a valuable resource on issues that impact their business. At the same time, we want to communicate the value of vending to local economies throughout the state. We are excited about AVC’s activities going forward,” he continued.
