(CHICAGO) December 4, 2014 - NAMA SVP of Government Affairs, Eric Dell, and Government Affairs Committee member and National Association of Blind Merchants President, Nicholas Gacos, attended the recent Business Leadership and Superior Training (BLAST) Conference in Austin, Texas in November.
“I was impressed by the more than 500 attendees at BLAST and their strong entrepreneurial spirit,” Dell said. “It was wonderful to see so many friends who have participated in our advocacy efforts at every level of government and I look forward to our continued work together.”
Dell, a presenter, spoke on the importance of the partnership between NAMA and the National Association of Blind Merchants, and discussed areas where blind vending merchants can make a difference through advocacy, including participation in federal and state advocacy days, NAMA state councils and nutrition efforts such as FitPick.
“I appreciate the strong partnership that the National Association of Blind Merchants has with NAMA. It is truly a beneficial relationship for the entire industry,” said Kevan Worley, Executive Director of The National Association of Blind Merchants, a division of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB).
“NAMA’s presence at BLAST is valued greatly,” Gacos said. “It is vital that we work together on advocacy efforts that impact our industry.”
BLAST, a national training conference for merchant vendors, program staff, corporate partners and all blind and visually impaired people in entrepreneurial ventures, launched in 2002 in Las Vegas.
The mission of the conference is to take training for blind entrepreneurs and state agency personnel to the next level. BLAST features increased networking opportunities, concentrated upward mobility training for all blind vendors, premier consumer-driven training, high-value education and networking roundtables.
Founded in 1936, NAMA is the association representing the $42 billion U.S. vending and refreshment service industry. With more than 1800 member companies – including many of the world’s most recognized brands – NAMA provides advocacy, education and research for its membership. Visit NAMA on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
