NAMA is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s Innovation Awards, an accolade recognizing cutting-edge suppliers and products in the vending and refreshment services industry. The six winners will be honored at the NAMA OneShow April 24 to 26 in Las Vegas and all attendees are invited to congratulate and network with them on the show floor.
"Our panel of distinguished judges was tasked with the difficult challenge of narrowing down a field of applications featuring numerous services and products that are revolutionary in the vending industry," said Paul Schlossberg, DFW Consulting president, in a prepared statement. "We are proud to celebrate the milestone achievements of these visionaries."
First, three expert judges narrowed down a field of 45 entries before delivering the short-listed applicants to an invited panel of five operator judges. These judges scored each entry to arrive at the winners. The 2013 Innovation Awards recipients in the services category are:
ShelfX Vending Fridge Vending Machines/Micro Markets/Kiosks
UpShot Solution by LBP Coffee/OCS/Water/Foodservice Equipment
Cantaloupe Systems Seed Mobile Payment Systems & Devices/Operating Systems/Accounting & Control Systems
In the increasingly popular products category, NAMA is happy to recognize:
ROAR System by Royal Cup Beverages
General Mills Betty Crocker Caramel Brownie Snacks
AdvancePierre Drive Thru Deluxe Sandwiches Food
NAMA wishes to thank the panel of highly respected industry leaders for their time and effort in selecting this year’s award winners. The panel comprised:
- Paul Schlossberg, president, DFW Consulting and 30-year industry veteran
- Jerry McVety, founder, McVety & Associates, and honorary professor at MSU
- Mike Tompkins, specialty coffee expert and consultant
Operator judges included:
- Tyler Avery of Brown Vending, Brandon, Miss.
- Robert Donahue of Diverse Food Systems Sacramento, Calif.
- Bob Holmes of Refreshments, Inc., Corinth, Miss.
- Scott Meskin of Black Tie Services, Baltimore, Md.
- Jerry Scott of Canteen of Coastal California, Camarillo, Calif.
NAMA will recognize the award recipients, as well as share cutting-edge products and advancements, during the OneShow April 24 to 26 at the Venetian-Sands Resort and Conference Center. All winners will be identified on the show floor with an iSpot sign and attendees are invited to learn more about their novel approaches to challenges in our field.
