For the first time since 2006, the biggest vending event of the year will come to the Las Vegas Convention Center. The NAMA OneShow has always been the place for operators to assess business needs, learn industry trends and catch up with old friends. In fact, in a 2014 NAMA OneShow attendee survey, 90 percent of operators and other attendees said that attending the NAMA OneShow was valuable for business. This year is no different. This year’s NAMA OneShow, which kicks off from April 22 to 24, will focus even more around the peer-to-peer experience.
During this three day event, attendees will have the opportunity to have their most pressing questions answered during the nearly twenty educational sessions offered. Operators will even have the opportunity to have those questions answered by their friends and colleagues. As LyNae Schleyer, vice president of events at NAMA notes, most educational sessions are led by peers and specialists within the industry. “We’ve always found that that has been of great value for attendees, to hear from experts in the field,” she said.
The twenty educational sessions will be split into three types. The 90-minute Power Sessions will focus on future trends and innovations. “These sessions will look towards ‘what’s next’ in the industry,” said Schleyer. “They will help attendees begin future forward conversations.” One must-see Power Session includes a presentation entitled, Applying C-Store Merchandising, Research and Trends to Your Micro Market Business led by Ludi Marche, associate director of Consumer Insights and Strategy for Food Service at Kraft. Marche will show attendees how to learn from c-store trends and how to use this information to capture the market of the on-the-go consumer.
The Power Sessions will be followed by 60-minute Strategy Sessions that will pinpoint specific strategies attendees can take back to their business and begin implementing right away. Dr. Claudine Kavanaugh, an interdisciplinary scientist in the Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, will cover vending machine calorie labeling disclosure rules and provide guidance on what the new rules entail.
Finally, the 60-minute Critical Conversation educational session discussions will surround current issues attendees are facing. One Critical Conversation session consists of a small operator roundtable discussion. Vend operators managing no more than 4 routes and fewer than 10 employees are encouraged to attend and discuss the unique challenges and advantages of running a small business. Attendees of this session will hear from industry peers on topics such as technology, micro markets, expansion and pre-kitting and best practices as they determine how to grow their business.
“There is so much value for an attendee coming to the one show. Not only are you exposed to all of these industry, but there is a lot of leadership at the OneShow, and value in the educational package, supplier events and networking,” remarked Schleyer.
See the Schedule of Events on page (XX) to view the dates and times of each session.
Schedule of Events
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
8:30 am - 10:00 am
- Applying C-Store Merchandising, Research and Trends to Your Micro Market Business
- What's Trending in Vending, Refreshment Services & Micro Markets
- Living the Dream: How to Find your "Why"
10:15 am - 11:15 am
- Across the Pond: An International Perspective on Consumer Engagement in a Micro Market
- Vending Machine Calorie Labeling Disclosure Rules: Presenting the Rules, Answering Questions and Providing Guidance
- Specialty Beverages
- Get LinkedIn or Locked Out
- Putting Intelligence in Intelligent Technology
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
- Micro Market Regulatory Update
- Creating Consumer Demand for "Better for You" Products
- The Importance of Water Quality: Profiting from Water
- Small Operator Round Table Discussion
- Marketing Your Micro Market
1:15 pm - 3:00 pm
Opening General Session featuring the NAMA Industry Awards, CEO & Chair Remarks, and Headliner Jay Leno
3:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Show Floor Open
Thursday, April 23, 2015
8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Registration Open
9:30 am - 11:00 am
NAMA Annual Meeting and Keynote by Julie Seitz: Changing for Growth- Understanding Workplace Trends
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Show Floor Open
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
OneShow Network Reception
Friday, April 24, 2015
8:00 am - 12:30 pm
Registration Open
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Show Floor Open
Exhibitors and products
More than 250 companies will exhibit this year at NAMA. The more companies that exhibit, the more products there are to learn about. Of the 250 companies, more than 40 will be first time exhibitors. More than 30 of the 250 exhibitors are international. “There is so much to gain by simply being on the show floor and speaking directly with suppliers and manufacturers,” said Schleyer. First time exhibitors include Bevyz, Inc., drink machine; Eazy Coin Corp., a smartphone payment system; and Delivery Concepts, Inc., maker of temperature controlled vehicles.
Industry crossover
This year the OneShow will be held synonymously with the Water Quality Association’s WQA Aquatech USA and The Car Wash Show 2015. On the Thursday, April 23, operators can participate in a badge share day and purchase a one-day pass to the other shows with presentation of original show badge for only $25.
Wrap It Up
There are more than 40 hours for possible networking and much of that is done on the show floor. One new event put on by NAMA this year that occurs on the showfloor will be The Friday Wrap. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, April 24, exhibitors will be hosting drawings, raffles and giving away prizes to celebrate an end to the show and to add more engaging experience for the attendee.
Oldies But Goodies
Operators can look forward to once again experiencing the OneShow with a visit to the learning lab, the center for community and the product showcase. Once again, its signature mobile app will be available for download in late March and will help operators navigate the show floor education sessions.

Adrienne Klein | Contributing Editor
Adrienne Zimmer Klein is a freelance writer with a background in the vending, micro market and office coffee service industry. She worked as an associate editor and managing editor at Automatic Merchandiser and VendingMarketWatch.com from 2013 until 2017. She is a regular contributing writer at Automatic Merchandiser.