(CHICAGO) January 22, 2016 – NAMA staff met with a panel of operators in Atlanta, Georgia recently to discuss operator needs and feedback regarding NAMA’s educational offerings.
“Our goal for this meeting was to learn what tools and resources these operators were already taking advantage of from NAMA, what they knew about current offerings, and ultimately, where we can grow NAMA education to better meet their needs,” said Meredith Ellison, NAMA Vice President of Education.
The meeting was hosted by LightSpeed CEO Randy Smith at his company headquarters in Suwanee, GA. Attendees included other NAMA operators from Georgia, as well as operators from Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana and Michigan.
Focusing on key operator needs and challenges, the discussion covered issues including best practices for all aspects of business, improving customer service and non-traditional concepts that would help with business growth. Operators cited hiring and retaining staff, keeping up with technology and business diversification as challenges, and said they would like to see more education offerings focused on those topics.
Following the meeting, participants took a tour of Southern Refreshment Solutions, with President Jeff Parks and Chris Hart, Director of Micro Markets.
“The feedback and ideas gathered at this meeting are invaluable and will be incorporated into 2016 education programming and beyond,” Ellison continued. “The discussions elicited insights into what’s working well for these operators, including how to better engage with customers and train employees, and we hope to infuse more best practices like these into our education curriculum.”
“This meeting was a tremendous example of operator commitment to advancing industry education needs and information sharing, and we are thankful for their support of NAMA and its education mission,” she concluded.
Founded in 1936, NAMA is the association representing the $25 billion U.S. vending and refreshment service industry. With more than 1250 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.
