Vengo Labs appoints AMI Entertainment chief Michael Maas chairman of the board

New York City-based Vengo Labs announced the appointment of Michael Maas as its chairman of the board.

Maas, a former Microsoft executive, is president and chief executive of internet jukebox company AMI Entertainment Network. Under his leadership, AMI has connected more than 30,000 jukeboxes in public locations. Maas also served on the Digital Place-based Advertising Association's board of directors for eight years.

“Mike is a great addition to the Vengo board. He’s an accomplished executive who knows how to scale businesses like Vengo, which combines the physical and digital,” said Vengo chief executive Brian Shimmerlik.

Vengo, which describes its vending system as a placed-based marketing tech platform, has so far placed 1,450 units in locations ranging from college campuses and fitness centers to hotels and train stations.

Over the past year, Vengo launched PPE vending machines offering masks and other personal protective gear in New York MTA locations. It kicked off a partnership with the National Entertainment Network, a nationwide operator of coin-operated devices, to bring its machines with ad screens and contactless vend capabilities to grocery stores. 

“I’m thrilled to join the Vengo board as its chairman,” Maas said. “The pandemic has been a challenging time for place-based businesses, and Vengo has not only survived, but has been innovative and launched exciting new features like touchless interaction. As markets re-open, we expect to see expanded interest in digital out-of-home (DOOH) media and unattended retail, creating a big opportunity for the network.”