High-Tech Vending & Coffee Service Innovations Continue To Fuel Industry's Revival

CHICAGO, Nov. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The vending and refreshment services industry continues to experience a dramatic revival, thanks to innovative technology making the industry a more exciting and engaging experience.  To show consumers the latest and most advanced vending machines and coffee brewers, NAMA, the association representing the $42 billion vending and refreshment services industry, is hosting a "Gratitude Event" on Tuesday, November 13, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., on the campus of Tulane University. Hundreds of free snacks, hot and cold beverages will be given away.  

Gratitude Events are designed to say "thank you" to vending customers, especially Generation Y users (ages 18-29), who were shown in NAMA research to prefer vending over convenience stores and grocery/drug stores for snacks and cold beverages. The Gratitude Event is part of a NAMA initiative to capture consumer attention and educate the public about the vending and the refreshment services industry and all that it delivers today.

The latest technology in single-cup specialty coffee brewers from Starbucks^®, Keurig^® and others, will be on display for consumers to interact with and use. In addition, vending machines from Coca-Cola^®, Red Bull^® and others will provide students and other consumers with a variety of interactive experiences.

Cutting-edge technology on display will provide consumers with a variety of interactive experiences that are new to vending and coffee service, such as the ability to:

• Spin a product 360 degrees on a 46-inch touch screen with a tap of a finger;
• In just minutes, enjoy a steaming cup of fresh coffee, espresso, or hot caramel latte; and
• Swipe a mobile device to quickly and easily pay for multiple purchases at one time.

Fourteen state-of-the-art vending machines and single-cup coffee brewers are being provided by Mondelēz International^® Coinco^®, Royal Vendors^® and InOne Technology^®, Coca-Cola^®, Canteen^® Vending, Crane^® Merchandising Systems^®, U-Select-It^®, Starbucks^®, Tassimo^®, MARS Drinks^®, Keurig^®, Cafection Enterprises^®, Newco Enterprises^®, and Vendors Exchange^®. Other industry leaders supporting the Gratitude Event include Refreshment Solutions^®, VendScreen^® and ARAMARK^®.

About The National Automatic Merchandising Association

NAMA, founded in 1936, is the national association representing the $42 billion vending, coffee service and foodservice management industries. For more information about NAMA, please visit www.vending.org.

SOURCE National Automatic Merchandising Association