An N&W Sfera snack vending machine which takes Visa payWave contactless debit/credit cards plus also all contact chip cards (no pin) has been installed at the Visa Europe HQ by TouchGo Technology.

TradeCoolersDirect.com (TCD), a division of the successful UK based cooler company, Water Coolers Direct (WCD), has recently expanded its team with the appointment of Nigel Elwick and Andy Burns, in sales and technical roles respectively.

REAL, the popular hand cooked crisps and chips brand is adding a new product to its range - Real D’Lites. Aimed at the health conscious consumer, D’Lites, the tasty snacks made from the root vegetable Cassava and contains less fat than regular crisps and is also only 83 calories per pack.

Jonathan brings to the AVA an impressive, 20 or so years of commercial experience, a significant proportion of which is in the finance, leasing and vending markets. His first role in the vending industry came as a specialist with Anglo Leasing and subsequently with Schroder Leasing and Siemens Financial Services, where he managed sales teams that were responsible for funding in excess of £200m of machines into the vending sector over a number of years. More recently as consultant to a number of vending companies, he has specialised in working with small to medium sized businesses and large food brands, advising and mentoring, while introducing new technology into the vending market.

The FAIRTRADE Mark ensures that the producers of goods have received what has been agreed to be a fair price, as well as the social premiums to invest in the future of their communities. Talking of coffee farming, the Foundation explains: “Around 70% of the world’s coffee farmers are small scale growers and they face particular disadvantages in the marketplace. Fairtrade’s mission is to make trade work for marginalised or disadvantaged producers, and therefore is a global agreement that the system should offer champion purchase of sustainable coffee from organisations of small coffee farmers explicitly.” The Foundation believes that in its 13 years of existence in the UK, Fairtrade has proven to be an extremely successful model of how people centred trade can effectively reduce poverty and improve livelihoods.

The Save a Cup scheme was established by the vending, food service and plastics industries to collect the millions of hard wall polystyrene cups used in the UK every week. The scheme is run by the Save a Cup Recycling Company, the objective of which is to increase the number of cups collected in line with Government targets for recycling packaging waste.

Pronounced ‘hoff-e-mar’, the Jofemar name is largely unknown in the UK. In Spain, however, it is quite a different matter. Based in the north west of the country at Peralta, it is one of Spain’s largest manufacturers of vending machines and payment systems. Established in 1971, this privately owned business has grown from modest beginnings to today’s multinational business with five offices in Spain, three abroad and product sales in 51 countries around the globe. The ultra modern, technologically advanced factory in Peralta covers a massive 37,500 m2 and the group turns over €50 million annually.

Hotelympia runs from 28th February–4th March 2010 at ExCeL London and is organised by leading food and hospitality exhibition organisers, Fresh RM. Visitors to the show can expect to discover new ideas and solutions, access vital business information and interact with live features and world culinary competitions.