188 exhibitors from 22 countries presented their products, trends and innovations at Eu’Vend and coffeena, which took place from April 27 to 29 in Cologne, Germany. Here VI reviews the exhibition.
Eu’Vend and coffeena is described by the organisers as the most important industry meeting point of the vending and coffee industry. The trade fair provided the opportunity for both market leaders and start-up businesses to meet with top decision makers from the industry.
Around 4,600 trade visitors from 66 countries attended the three-day trade fair. Big customers like Aramark, BASF, Coca-Cola, Dr. Oetker, Ferrero and Nestle were present at the event, as well as numerous medium-sized companies from the vending industry, the out-of-home market as well as diverse European student unions.
One manufacturer of refill products said during the fair: “This is our first time at Eu’Vend and coffeena and we are pleasantly surprised by the quality of the trade visitors. For example we had one buyer from a big, German group at our stand who was looking for healthy snack alternatives. This could prove to bring us unexpected and lucrative business.”
Setting important impulses
Katharina C. Hamma, chief operating officer of organiser Koelnmesse, said: “Eu’Vend and coffeena has once again confirmed its position as the leading trade fair and trendsetter.
“The event covers the relevant themes and future trends and thus sets important impulses for the further development of the industry.”
Karl-Heinz Blum, board spokesman of the German Vending Association, the industry sponsor of Eu’Vend and coffeena, added: “We are very satisfied with this year’s Eu’Vend and coffeena. We saw many new innovative concepts. The industry has one again proved its high standard of quality and service. In particular the Office Coffee Service section proves that the industry has recognised market potential and is offering promising concepts.”
Office Coffee Service was a major trend at this year’s show. Numerous exhibitors presented solutions and examples for providing employees and customers with food and beverages to meet the needs of the modern working world.
Payment options also played a major role at the show. Contactless chip cards, contactless credit cards and smart phone payment systems now work in vending machines in a technically flawless manner. For example, the implementation of payment apps and NFC technologies is also possible without any hitches. The future of vending is mobile and networked and this was evident at the trade fair.
In general, the vending market has shown a thoroughly positive development over the past years. In order to do justice to the different consumer trends, the industry constantly offers new solutions, which could be seen on many stands during the trade fair. Innovative technologies, energy-efficient machines, representative glass front doors, lift systems and robot arms ensure an attractive presentation of the goods and a customer-friendly experience.
The wide range of exhibits at Eu’Vend and coffeena was rounded off by an extensive supporting programme. The Vending Star Area presented a series of awards to the vending industry and prizes were awarded during the Vending Evening, which was the social highlight of the trade fair.
The winners were as follows:
- Auxiliary devices used to operate vending machines – Jakob Gerhard for its product Gerhardt MMX.
- Innovative vending product – Kuchenmeister with its Mini Sacher cake 50g.
- Concept – Nayax with its product development VPOS Touch.
- Technical appliances – servomat steigler Vertriebs & Beratungs for its appliance series LaRhea Cool Aqua Plus.
The next Eu’Vend and coffeena is scheduled to take place in Cologne from May 9 to 11, 2019.
