The initiative was first launched in September 2007 in Köln during EuVend, when a meeting was organised to explore the possibility of undertaking a European vending market survey. After several meetings, the EVA decided to team up with Datamonitor and cover the 20 countries where a vending association exists, including emerging markets, such as Turkey and Russia, as well as Ukraine, which is a burgeoning market that many EVA Members are highly interested in.

The EVA also decided that the exercise would combine a market survey with a consumer survey. The opinions of over 9,000 European consumers will be gathered, which will give Datamonitor the possibility of giving unique recommendations about opportunities and consumer expectations.

Other unique features will include: a comparative, country-by-country study, based on common definitions and a detailed questionnaire to be completed by 3000 market players. So, not only will the study give a European market outline, it will also give an in-depth analysis of each market and provide comparisons between them.

To achieve this will require time, energy, funds and of course close cooperation among all the EVA Members and, in particular, the national associations.

An annual update will be published by the EVA, thus allowing trends to be identified by the vending stakeholders. A biennial, more detailed update will be published for the market side, while the consumer survey will be updated every fourth year.

Explained Catherine Piana, EVA Director General: "I have been communicating with the members, discussing the project and asking for the assistance of Investors. A minimum of 20 Investors are sought to finance the project upfront. In return, some very unique and exclusive advantages will be available to them.

"This is a unique opportunity to support our industry and increase its knowledge about itself and about the consumer. The project has benefited so far from the support of major market players, as well as excellent leadership and negotiating skills from Jan Marck Vrijlandt, Group Development Director of Selecta and a member of the EVA Executive Committee.

"This project is one of the most exciting that the EVA has led - and I am a firm believer that the EVA members will do their best to support it. I am calling them during the summer to discuss the project and answer any questions that they may have. We will know by mid-September if we can move forward with it."

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