With all eyes focused on AVEX featuring the Cooler Show, this month’s informative main issue is accompanied by our indispensable AVEX Showguide which includes complete A-Z listings of all the exhibitors as well as special features on the ‘not to be missed’ products, services and attractions at the Earl’s Court exhibition.

The Census 2006, now available from the Automatic Vending Association (AVA), gives visitors to AVEX 2007 featuring the Cooler Show (Earls Court 2, London, 24-26 April 2007) a distinct view of the vending market. The Census has provided the UK industry with vital data for over a decade and its timely publication ahead of AVEX will be a blessing for visitors and exhibitors alike. The timeframe from collection to publication has been improved to deliver more meaningful statistics with further improvements planned for Census 2007.

The full variety of vended products and services will be on show at AVEX 2007 featuring the Cooler Show being held in London’s Earls Court 2 on 24-26 April.

Wilkes Vending Services Limited has recently relocated to prestigious new premises in Wakefield - close to Junction 40 of the M1 - as part of their drive for continued expansion and prominence in the region.

Walkers and its parent company PepsiCo have been working with the Carbon Trust on energy efficiency and Carbon Management since 2001 identifying opportunities to save more than 2000 tonnes of CO2 per annum and reduce their energy bills by approximately £225,0000.

Innocent Drinks is working with the Carbon Trust and The Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management to work out the ‘carbon footprint’ for their entire business system. This has included gaining an understanding of the CO2e emissions involved in each step of making their drinks, and enables them to identify where they can make the biggest steps in reducing their emissions.

UK food and drink industry signs up to manifesto calling for wider enforcement and clearer rules on EU Emissions Trading Scheme after 2012.

Britvic’s CEO says company is planning significant marketing push in 2007 for its ‘healthy’ drinks.

While you might think of coffee as the trendsetting beverage, tea is actually growing faster. Recently, tea is hipper than ever and is showing up in places you wouldn’t imagine. In the trendiest big city nightlife spots, tea is making its way into the most innovative of libations. The tea trend is now reaching the work place and people want the opportunity to drink high quality instant tea beverages any time of the day.

Lands End now has the latest high quality catering machine from N&W Global Vending. The Korinto has taken pride of place at the furthest west Post Office in mainland England.

Sennens Post Office and Stores, in Penzance, is less than a mile from the well-known landmark of Lands End. Famous for being the last place in England to buy a lottery ticket, the Post Office’s customers can now enjoy a coffee while posting their mail.

On Wednesday 14 March 2007 a lunchtime BBC London radio show held discussion on the many different and unusual types of vending offering. Jan Podsiadly, AVA Communications Manager, was also on air adding to the lively conversation.

Cadbury Schweppes has brought its Trident brand to the UK chewing gum market for the first time with Trident Soft and Trident Splash. Trident, the world’s fastest-selling gum brand offers UK consumers a greater choice of chewing gum formats and flavours in a market that has seen minimal innovation in the last few years.

With fairly traded brands reporting record sales and an increasing range of goods gaining Fairtrade certification or being produced under the umbrella of other sustainable and ethical initiatives, VI looks at a selection of those available to the vending industry.

Taste and odour - the main causes

Chlorine is used by the local water authority for residual disinfection and to ensure water reaches your tap in the same state at which it leaves the treatment plant. It is one of the commonest complaints of taste and odour problems where an off-taste can affect coffee, tea and other beverages.

Those of you thinking about introducing vending into your company, premises, shop or centre will be visiting AVEX this year to get a full insight into what is available, by way of beverages, hot food, confectionery or, as we term it, alternative vending - from hair straighteners, to toys and umbrellas!

The AWS Electronics Group, who have been assembling vending machines since 1980, recently announced its growth into a £30M group with three leading-edge operations in the UK and a factory in Slovakia.

A dynamic and very different new vending machine called “The Shape” has been launched by Locwil, manufacturers of coin operated vending products. The new machine has a highly unusual and striking design, and has already been dubbed as “the future of coin operated vending” by those who have seen it. It is set to cause quite a stir in a very traditional market.

Looking to offer a premium vending service?

With more and more consumers wanting hot beverages on-the-go, it is vital that the vending industry keeps up-to-date with the latest trends on the high street. To help do this, and to allow consumers to benefit from the same premium quality, Huhtamaki has an impressive range of stylish papervending cups to choose from.

Avisit to MEI’s smart new premises in Suttons Park gives a clear demonstration of how the Company has moved on since AVEX 2005. The change of offices is the third in a series of major changes over the last couple of years following on from the adoption of SAP and the break away from the Mars Corporation.

The last few years has seen substantial growth in the table-top vending machine market. At the same time the demand for beverages that taste- and quality-wise match the products we buy in high street coffee shops has risen sharply.

You are coming to AVEX to look at machines; you know what you have in mind and how you are going to pay for this but what after the deed?

If you are buying new you will receive a warranty but for how long and what will you be covered for? You have spent time deciding what will suit your needs and you know where you will be installing it and also should now have a idea on who will be your operator but what are you going to do about servicing?