Returning to Birmingham was a popular choice as the first day saw visitor numbers up by 15%. One exhibitor commented: “This is our fourth AVEX and it’s the best! The quality of the business that will come out of the show is excellent. Even if we closed off at the end of the first day it would have been enough! AVEX has been our Midlands showroom for two days. Return on investment is excellent”. 

The Organisers congratulated exhibitors on the quality of the stands. They had used creativity and imagination rather than large budgets to achieve great looking stands. Shoulder massages for the weary, table games for the lively, prizes and competitions, including a simulated driving experience in a formula one car, all added to the lively atmosphere.

The industry continues to break new ground and that was evident at AVEX. By using the latest technology, efficiency has increased, traditional vending was challenged and at the same time environmental credentials were protected, with one manufacturer achieving a carbon neutral stand. There were machines with selection panels to rival the latest mobile phones, fascinating gesture recognition technology and remote monitoring moved to a whole new level.

Every element of the industry was represented and taking advantage of the unique potential that AVEX offered, the show attracted some new companies outside mainstream refreshment vending including electronic cigarettes, an innovative recycling company and even suppliers of herbal products. All this added to the visitor interest and excitement.

The EDWCA had partnered with the AVA to deliver the exhibition. EDWCA Chairman James Anderton said: "Avex is a unique opportunity for visitors to see the latest innovations, products, services and technology all under one roof."  The Association hosted a water seminar on Wednesday June 15th on the AVEX seminar stand within the exhibition hall. There was no charge for attendance and visitors were encouraged to come along and participate. The seminar programme added to the variety and on a couple of them, it was standing room only.

The exhibition was an overwhelming success and one exhibitor remarked that they were “hugely impressed by the excellent quality of footfall and outstanding administration.”

There were deals to be done and from the feedback given by exhibitors, AVEX has provided valuable opportunities and in true industry style, some money was raised for Macmillan along the way.

Among many of the activities on the AVA stand, visitors were offered FREE expert help and advice from the members of the AVA Technical Committee and the opportunity to purchase the most comprehensive analysis of the UK vending industry via the AVA Census.

Matt Lane, Nestlé Professional Category Lead for Vending was very impressed with the show, telling us: “This has been one of our busiest shows yet with impressive footfall figures on the stand and strong interest in our new approach to beverage vending and our Christmas confectionery promotion.  We used it as a platform to focus on the NESCAFÉ Plan and the way in which it directly impacts upon the communities growing our coffee and the benefits this brings operators and their customers.  Feedback on the launch of this and the new NESCAFÉ Gold Blend 9oz paper cups was positive and demonstrates the value these initiatives will bring. Creating shared value and ensuring everything we do delivers above and beyond for our customer.”

Exhibiting at the show for the first time, Innovative Technology brought its bank note validator range.  Well established within the vending industry the NV9 USB note validator was one of the key focuses on the stand. Ideal for vending applications, the NV9 USB is available in MDB, vertically mounted and contains a secure cashbox for 300 or 600 notes. 

Dayna Patterson, the company's marketing executive was keen to tell us just how well the product had been received: “Visitors to the stand were interested to see our latest product the NV11. An extension to the NV9 note validator, the NV11 combines the validator with a Note Float unit to allow note payout. The Note Float can store up to 30 notes of one denomination for use as change while all other notes are stored in the unit's secure cashbox.” 

Also on the stand was the new SMART Hopper. Capable of discriminating, validating and storing mixed denomination coins, the SMART Hopper is the new offering to combat coin starvation and keep machines operational. Described as ‘One of the true innovations at the AVEX Show’ the SMART Hopper is a multi-coin hopper that can utilise all of the coin values collected from pay-in. The SMART Hopper boasts payout speeds of up to 12 coins per second and has a coin capacity of 1500 coins.  

Stuart Darling, Managing Director of Brulines Group Investors was based on the Vianet stand, just one of the company's under the Group's umbrella. Vianet offers a "one stop shop" approach for all vending management needs; whether in operations, sales, category management, field services, national accounts or senior management. Sharing his thoughts on the industry, Stuart said: "We are competing with the retail space for the consumer's pound, if they value the experience, they will pay for it.” He added: “We have caught up with new and existing customers to showcase the technology. It's still the most effective show in the UK, but it needs to be less about the machines themselves; technology is just an enabler, it's what you do with the data and information that counts. The technology should be there to enhance both business performance and the consumer experience."

Kevin Bessant of Britvic greeted us on the stand and didn't even hesitate in saying: "It's been excellent! Everybody is here, you have got to be here really, haven't you?" Handing us a goody bag full of the nation's favorite drinks, Drench, Gatorade and 7Up to name just a few, the stand was a hub of activity throughout the two days.

TradeCoolersDirect.com, the trade division of the WaterCoolersDirect group, announced the launch of a new high capacity, mains fed water cooler range in the UK. “Early customer feedback indicates that people are interested in the ability to dispense both very hot water and chilled water from one machine, the fact that it is hot enough to make tea is also a huge advantage. I’m expecting the 9D to be popular as this dual beverage functionality isn’t widely available from other coolers on the market at this price point,” said Nigel Elwick, national sales manager. “Our technical manager Andy Burns, has put the coolers through rigorous testing and I am confident that they will exceed our customers’ high expectations, especially as they are so competitively priced.” 

Over at Cadbury, Kate Roberts said that as the show was taking place two weeks before Kraft and Cadbury go live as a legal entity, it represented an ideal "opportunity for us to re-assure our customers that it is and will be business as usual."

The Cadbury Hot Chocolate portfolio was exhibited to demonstrate to operators the best ways to maximise the range in outlet. Cadbury Instant Hot Chocolate, an add water product is available in 1kg packs for both dispense and vending. It is also the No.1 Hot Chocolate brand, with 43% market share. The overall Cadbury Hot Chocolate portfolio is worth a staggering £43m, with Cadbury Highlights currently worth £9.7m and Cadbury Drinking Chocolate worth £17m, and growing 7% year on year. 

Data on in-home consumption shows that hot chocolate is the most likely hot drink to be consumed with snacks (chocolate, biscuit, and crisps), which demonstrates that there is a huge opportunity for vending operators to drive cross category purchases. 

The data also shows that hot chocolate is more of a social occasion with 70% of occasions featuring more than one person. This means that hot chocolate is a perfect stock choice for vending operators, where hot chocolate can be enjoyed as an indulgence to accompany other snacks that are available. 

Susan Nash, Trade Communications Manager, commented: “Chocolate singles are always a popular choice with consumers as they can be consumed as an every day treat during such occasions. We would advise Out of Home and vending operators to focus on the top five chocolate single lines from Cadbury to make the most of this opportunity. The top five lines are Cadbury Twirl, Cadbury Wispa, Cadbury Shortcake Snack, Cadbury Boost and Cadbury Double Decker, all of which are being exhibited on stand at Avex.”

Twirl is the number one selling chocolate countline bar with a value of £30m and growth of +7%, and is therefore an extremely important brand to stock to help drive confectionery sales. The core Wispa single has also been a great success for Cadbury since its relaunch and it is now worth £26m. Vending Operators should try to double face Wispa and Twirl for maximum standout.

For customers drinking coffee away from home, a sustainably farmed product is more important than ever.  This trend is backed by recent statistics from Kraft Foods’ "Trends in Catering Survey”, which showed that 70 per cent of caterers think there is much more interest in ethically sourced food and drink  – a figure topped only by interest in locally sourced produce.  And with 76 per cent of caterers agreeing that the industry is responding positively to green issues, the interest in sustainability and the importance of serving sustainably farmed coffee is only likely to grow.

For consumers, Kenco is leading the way in sustainability.  Twice as many people surveyed describe the brand as ethical compared to any other brand of soluble coffee, thanks to Kenco’s ongoing commitment to sustainable farming and improving its environmental credentials.  This spans the whole production cycle and supply chain, from the farm to the vending machine. This focus on sustainability has seen Kenco’s retail value rise 4.3% per cent, according to public data, adding £5 million to its value over the last 12 months.

Susan Nash, Trade Communications Manager at Kraft Foods UK, said: “We recognise the impact that agriculture can have on the local environment, economy and people, and work closely with our supply base to make sure that effect is as positive as possible.  We have projects based in several countries as well as contributing to the Common Code of the Coffee Community project, which seeks to define sustainability in the coffee sector across the world.  

“Since 2003, we’ve also been working with the Rainforest Alliance, a leading independent non-profit organisation, which has helped to bring sustainable coffee into the mainstream.  This means that consumers can be assured that the coffee they are buying comes from farms where the environment is protected, and where workers and their families are treated with respect and have access to clean water, medical care and education for their children.”

100 per cent of the beans for Kenco freeze dried and Kenco roast and ground coffee (Kenco Westminster Medium Roast, Kenco Sustainable Development Medium Dark Roast and Kenco Italia Dark Roast) are now sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. Due to its long standing commitment to certification Kenco has been recognised with a  Rainforest Alliance Sustainability Standard-Setter Award.

A range of brand new biscuit products ideal for vending were also on show, with Kraft Foods celebrating snacking occasions with a major marketing campaign, ‘Anytime is Snack Time’. Biscuit category snacking occasions are on the increase, with single serve snacking formats growing at 12 per cent year on year. To help vending operators make the most of this trend, Kraft Foods has identified opportunities for operators to take advantage of consumers’ biscuit snacking occasions throughout the day.  For instance, Belvita Breakfast 50g packs can be enjoyed for breakfast with a latte and a piece of fruit; new striking Mini Ritz 40g packs are ideal to accompany lunch or as an afternoon snack; new eye-catching Mini Oreo 40g packs offer bite-size biscuits for on-the-go and  66g 6-pack Oreo packs are perfect for sharing as a tea time treat.  The high profile ‘Anytime is Snack Time’ campaign will also give operators access to a digital microsite featuring more information on how these brands can drive sales.

Susan Nash commented: “On the go and impulse snacking is a real opportunity for vending operators and we want to help them make the most of the trend with our existing biscuits range and particularly with our two exciting new launches in the category. 

“We believe this will help vending operators to get the full benefit of their biscuits range attracting customers at every stage of the day.” 

Steve Watson of Aqua Cure confirmed a lot of interest in the company's latest range of sanitising products, adding that whilst on the Thursday morning it was a little quieter, " that might have had something to do the industry party the night before!"

David Wills of NaughtyVend said: "The show has been good for us. We were apprehensive, our products are obviously very different to everything else here, but we just thought we would give it a go and it's been well worth it"

Celebrating its first full year in business, Jim Redford of water filter supplier ACO Direct commented: "We have had a very good response - out of all the shows, this has been the best so far."

It was great to catch up with Guy Jacques of Nupik Flo. Congratulating Guy on his particularly stylish stand, he explained the company's thinking behind it: "We made a significant investment in the stand to create consistency of image throughout Europe."  He too was confident that the show had been a success: "Certainly yesterday [Wednesday] morning was very busy. We had a lot of existing customers visit the stand and interest from potential customers. There will be a number of developments over the coming years, including a 12oz cup for juice vending. The show has been very worthwhile, as always, it offers great networking potential." 

Ian Keefee of Benders Paper Cup Company said: "It's given us the opportunity to demonstrate to vending operators the profit making potential of using paper cups as part of their vending offering." 

A representative from Coffeetek added: "The show is very successful. We have new products to show and have already taken several orders on the stand."

Vendman is a company that develops and manufactures integrated vending control systems and Director of Sales, Daniel Hamby, was happy to answer our questions on the show too. He said:  "When you talk about footfall, that's not so important. We understand who we want to deal with - it's about the concentration of quality."  Is it there? "Yes, in the main. Being here, speaking with our customers and seeing what other companies are also doing has the added bonus that it allows us to re-focus."

Associated Vending Services (AVS) comprises some 27 independently owned professional vending businesses, trading from 42 locations across the United Kingdom and Ireland, each providing vending services within their geographical location in the UK, while operating under the AVS national services umbrella. Over a glass of champagne and a sandwich, the company's Fiona Beniston told us: "It has been a real success. A great show."

Darren Bradford, of Allpure Filters was another happy exhibitor. He said: "We have seen a lot of good people coming through bringing with them new business."  Has the show provided the return on investment expected? "It's definitely worth it. It's a long term investment for us and we always support the show as a quality supplier."

SalySol is a manufacturer of small tins of single serve nuts and sweets for vending, samples of which were enjoyed by the team! We asked how visitors had responded to the product and Export Manager Jose M Romero was pleased to report a positive show:  "Yes it's been really good, very worthwhile. Next year we will be here - definitely. People are looking for more health products and that's what we provide."

Over at Rheavendors, we got a sneak preview of the Cino, a table top machine that comes with a higher power boiler and variable brewer. The machine will be available early next year and is sure to be a hit.

Simon Kershaw, Marketing Manager for Aimia had a quick chat with us in between meetings. He said: "The right people are here - there are more end users; customers bringing customers. The AVA does a fantastic job of communicating the show to trade and end users."

Stephen Reynolds of Tayto, a leading manufacturer of potato crisps and snack foods said: "It was superb yesterday, but a bit quiet today." The range is incredibly popular with the end user and business is, however, very good.

An exceptionally busy stand, MEI provides a wide range of vending solutions designed to help manage a business more efficiently, maximise sales and increase profits. From change givers and bill acceptors to vending management system software and cashless payment solutions, MEI’s products are both reliable and secure. "We have launched a range of new products here, "said the company's Richard Gibson. Recently MEI payment systems switched their function from being a device to manage change to playing a pivotal role at the centre of Vending operation management. New advanced audit solutions, for instance, reflect an appreciation of the changing market needs and harnessing the latest technologies that can help operators run their businesses more efficiently. MEI coin managers with enhanced audit functionality were developed from the premise that route collectors should be able to obtain all the information they need from one place inside the machine. In order to avoid mistakes this process should be the same on every machine they visit. MEI uses its latest DATA MERGE technology to pull together all available information from the machine into a single audit file, which can be accessed by the operator for the price of a USB stick. "This is THE solution for audit," he said pointing to the fast USB stick that enables operators to get all the information needed. "It ensures no manual errors and drives efficiency".

Over at N+W we were able to rest our weary feet for a moment or two on the company's new and improved stand. Dave Ward said: "It's been a good show, lots of interest," a statement confirmed by the number of people on the stand when we were there.

Barry Kither, Sales & Marketing Director, Lavazza, Away from Home said: "Yesterday was busier than today. The level of visits pro rata is very high - it's an opportunity to talk to vending operators and be effective. It's a small exhibition in a niche industry. It's good to see that vending is still a people industry, a social networking industry. It's well attended, but I have noticed that foreign visitors are a bit on the low side. Although it is tiny compared with some European exhibitions, from the UK point of view, vending is high on the agenda - I've had a positive feeling from those I have spoken to.”

Vending has to get away from the price driven end of the market. Lavazza represents an affordable luxury.

The big news for the company this year is that the Italian coffee firm is the official coffee sponsor of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships 2011. "This weekend Lavazza will be there training all staff in preparation," he said.

Tobias Roitsch, Marketing Manager for NRI said: "We are very pleased to finally announce the formal identification of Crane Payment Solutions as the parent company while NRI, CashCode, Telequip and Money Controls are transitioned into product brand names. Customer relations efforts remain focused on providing service & quality, providing technologically advanced solutions and supporting customer’s needs to help grow their business. Formally united as one team allows us to combine our expertise and extensive experience across the organization to design and deliver high performance products to our global customers.  Our goal to deliver exceptional customer satisfaction is met through supplying the broadest range of payment solutions products, better support for more local regions, and a larger engineering group to help develop innovative products that can accommodate cash transaction today, and in the future.  Crane Payment Solutions is truly a one-stop shop for all currency systems."  

Speaking after the show, NRI Vending Sales Manager, Mark Simmons, said: "I just don't know where the time went on the first day. We kept making eye contact with people we wanted to talk to, but couldn't. Since the show finished we have been busy following up all the leads!"

Debbie Robb, General Manager, Astrosystems Limited said: "On exhibiting at AVEX, we arrived with the expectation of seeing key customers and potential new clients to discuss our range of note and coin validation product.  We were specifically highlighting the benefits of the GBA ST1 note stacker which offers a reliable, secure and cost effective solution within vending and can be operational with MDB. Having exhibited at AVEX for the last 12 years, we were mildly disappointed that the exhibition had diminished in size and that some key players were absent.  Although we were happy to meet with a reasonable number of visitors to the stand, overall the show lacked the enthusiasm that we have experienced in the past."

Advanced water systems specialist, Vivreau introduced a brand new tap design to their portfolio of products. The Vi Tap is the next generation of the hugely successful V20, and has been designed and built to offer all the great benefits of filtered water, in a simple, easy to use and fit format. Stephen Charles, Managing Director of Vivreau is thrilled with the latest model in their portfolio: “The Vi tap not only looks fantastic, but boasts a perfect flow of water with zero splash.  It incorporates a power saving option to reduce electricity consumption and obviously because it filters and purifies at source, it reduces an outlet’s carbon footprint significantly, in comparison to brining in bottled water.”

The Vi Tap fits on the worktop with all the mechanics neatly installed in one of the base cupboard units. As a mains-fed system the Vi Tap completely eliminates any transportation and waste issues normally associated with bottled mineral waters, whilst the Vi Tap’s sleep mode reduces the energy consumption of the tap.

A fantastic show, Avex 2011 didn't disappoint. It will be interesting to see what developments take place following the show and how these will impact on Avex 2013. Watch this space!

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