The European Vending Association (EVA) organised a conference themed: “Vending 2020, a glimpse into the future of vending”, from 10 to 11 June, in Madrid. Feedback from participants, post-conference, confirmed that the subject matter presented by the guest speakers was extremely relevant and could be useful for the strategic planning of their respective companies in the coming years.
The conference started with an ice-breaking dinner at the renowned Real Madrid Stadium. The participants had a firsthand look at the stadium from the inside. Many snapshots were taken where the top soccer matches are staged! It was a fitting way to open the event, which was followed by a cocktail and dinner in the stadium.
The conference proper started with a welcome coffee at 8:00 the following day. This gave the sponsors of the event, Rheavendors, N&W and Datamonitor the opportunity to present their products to the attendees.
At 9:00, Mr van Amerongen, President of the EVA, officially welcomed the participants to the conference. Mr. Rossetti, from the European Commission in Brussels, presented the audience with demographic and societal facts and figures for the next 20 years. A series of “wild cards” (events that could take place) caught the attention of all participants.
Ms Jaffer, from the consulting company Datamonitor, explained in detail the main mega trends in behaviour and demographic complexity, namely: health, convenience, sensory, individualism, connectivity, comfort, age complexity, gender complexity, income complexity and finally, life-stage complexity. Ms Jaffer then presented what could be expected from the evolution of these trends, and also in terms of mindsets, the supply and demand imbalance, and finally, the trends post–recession.
Ms Piana, Director General of the EVA, acted as moderator, with much efficiency, in the lively discussions that ensued between the speakers and the audience.
Once the coffee break was over, the participants returned to the conference room for a presentation on society and policy trends in European food, environmental challenges and electronic payments. Ms Nafziger, Ms Amat and Mr Hoevekamp proposed a challenging environment for the vending industry and for the adaptation of future policies to the business people in the audience.
Finally, after the lunch break, a series of case studies of companies from the industry were presented. Mr Doglioni Majer from Rheavendors presented the company’s policy in terms of the environment and Mr Spielhofen, from the British operator, Seymour Valentine, shared the company’s experience in proposing balanced food options in their machines with the audience. Moreover, Ms Haran, from the consulting company Verdict, shed light on the current challenges faced by the retail industry, such as: fragmentation, proliferation of the product and intense competition.
To sum up all the presentations, the EVA did not miss the opportunity to invite Mr. Tustain, from the British Operator AVS, who summarized what an operator would be in 2020 most succinctly. The European Vending Association is very pleased to have organised the conference and to have given participants an overview of what’s coming next for the vending industry.
The EVA expects to have the same success in their next event on 8 and 9 December, in Brussels. Save the date!
