National Automatic Merchandising Association Names Three Speakers For Coffee Tea & Water Show, Oct. 18 To 20 In Las Vegas

Three speakers will be sharing their experiences at the National Automatic Merchandising Association’s (NAMA) CoffeeTea & Water Show, NAMA Director of Coffee, Water Service Roger Stewart, NCE5, and CCS, announced.

The event, which is the single largest coffee, tea and water service show for operators nationwide, will be held Tuesday through Thursday, Oct. 18 to 20, 2011 at Bally’s resort in Las Vegas. "This is an absolutely essential event if you are a coffee, tea or water service provider," said Stewart in a prepared statement. The following three speakers are guaranteed to deliver insights that will energize and inspire you to action:

• Ross Colbert, executive director and global strategists for beverages for Robobank. Colbert joined Robobank in January 2011, following a career in the beverage industry beginning with Coca-Cola Bottling of Miami, Beverage Canners International and Cadbury Schweppes. Most recently he was managing director of M&A Americas for Zenith International, one of the world’s leading consulting, market intelligence and financial advisory firms focused on the global food and beverage industry. At Robobank, Colbert is responsible for developing FAR’s research portfolio and its global view toward the beverage sector. The seven-member FAR Beverage team is part of Robobank’s global FAR group, which consists of about 70 analysts around the world.
• Steven Smith, founder of Tazo Tea and co-founder of Stash Tea. Smith has spent nearly 40 years in the tea business, and is recognized internationally as one of the industry’s leading tea entrepreneurs. A co-founder of Stash Tea Co. in 1972, he and two partners introduced herbal and specialty black teas to retail and food service accounts throughout North America. When Stash Tea Co. was acquired by a Japanese company in 1993, Smith left and founded Tazo Tea Co. in 1994, where he is credited with developing over 60 proprietary blends for Tazo in multiple beverage formats, many of which remain Tazo’s top-selling teas today. Starbucks Coffee Co. bought Tazo in 1999, and Smith and his team continued to lead until January 2006, when he retired from the tea industry. Bored with retirement, Smith with help from his former creative partners created a new company, Steven Smith Teamaker, which blends and packages full leaf teas. Smith Teamaker, in a little over one year, has re-defined the premium tea experience with blends and varietal teas that are manufactured on an almost "made to order basis."
• Jeb Blount, CEO of SalesGravy.com and Best-selling Author of “People Buy You.” Blount has over 20 years experience in sales and marketing, and has extensive experience turning around and righting troubled organizations. He has a passion and enthusiasm for helping people develop and the unique ability to see potential in everyone. During his career he has coached, trained, and developed hundreds of Sales Professionals, managers and leaders. Blount is an admired seminar leader and public speaker known for his ability to inspire his audiences to action. With his most popular keynote, "PowerPrinciples," he teaches business professionals to leverage their talents to reach their dreams by employing five critical strategies: define what you want and write it down, invest in yourself, a little bit every day, get a coach; and take action.

"We’re still in the early stages of our planning but are thrilled to have landed three fascinating guest speakers. The Coffee Tea & Water Show promises to be a powerful experience that delivers tangible tools, resources and insights to help this critical segment of our industry continue to grow. Visit www.namacoffeeservice.org frequently for all the details as they emerge," concluded Stewart.