Gratitude Event At Tulane University Allows Consumers To Interact With Newest Machines And Technologies

The vending and refreshment services industry continues to experience a dramatic revival, thanks to innovative technology making the industry a more exciting and engaging experience. To show consumers some of the latest and most advanced vending machines and coffee brewers, products and technology, the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) is hosting a “Gratitude Event” on Tuesday, Nov. 13, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., on the campus of Tulane University in New Orleans, La. Hundreds of free snacks, cold and hot beverages will be given away.  

The Tulane Gratitude Event will be held the day before NAMA’s annual Coffee, Tea & Water (CTW) Show in New Orleans. 

Cutting-edge technology on display will provide consumers with a variety of interactive experiences that are new to vending and coffee service, such as the ability to:

• Spin a product 360 degrees on a 46-inch touch screen with a tap of a finger;
• In just minutes, enjoy a steaming cup of fresh coffee, espresso or hot caramel latte;
• Swipe a mobile device to quickly and easily pay for multiple purchases at one time; and
• View nutritional information right on the machine before making a purchase.

Gratitude Events are designed to say “thank you” to vending customers, especially Generation Y users (ages 18 to 29), who were shown in NAMA research to prefer vending over convenience stores and grocery/drug stores for snacks and cold beverages. 

The Gratitude Event is part of a NAMA initiative to capture consumer attention and educate the public about the vending and the refreshment services industry and all that it delivers today. These events are part of a broader NAMA “Industry Growth Strategy” that aims to create a “vendialogue,” an ongoing conversation between the vending industry and consumers.

Fourteen state-of-the-art vending machines and single-cup coffee brewers are being provided by Mondelez International^Ò Coinco^Ò, Royal Vendors^Òand InOne Technology^Ò, Coca-Cola^Ò, Canteen^Ò Vending, Crane^Ò Merchandising Systems^Ò, U-Select-It^Ò, Starbucks^Ò, Tassimo^Ò, MARS Drinks^Ò, Keurig^Ò, Cafection Enterprises^Ò, Newco Enterprises^Ò, and Vendors Exchange^Ò. Other vending industry leaders supporting the Gratitude Event include Refreshment Solutions^Ò, VendScreen^Ò and ARAMARK^Ò.