Arizona Automatic Merchandising Council (AAMC) recently hosted their annual “Day at the Capitol” April 2 at the State Capitol in Phoenix, Ariz. Eric Dell, NAMA senior vice president of government affairs and Sandy Larson, NAMA senior director and counsel and Elaine Arena, AAMC lobbyist joined members in meetings with House Majority Whip Rick Gray, Representative Heather Carter, Senator Steve Farley and Senate Majority Leader John McCornish.
“Our goal is to continue to build relationships with elected officials and to educate them about the significance of vending and refreshment services. In particular, we work to ensure that legislators understand the value of our business to the state’s economy, with a focus on the number of jobs created by the industry,” said Tommy Elliott, president of AAMC in a prepared statement.
“The Capitol Vending Day was a huge success for the AAMC and the vending industry overall. The members were very well received by the legislators and their staffs; this was a great opportunity to meet with our lawmakers and share concerns that we as an industry face,” said Dell.
The event, coordinated by AAMC Lobbyist Elaine Arena and Pepsico’s Sue Saraceno, included a vending technology demonstration, showcasing vending machines featuring nutritional information as well as “better for you” products. Members provided sample snacks and beverages -- with products and vending machines provided courtesy of Ace Vending in Phoenix, Ariz. and AAMC supplier members -- to lawmakers. Legislators also learned about AAMC and NAMA’s Fit Pick program.
“While there is no active state legislation pending that impacts the vending industry, the Legislative Day was an excellent opportunity for AAMC members to promote our message with this group of state officials and to ensure our voice is heard on important issues moving forward,” said Arena.
