By Sara Donnelly
The AVA has announced the date and location for its AGM, conference and awards evening.
The day of events, which also includes a ballot for premium exhibition space at AVEX 2015, will take place on Thursday 26 June in Manchester at one of the city’s leading venues, the Palace Hotel.
The AVA, headed by CEO Jonathan Hilder and his team, has represented the UK vending industry for 80 years. It has 200 companies in its membership which accounts for 80 per cent of turnover in the UK vending market.
Delegates, influencers and stakeholders from across the vending, water, food and drink, retail, facilities management and HORECA industries are set to gather in Manchester in June to take part in proceedings.
The topic of discussion for this year’s AGM is “The Future of Cash & Payment Systems” and a debate will be headed by leading industry guest speakers Adam Lawrence, Chief Executive of the Royal Mint, David Hensley, head of cash services at the Payment Council, Paul Theobald, managing director of M.E.I UK International, Nick Mackie, senior product manager at Visa Europe and Steve Alton, managing director leisure from Vianet plc.
Discussions around advances in technology, the development of payment systems, the future of card payments for the industry and how to best utilise all of these changes to increase sales and profitability will be covered at the AGM.
The annual AGM and hotly contested AVEX 2015 ballot for space at next year’s biennial exhibition, set to celebrate 2000 years of vending at Manchester Central in the city centre, will be followed by the conference and, later on, a gala dinner and glittering awards ceremony.
The full schedule for the day is as follows:
10:00 – 11:00 AGM
11:30 – 12:30 AVEX 2015 Ballot
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch
13:30 – 17:30 Conference
19:00 – Drinks reception
19:30 – Dinner and awards ceremony
The AVA, in partnership with Vending International magazine, is looking to recognise and reward the hard work and outstanding performances of those working within the vending sector at the awards ceremony. To book a place for the awards and gala dinner please click here.
Jonathan Hilder, CEO at the AVA, says: “This is set to be one of our largest and most well attended events yet, serving as an exciting precursor to next year’s AVEX 2015 exhibition which sees us return to Manchester, the event’s traditional home.
“The AGM, conference and awards not only gives us the chance to debate important issues facing our industry at the moment, it also offers the opportunity to celebrate our most talented and innovative people. With more than 462,000 refreshment vending machines in the UK today, the vending industry is, as ever, an integral and essential part of our society.
“Don’t miss out on the opportunity to join us in Manchester on 26 June, on what is set to be an inspiring and engaging day.”
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