The AVS conference in Vilamoura has become something of an annual pilgrimage for many of vending’s most powerful movers and shakers. So, in advance of this year’s get-together, and hot on the heels of AVEX, Planet Vending Editor Ian Reynolds-Young caught up with AVS General Manager Louise Cummings for a chat and a coffee…
Louise Cummings is in the middle of a breathless couple of weeks which see her flit from Brum to the sun and back again. So just enough time for us to meet up and for me to ask the question ‘the AVS at the BP Fitness show… What was all that about?’
‘The board and I felt it was time we used our strength as a National player to get in front of the end user and raise awareness of the AVS Co-operative’, Louise said. ‘We chose the BP Fitness Trade show as it coincided nicely with AVEX and enabled us to show more to our potential customers than our 10 x 3 metre stand would allow. Another benefit of the two shows running together was that we wouldn’t be asking our suppliers to lay on specific transport, as many had kindly agreed to loan equipment for the event. If they were attending AVEX, it was just a short drive around to Hall 1.’
Hmm. It may have ticked the box logistics wise, but did it succeed in presenting vending to the kind of audience we need to influence going forward?’
‘Absolutely’, Louise said. ‘The AVS is now in its 38th year and we offer our members and suppliers numerous benefits – not least harnessing our considerable resources to take centre stage in trade shows so that we can generate interest and business. We saw the BP Fitness Trade show as an ideal opportunity to showcase vending and at the same time, highlight that we can offer much more. Many visitors to our stand were surprised and interested to learn that our members embrace full catering facilities, coffee shop outlets and on-screen advertising for machines and counter tops. On top of that, there are little gems like the Popcake Machine, an automatic pancake making device that drew the crowds to our stand. There’s more to the AVS than meets the eye’.
It wasn’t just about manning a stand at the show, either. Organisers Body Power Ltd also asked the AVA to provide vending machines to offer refreshments in the VIP area and the Networking Room. Sounds like a treble whammy?
‘It was a real opportunity for our members and in fact the whole industry’, Louise said, ‘and I’d like to thank everybody who supported us on the day, both with equipment, stock and personnel. Their efforts paid dividends, because the show itself was a roaring success. There were so many visitors to our stand that we had to rope in industry folk and AVS members who’d just come over for a quick look-see. Our Chair, Tim Newberry of Hallmark Vending Ltd, had every intention of spending most of Wednesday in AVEX, but he was stuck on our stand for the best part of the say, due to one enquiry after another flooding our way.’
As it turned out, AVEX closed several hours before the BP Fitness Trade show and many AVEX visitors took advantage of that to come over and see how the AVS had set its stall out on their behalf.
‘We came away with a healthy haul of leads, appointments and new contacts in the fitness nutrition industry’, Louise said, ‘none of which would have been aware of the AVS and what we offer had we not put ourselves out there in front of the end user. Next year, we’re planning to expand this trade show model into other sectors, once again providing even more benefits to Team AVS.’
And that was my lot. Louise – and the AVS were at full throttle, putting the finishing touches to the conference in Vilamoura next week (28th and 29th September), without getting into too much of a tizz. ‘This year, we have 170 delegates joining us for two days of business and networking’, she said. ‘So, if you don’t mind?’
Nope – I didn’t mind a bit.
