Pictured: Johnny Broderick with the Benders’ team at the launch of a new cup recently
By Johnny Broderick, MD, The Broderick Group
The fun has begun! Vending has adopted social media channels in the quest for your vote and websites, email banners; LinkedIn, Mail-chimp, Facebook and Twitter are all being utilised like never before and now it’s started, it won’t stop: the way we get our messages ‘out there’ has changed forever and that’s great news: it means that Vending itself is already the biggest winner at The Vendies 2015.
Johnny happily claims that ‘vending is already the biggest winner’ at The Vendies 2015
As well as asking for your vote today I’d like to acknowledge that, in just two years since their inauguration, these awards have become the ones we all want to win and that’s something the AVA, Vending International and all of us in the industry can and should be proud of.
I was honoured to be made a member of the judging panel for this year’s awards and I just want to comment briefly on the quality of all the applicants, including those that didn’t make the short list. Some of concepts we were presented were, we felt, too early in their development to be considered ‘proven’. In fact, some of them were still at the prototype stage. Having said that, I can honestly say that the innovations we’ll see come to maturity in the next couple of years are going to be mind blowing Some of them will have a huge impact on the industry and I’m sure that one or two will take their place on the winners’ podium in years to come.
The individual awards, with their glowing testimonies from industry leaders about employees delivering exemplary, were as delightful to consider as they were difficult to judge. One entrant was an engineer who’s served the same company for 40 years. That means he started work before Ryan Giggs was born and was still at the same firm when the Man U legend retired from playing. No wonder it took the judging panel six days to whittle down the short lists…
The standard of entrants was overwhelming; the quality of the companies and individuals putting themselves (and others) forward was outstanding. One presentation arrived on digital tablets, such was the level of presentational skill and creative vision on show.
Also, it was great to see some of the worlds biggest brands throwing their hats into the ring: take a bow Nestle, DE, Starbucks, PepsiCo et al and ‘hello’ to new-boy Levi Roots!
The Award for ‘Best Machine Innovation’, Sponsored by The Broderick Group, had 19 submissions, which is proof indeed that the manufacturers are giving us the tools we need to take vending to another level
And good to see that the industry’s big gun, Selecta, has embraced the awards with submissions in several categories.
Finally, I must say that I think the introduction of turnover based categories for the operator awards has worked: it’s encouraged more applications than ever to get involved, because companies of a similar size and with similar financial clout can compete with each other on a level playing field.
Vending, too often the whipping boy in the media and onscreen, can be rightly proud. We are embracing innovation and technology, we’re introducing new products and the brands are investing in us. New concepts and new technologies are making vending a great place to launch a product.
Now all we need is some positive media coverage… I wonder if we could persuade Jamie Oliver to present the award for ‘Best Healthy & Well Being Product’ If you’ve got his number, I could give him a bell?!
Don’t forget everybody: Vote Brod!