Future Vending NOW!, organised by Azkoyen with the collaboration of Intel, Telefónica On The Spot, Mormedi and Coges, aims to become a reference point for promoting innovation and profitability in the vending sector.
Vending sector operators have shown an increasing interest in incorporating new technologies such as Internet connection and digital displays to create new communication channels with customers, better segmenting their product offerings and developing new vending concepts. With a view to analysing how these new technologies can be used in vending operations, Azkoyen has organised the Future Vending NOW! event, with the aim of generating ideas and raising debate on the subject with professionals from major technology companies.
The event was attended by the managers of the main sector operators, both Spanish companies and multinationals established in Spain. The issues addressed focused on three key areas for increasing vending point productivity: point of sale design, digital displays to attract users and connectivity for better control of machine status. The participants also discussed other sector challenges such as formulas for profit margin improvement, operations management or the profitability of new locations.
The event got underway with an introduction to new business trends by Jorge Cordova, Intel’s Reseller Channel Director for Spain, Portugal & EMEA, with smart vending and digital signage as the main themes. With Frost & Sullivan Research forecasting a market of 2 million smart vending machines by 2016, Intel and Azkoyen presented the main advantages of this new machine segment for operators, spoke about the possibilities of return on investments through advertising and digital signage content and presented the Novara 2.0 project, on which the two companies are collaborating to develop smart vending solutions.
The second session, run by Marco Masip, Telefonica On The Spot’s Products and Services Manager, dealt with how digital signage systems work and the advertising market linked to these systems.
Azkoyen Vending’s Manager Alberto Sánchez then explained the keys to using retail sales and promotion strategies in vending. Jaime Moreno, Mormedi’s CEO, presented the project for developing the look of the new Azkoyen ranges Zen and Zensia and future vending design trends. Azkoyen’s Sales Manager Beñat Orquin then spoke about the new functions of these ranges and Azkoyen’s latest developments.
To round off the event, Luis Amo, the Area Manager of Coges, talked about new payment technologies and remote metering systems as applied to vending.