Avex 2009
AVEX 2009, the International Vending and Water exhibition takes place in Hall 1 at the NEC Birmingham on 10 and 11 June from 10am to 5.30pm.
Refreshment vending is big business, with more than £1.5b spent through the slot each year. In addition to more than 500,000 vending machines in use in the UK, there are a further one million installations providing chilled water: water coolers, point-of-use and bottled coolers.
Vending offers an opportunity to extend catering facilities by providing additional unmanned service points, perhaps providing an early breakfast service of cereals and milk, orange juice, yogurts and muffins or a self-service coffee bar in the lounge with a bean-to-cup machine. Additionally, a coin- or card-operated vending machine in the lift lobby on each floor of a hotel is an alternative to mini-bars in every room. And it doesn't stop at refreshments: you can vend all sorts of items, from confectionery to shower gels and toothbrushes.
To register, and to receive a free catalogue and book of offers to redeem at the show, visit www.avex2009.co.uk.
1. Aimia Foods
Stand C50
It offers high-street coffee-shop-style hot drinks in 9oz paper cups with a sip-through lid with a view to commanding higher vend prices (on average £1).
The system also helps businesses address their corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies via sustainable products and practices and investment in environmental conservation programmes. The cups are manufactured from 100% traceable paper sourced from managed sustainable forests, are 100% compostable and can be collected under the save-a-cup scheme. Pour Moi Bon Petit Café is also working with a registered conservation charity, to protect fragile rainforests in areas such as Brazil, Ecuador and India.
Aimia also has a new recipe, Freshers Granulated Hot Chocolate, which has a higher cocoa content than standard vending chocolate to give a slightly darker and richer milk chocolate flavour. The product's concentrated recipe means each 750g bag produces 50 cups of hot chocolate with each cup requiring a 15-17g serving, less than the standard 20g for traditional powdered hot chocolate vending products.
2. Cosmetal Stand A42
The new HWG version of the Connect point-of-use water cooler offers cold, hot and sparkling water.
Connect HWG dispenses 22 litres of cold and sparkling water per hour and eight litres of hot water (95°C) per hour. The control panel is positioned on the upper part of the cooler for easy access and the high dispensing area permits filling of mugs, small bottles or sport bottles.
The entire water path is protected with the Cosmetal patented UV system and the covered dispensing point is located at some distance from the control panel.
Additionally, the polished stainless steel reservoir is easily removed for safer sanitizing procedures.
3. Qualitasse
Stand P100 In addition to the Finesse range of hygiene products, which are formulated specifically for the cleansing and sanitisation routines in drinks vending and beverage dispensing systems, Qualitasse will introduce some new products to simplify methods of hygiene routines in drinks vending and beverage dispensing systems.
Brewclens Tablets are destainer tablets suited to destaining automatic brewer units and are useful where a powder-based compound could create the potential for cross-contamination through spillage.
Microclens detergent sanitiser tablets are a new format of the original Microclens Spray, offering handy safe packaging and the option to make up fresh product easily.
Scalite is a mild liquid descaler suited for use with superautomatic machines with relatively delicate internal water trail components and for the in situ descaling of exhaust valves on traditional espresso machines.
4. Safer Systems Stand A64
Machines have historically been limited in their ability to promote a wide range of drinks through a single machine; small product buttons positioned down the right-hand side provide restricted product information and promotion to passing trade. Chameleon effectively optimises the life of old machines whose shelf-life exceeds the graphics lifespan, meaning machines need no longer be replaced at considerable cost to the operator.
Sales of less popular products are encouraged through improved visibility and easy identification. Product buttons display the actual size of the product at eye level, with functional selection buttons located under each card. The product buttons maximise the promotion of core, and especially non-core, products and can be changed as frequently as required to keep interest high and allow for alternation of products at minimal cost.
The Chameleon graphics system is quick and simple to change in the field; there is no need for specialist installation or tools.
5. Sanden Vendo UK
Stand E50
The ozone cleaning system is fully automated and can be programmed to occur during periods of low activity. No harmful chemicals are required, which offers major environmental benefits.
The Pouchlink's new drink dispensing system also has a new means of ensuring an aseptic connection to the syrup concentrate, enabling the machine to safely dispense non-preserved natural products such as pure juice concentrates, without the risk of microbiological contamination. Unlike most conventional pure juice dispensers that use chilled concentrates, this is achieved at ambient temperatures, providing huge savings on cooling energy.
The Pouchlink machine enables a wide choice of water-based healthy juice drinks to be made and packaged within the vending machine in front of the consumers' eyes. Drinks are mixed and filled into resealable flexible pouches and served chilled, combining post-mix drinks dispense with an automated point-of-purchase packaging.
The current machine capacity is 1,000 drinks, dispensed in a range of sizes from 250ml to 500ml and the system can operate using remote telemetry to monitor stock.
The machine uses on-demand flash chilling of the drink at point of purchase, further reducing cooling energy by up to 80%.
6. Tana Water Stand E60
The machines take water directly from the mains and use an activated carbon filter to remove chlorine, limescale and rust and an 11W ultraviolet bulb to protect the water after dechlorination. The ultraviolet lamp within the cold water tank kills germs and the T5 Fizz will automatically stop working if the bulb fails.
To conserve energy overnight and at weekends the T5 Fizz includes a preset sleep mode, which the company says can reduce energy consumption by 40%.
The company has also launched a space-saving countertop water dispenser. The T6 comes in a range of 11 colours to co-ordinate with decor and furnishings in meeting rooms and hotel reception areas. The T6 features an hygienic recessed dispenser head and all-in-one cold stainless-steel tank to ensure a high volume of freshly filtered mains water for hot and cold drinks.
7. Westomatic Stand C20
The range includes bean-to-cup coffee machines that can be sited in reception areas for guests to help themselves to cappuccino, hot chocolate, freshly brewed tea, fresh bean-to-cup espresso and Fairtrade drinks.
Where space is at a premium, the retro-styled table-top Prelude machine will provide freshly ground coffee and freshly brewed tea with a choice of up to 10 café-style drinks. The machine lets guests select their own sugar and strength preferences and has an optional mains-fed filtered water chiller. For higher-volume sites, the free-standing Sigma serves its café-style drinks in 12oz cups with sip lids.
For meeting and conference facilities, the SnackPoint range provides chilled snacks and drinks to delegates and can be filled with a hotel's own freshly prepared food, such as wraps or panninis.
