Eu’Vend & Coffeena: Knowing the Protagonists

Interview with Katharina C. Hamma, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH, and Dr. Aris Kaschefi, managing director of the German Vending Association (BDV).

Are strategic goals being pursued with the date change to Eu’Vend & coffeena from autumn to spring?

Hamma: With the new date concept we will further strengthen Eu’Vend & coffeena and its position in the international trade fair market. Accordingly, the two leading vending and coffee trade fairs in Europe, Eu’Vend & coffeena and Venditalia, will now take place in alternating years, so that a strong international event in Europe can take place at annual intervals. Manufacturers, suppliers, and of course the international trade visitors now have the possibility to present their innovations in an annual cycle and to concentrate on one industry platform each year. An optimal scenario for successful development of the industry.

In keeping with this, the next Eu’Vend & coffeena will now be ready to open its doors in Cologne from 27 to 29 April 2017 and present its current products and solutions on the themes of vending, coffee, hot beverages, supplementary products, snacks, beverages, refill products, payment systems, cups, and services.

What other conceptual innovations can be found?

Hamma: We are currently pursuing two approaches simultaneously: the first is to further strengthen the vending sales channel. That means informing decision makers from all relevant branches about the strengths and chances of vending, and in this way enhancing familiarity with this sales channel. In addition to the group of operators, we primarily address managers from the bakery and confectionery, coffee shop, cafe, bar and corner store segments, as well as from institutional catering as target groups of Eu´Vend & coffeena.

Secondly: in order to further develop strategically Eu´Vend & coffeena and point out new markets for the industry, we concentrate a considerable share of our marketing measures on the target markets of office, hotel and the continuously growing “to go” market. We still see enormous potential and real chances for growth here. And to this purpose we use the synergies that arise from the complete Koelnmesse portfolio. In this way we can reach target groups from the office and hotel segments, for example, through Orgatec, the leading international trade fair for office and properties. ISM, the world’s largest trade fair for sweets and snacks, opens up contacts with petrol stations, bakeries and coffee shops. And the FSB, the international trade fair for outdoor, sports and pool facilities, possesses an extensive network related to sports and swimming facilities. This and other synergies with events from Koelnmesse are used to address new target groups and point out new application possibilities for vending.

These themes are, of course, also reflected in the supporting programme from Eu´Vend & coffeena. Exhibitors and users receive more detailed information in the target group-specific lecture programme “Red Sofa” and visual impulses through the “Office Coffee Corner”, a presentation revolving around the thematic world of Office Coffee Service (OCS).

Where do you see more future potential for the vending and coffee industry?

Hamma: I have already mentioned a key term for new business potential, Office Coffee Service, or OCS for short. Working worlds are changing fundamentally in the course of digitalisation. New work landscapes are appearing and pose changing requirements for the supply of employees and customers with food and beverages.

Out of Office is another trend we will take up as a theme in the context of Eu´Vend & coffeena 2017. Take the growing number of co-working spaces for which suitable vending solutions are being sought.

At the same time, customers and employees in the meantime have other requirements for the coffee offering. Modern coffee shop chains have changed the demands of employees and customers. Quality is called for at home, in the office and in out of home catering extending beyond this. The increasing needs and requirements are at the same time a chance for new business potential in the vending and coffee industry. Premium concepts, own roasts and private labelling are the key words here that will become experienceable at Eu’Vend & coffeena 2017.

Beyond this there is a very current theme for our core target group of operators. Fiscal data read-outs and secure archiving of vending machine data are increasing in importance. This is a theme that is also reflected in the exhibition offering of Eu´Vend & coffeena – many companies offer corresponding solutions and systems.

What are the trend themes in 2017 for the sale of goods and services via vending machines?

Kaschefi: Society is becoming increasingly mobile – people are eating and drinking everywhere and at all times. This means that vending machine services are also increasingly in demand, and that their services must be increasingly adapted to the changing habits of consumers.

In particular, there are promising trends in addition to classic workplace catering, several of which Mrs Hamma has already mentioned. In addition to the OCS segment, vending has also developed into an attractive sales channel, for example, in the hotel industry. In this way, all goods and packaging sizes can be sold with vending machines, the so-called maxi-bar, from non-food items to complete meals. Here too there is a very flexible range of device types available. Another interesting sales channel for vending solutions is the agricultural sector, as well as butcher’s shops. Here too there is strong development toward vending machines being used to also allow customers access to meat, milk, eggs, and other products outside of core opening hours. In the meantime there is a very large offering of “regional vending machines” that also provide solutions for the smallest providers. We will surely see several interesting developments in these areas at the coming Eu’Vend & coffeena, whether this involves vending machines and payment solutions or complete vending machine concepts for various application areas.

In the retail food trade, discounters are currently increasingly aiming to improve their services being offered through the use of coffee vending machines.

In addition to the positive economic developments, there are of course also developments happening at a legislative level that will become increasingly important in 2017. This includes the fiscal data read-out, a new packaging law, but also the enduring questions involving the declaration of allergens and additives in vending machines. We will find a variety of providers of modern data read-out software at Eu’Vend & coffeena, who have already looked at the coming legal specifications in great detail. In the segment of food declaration there are modern touch display solutions, with which customers can access all of the important information in several languages. And there will certainly be quite a bit to see on the subject of coffee cups. There will also be valuable additional information on the current legal situation in Germany and the EU both at the stand of the BDV and in the supporting programme.

How are the German and European vending markets developing?

Kaschefi: We published a study this year together with the European Vending Association (EVA). In Germany sales most recently reached around 3 billion euros. A total of 14.6 billion euros were sold in the European vending market.

The number of beverage and vending machines operatimg in Germany is around 545,000. The leader here in Europe is Italy (792,000), followed by France (590,000). Behind Germany is the UK (420,600) and the Netherlands (267,000). The overall turnover for the sales of beverages and snacks from vending machines in Germany is around 3 billion euros. This means that Germany is in turn in first place ahead of France (1.9 billion) and Italy (1.8 billion).

The German market is primarily growing in the segment of hot beverage vending machines. Here a growing tendency toward coffee specialities from the whole bean can be observed. However, this also applies to many other European countries. 79% of sales throughout Europe are from hot beverages. Water is the most popular beverage in the refrigerated segment.

 Why should companies under no circumstances miss Eu’Vend & coffeena 2017?

Eu’Vend & coffena is the leading European trade fair, and thus an absolute must for all vending pros who want to inform themselves about current tendencies and future innovations. Vending machines are also viewed as a universally applicable sales channel.

The vending industry is an industry of 1,000 faces, and these faces are also increasingly found in neighbouring segments. Thus, those who are interested in new sales possibilities for their products via vending machines, or in trends and developments surrounding vending machine services will experience new impulses in Cologne and profit from a visit to the trade fair.

For further information, visit Eu’Vend & Coffeena website