MILAN, Italy – Innovation, sustainability, creativity: from 11 to 14 May 2022 at Fieramilanocity, Venditalia will be back at the most important international trade fair for the world of automatic food and beverage distribution – vending. Our Country leads the way in this sector in Europe, with more than 800,000 vending machines in operation and turnover that exceeds Euro 1,5 billion, between the automatic vending market and the so-called OCS (Office Coffee Service).
This trade fair, organised by Venditalia Servizi srl and promoted by CONFIDA Associazione Italiana Distribuzione Automatica, promises to be a platform for all that is new in various settings, involving operators involved in hybridising ideas, virtuous exchanges, and specialist communication, dedicated to the new milestones reached by the sector.
The new features on show will indeed include many that are cutting-edge, based on industria 4.0 approach and on IoT. Finally, digital innovation brings in a huge step forward for the entire sector, ever more smart, providing those involved with new opportunities, greater operating savings, and increased end client involvement. What emerges is a sector constantly striving for new horizons.
Technology changes every stage of the vending process: it can be used to configure software to virtually create the machine that best meets the client’s needs, making flexible maintenance possible, including remote action at any time. It sets up ever more user-friendly interaction making the experience when using the machine ever more personalised.
The most widely represented technologies at the show will include the telemetry devices on vending machines that allow remote machine management via built-in SIM cards and cloud platforms.
Then there will also be touchless and cashless features, making payment services easier to use and managing the machine more hygienic, using smartphone APPs.
Essentially, the old “coffee machines” have been turned into evolved, computerised systems able to manage and automate all the processes involved in operating vending machines (CRM – invoicing – stores – ARD turnarounds – commissions – document filing – end client APPs – e-commerce) simply and at low cost.
Thanks to digitalisation, the new “frontiers” of vending are expanding ever more. This brings us to the phygital store: using an e-commerce portal, the user has the option of seeing all the availability of all the items that are interested in, in any of the new automatic stores nearest to them. Having made their purchase online they will receive a QR Code that they can use to access the automatic store chosen, and collect their item. Finally, there will also be a new online platform that allows clients to order from the web portal itself, with dedicated access that allows them to take advantage of discounts, special offers, and exclusive conditions.
Besides the digital transition, Venditalia will also be exhibiting the ecological transition in the sector, starting from the materials. And so, many companies will be offering stirrers and cups that turn to compost within tens of days, because they are made of paper, wood, and bamboo. However, plastic has also become sustainable: the RiVending project takes plastic from cups, bottles, and stirrers, recycles it and puts it back into producing other products: a perfect circular economy.
Then there will be the polymer coffee pods that can break down completely in the environment and that are certified by leasing bodies and companies in the “green” world.
Technology and sustainability go together: in fact, many technological solutions aim to greater sustainability, like companies that promote micro filtered water (that is, 0 km water, producing a clear advantage in terms of CO2 and plastic), and who encourage correct recycling of materials such as plastic and aluminium, using a system that shreds and compacts disposable materials, making it easy to recover them for subsequent reuse. A reward system can also be associated with the plastic compactors and shredders, making it possible to accumulate points on your access key for each cup or bottle recycled.
Venditalia will also be presenting solutions for refrigerated transportation as an alternative to traditional refrigerated trucks, which give rise to a 33-34% reduction in CO2 emissions for refrigerated products, and 37-38% for frozen products.
Topical themes will include a product’s life cycle and the circular economy involving companies that specialise in recycling machines or batteries, and that, in some cases, manage to recycle 75 to 95% of the materials in their machines.
In addition to sustainability and innovation, there will be no lack of attention to the wellness of the end client. The spotlights will also be on products ready for distribution via the vending channel: from real typical treats transformed into snacks, to higher energy bars and foods aimed at sporting types, but suitable for all those who are looking for a healthy life, through to dried fruit. On display at the fair there will also be enticing and “free from” ideas, showing off the usefulness and versatility of vending.
