Official Web site of the Atlantic Coast Exposition

Thanks for your Support!
The recently completed 55th Annual Atlantic Coast Exposition was one of the most positive and uplifting in the previous five years. To all who attended, both exhibitors and vend operators, thank you for your support!

Business got underway for the 2009 Expo on Thursday morning, June 4, with concurrent Boards of Directors meetings for N.C. Vending Association (NCVA), South Carolina Vending Association (SCVA) and Virginia Automatic Merchandising Association (VAMA).  These important gatherings were followed by the return of the ACE Golf Tournament, sponsored by Vistar.

Attendees and exhibitors joined golfers immediately following the tournament, for the After Golf Event.  Sponsored by Kraft Vending & OCS, this dinner took advantage of the golf course’s waterway view and provided an ideal, relaxed atmosphere for reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.

Friday morning started the two-day Maintenance Training School for which a separate registration was required.  Over 20 students attended this program which covered topics from general machine set-up and installation to servicing refrigeration decks, and everything in between.  A notable faculty that included field technicians and service personnel from all the major equipment manufacturers deftly covered all the components of service on coffee, snack, food and drink machines, payment systems and changers.  Mike Graham, retired from MEI after a long and distinguished career, facilitated the program.

At 10:30 a.m., the 2009 exhibit officially opened for business. Operators descended onto the trade show floor prepared to conduct business. By 5 p.m., both operators and exhibitors were more than ready for the Annual Awards Ceremony sponsored by Crane National Vendors to be followed by the PepsiCo Foodservice traditional Welcome Reception.  These two events brought guests together in the ballroom at the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort.

At the awards ceremony, the N.C. Vending Association presented the 2008 Vendor of the Year Award to Larry Pugh, Mid-South Food Service, Aberdeen, NC, while VAMA honored Scott Kiser, Kwik Kafe Co., Bluefield, Va., with the Vendor of the Year Award.   For the first time ever, NCVA and VAMA chose the same recipient of their Supplier of the Year awards, Vistar’s own, Mia McDonough.

Saturday opened with traditional Biz Bits programs, industry-specific topics targeting timely issues.  For the first session, held at 8 a.m., the subject was “P3- Planning and Purchasing to Maximize Profit”.  A panel of operators, along with Si Rawls of Vistar and Chico Miles of Vendors Supply, looked at how to break price barrier, market a price increase, deal with the current economy and make ACE 2009 work for them. 

Saturday’s second session took place immediately following, at 9 a.m.  John Ripley, ACE Education Committee chair, facilitated spirited discussion between panel members Ben Ginsberg, Vending & OCS magazine editor and publisher, and Tim Sanford, editor-in-chief of Vending Times.  The two industry icons drew on knowledge and experience gleaned from decades in the industry for the program, entitled “Consumer Perception- Understanding and Influencing”, as they touched upon topics that included healthy initiatives, greening of the industry, legal issues and more.  Audience members were also encouraged to offer their experiences and ideas on how to remove and combat some of the negative stereotypes as new challenges arise. G&J Marketing and Vistar sponsored the educational programs and Cloverhill Bakery provided refreshments and pastries.

The exhibit floor opened on Saturday at 10 a.m. with exhibitors and operators eager to continue to make connections and build relationships.  Operators received an additional chance to qualify for the Super Sample Sweep scheduled for Saturday at 2:45 p.m., just prior to the close of exhibit hours.  By simply registering for the convention, each attendee was given one chance to participate in the dash around the exhibit floor at the end of the convention and additional entries were earned by attending Biz Bits sessions, after-hours events and board meetings.

Those in a daring mood, continued on to NASCAR SpeedPark to enjoy the attractions, a round of Mini Golf, courtesy of Burdette Beckmann Inc. and participate in the timed racing event, courtesy of Lance Inc. 

Saturday night took convention-goers back to the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort’s lovely grounds for the annual Volleyball Tournament sponsored by Ellis Coffee Co. and Vendors Purchasing Council/USG.  Guests also enjoyed a sumptuous buffet, beverages and music and dancing as the convention wound down for another year.  Ideal weather and high spirits prevailed for this convention-ending party sponsored by Vendors Supply, with support from Cloverhill Bakery, Don Miguel Mexican Foods, Farley's & Sathers Candy Company, Inc., Mars Snackfood US, Pierre Foods and Welch's. 

• Pierre Foods sponsored customized lanyards for the operators’ badges.
• Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated sponsored the official sample bags for the convention.
• Coca-Cola United sponsored the planning committee shirts.

Throughout the show, exhibitors vied for “The Blue Ribbon” in categories based on most attractive booths.  

Visit this Web site again in August for preliminary information on the event scheduled for the new show, in Myrtle Beach