National Automatic Merchandising Association

NAMA’s membership continues to shape the association’s priorities and how programs, resources and experiences are delivered. Earlier this year, NAMA conducted an extensive review of CTW, including conversations with operators, suppliers, Board members, committee leaders and industry partners. The feedback was consistent: the industry’s needs are changing, and the way NAMA supports the OCS and pantry community should evolve with them. Member feedback has shaped a new direction for CTW.

ARLINGTON, VA — The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) is now accepting speaker proposals for The NAMA Show 2027, taking place May 5-7 in New Orleans. This high-impact educational leadership opportunity targets over 5,200 professionals in convenience services who join The NAMA Show. This is the opportunity for experts in client relations, operational optimization, service innovation, and retail design to demonstrate their subject matter expertise to an audience of decision-makers.

Most public policy affecting convenience services is written for a business that no longer exists. Many regulatory frameworks still reflect a static image: a coil machine stocked on a fixed schedule, accepting limited forms of payment, operating in predictable environments. That model is simple to categorize and straightforward to regulate. And you know that picture bears little resemblance to how the industry partners with clients to provide hospitality and ready access to employees and customers.

Pricing used to look relatively simple. A company set a number, posted it and revisited the decision only when costs or competition forced a change. That model still exists, but it no longer captures how many companies think about price. Across industries, businesses are testing ways to move beyond the search for one ideal price. Some are creating product tiers. Others are experimenting with time-based discounts or algorithm-driven pricing systems.

ARLINGTON, VA — The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) is accepting nominations for its 2026 Coffee Legend of the Year Award. This honor recognizes an individual’s leadership and contributions to the coffee services industry for a decade or more. Eligible nominees may include, but are not limited to, individuals working as coffee service operators, roasters, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, brokers, or educators, and must be a NAMA member.

For most of the last decade, multifamily property owners operated in a seller’s market for rentals. Demand was strong, new supply was still delivering, and lease-up timelines were manageable. That window has closed. Multifamily completions reached 608,000 units in 2024, the highest annual volume since 1986, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Press Release Michael Schwartz to Chair NAMA Board of Directors Experienced foodservice executive to lead NAMA’s new slate of board officers and directors for 2026-27. New Foundation trustees also begin terms.

ARLINGTON, VA — The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) today honored Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) with its 2026 Industry Champion award for her staunch leadership on behalf of the convenience services industry and the 40 million Americans it serves every day. The award was presented by NAMA President and CEO Christine Cochran during a ceremony at the Rayburn House Office Building and attended by NAMA senior leadership and industry executives from across the country.

ARLINGTON, VA — The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) today issued the following statement on enactment of Connecticut Public Act 26-89, a law allowing camera security monitoring of self-service kiosks in employee lounge and breakrooms beginning October 1, 2026. The policy change supports a practical need in workplace self-service retail for loss prevention and security. It also reflects a broader shift in how consumers access food, beverages and other everyday essentials.

People in this business spend plenty of time debating equipment, technology, and data, and for good reason. If desired, a business can measure almost everything now, from what sells to when it sells to how fast a machine goes down and comes back up. What is harder to measure is the thing that can make or break a business: trust in a service and consistent experience. Ashilyn Sunderman, CEO of Smith Vending Canteen, has built her leadership philosophy around that gap.