Many of us go online to look up information about a number of things. Want to read about who was the 12th president of the United States? Wikipedia has the answer. Looking for a great VMS/telemetry combo that’s effective and affordable? Parlevel Systems is a good place to start. The list goes on, but what information is out there that can give vendors more insight into the bigger picture of the vending industry and also tips and tricks on how to run their businesses better? Luckily, a vending group looking to provide assistance is not hard to find.
I have compiled a short list of great websites that offer a lot of essential information for vendors or anyone related to the vending industry. Feel free to log on to these websites and visit them as frequently as you see fit. They are great resources, and I check them out daily, so I highly recommend them.
Vending Industry News:
The first two on this list are big hitters, if you will. First, Vending Market Watch is run by the same vending group who does the Automatic Merchandiser magazine, one of the essential magazines vendors should be subscribed to. What I love about this website is the sheer amount of content and how easy it is to access. You can look at news, blo
gs, podcasts, videos, and even find jobs in the vending industry. There are really smart people here who run the website, and the content is updated daily. If you check out only one website or vending group on this list, I recommend Vending Market Watch.
If you’re looking for information on all aspects of the vending industry, from coin-op music and games and bulk vending to traditional vending, Vending Times is the website for you. The vending group behind the website is also the team behind the excellent Vending Times magazine. The vending group also features people who have been in the industry for many years, like Tim Sanford, the editor-in-chief. The homepage organizes news stories by category, making it easy for people to find what section of the vending industry they want to read more about. It’s also a great tool for finding meetings and events, hardware and tools, and editorials that are timely and relevant. If you are looking for a website that has a myriad of information on the vending industry from people all over the vending industry, please visit Vending Times.
Vending Associations and Conferences:
For those of you in the know, this website goes without introduction, but for those who are just getting into the vending industry for the first time, this is the vending group and organization to pay attention to. The National Automatic Merchandising Association, or NAMA, is the trade association for everything vending, even coffee, micro markets, food service, etc. They also do a lot of work with the government to inform elected officials about the vending industry and empower vendors all over the USA. If there is a quintessential vending group, NAMA is it. If you want to learn more about this fantastic organization and its large annual trade show, called the One Show, visit the website. It has a lot of great information, and there are also links for you to become a member if you so choose.
If you’re looking for vending trade shows to visit and network with vendors and businesses associated with vending or looking for a vending group to get help from, this website has that information. The Vending Connection also has information about how to start in the vending business, what routes are there for sale, places to buy new and used vending machines, basically anything to get you started on your vending entrepreneurship. What’s great about this website, as well, is that the calendar of trade shows not only covers the ones in the USA, but also the ones all over the world, so this website serves a very large audience. Check it out if you’re interested in starting your vending business or are looking for more information to expand your business and network with other vendors in the world.
Vending Forum:
This is a forum made by vendors for vendors to discuss issues in the vending industry and easily share information between the members. This is a great place to join the vending community and get some great tips on how to run your business. The VENDiscuss forum is for everything vending. If you’re going into the vending industry or are already there, join this website and read over some of the posts people have been putting up. I am sure you will learn something of value for your business.
If you do not see your favorite vending website or vending group on this list, please share with us in the comments or on our social media like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You can also email us at contact@parlevelsystems.com. We’re always glad to hear from you.
