President's Message CAMA Show
Welcome to our CAMA 2026 Trade Show. There is a great showcase here of products and technology from our supplier members, and we know that our operator members will discover new opportunities that will have a positive impact on your business.
In partnership with the Convenience U CARWACS Show, this is the largest event for our industry in Canada. I can’t stress enough the importance of attending in person; to build relationships with your peers, network and gain insight into other members’ success stories and best practices. The value of in-person conversation will never be replaced by online chat. I am glad to see so many of you here today.
We also welcome the not yet – but hopefully soon-to-be – members in the room. For those who are not familiar, CAMA has been around since 1953, and its longevity comes from the benefit of staying connected with each other.
I would like to acknowledge and thank CAMA staff for the time and effort put into making this show a reality. A lot of work goes into staging an event like this. I would also like to acknowledge and thank our board of directors for their contribution to the association: Thomas Gwizdala, Amanda Marie Spilchen, Dennis Park, Gershon Hurwen, Jonathan DeGuise, Karine Gadoury, Nick McLaren, Nicholas Pugliese, Petros Kondos, and Tommy Chan.
Many of our board members have been serving on the Board for consecutive terms. I want to extend an invitation to all our CAMA members to give some serious thought to participating on the Board in upcoming terms.
Our industry is changing at a fast pace; we have some veterans in the room who can remember when our association was all about vending and not much else. Although vending is the core business for many operators, new business prospects within our industry are coming with the introduction of smart cooler and AI technology. This business has always attracted entrepreneurs, and many newcomers today are focused on the opportunities that are being created with smart cooler technology. (You will see plenty of examples out in the tradeshow hall.)
Whether you are an operator that is focused on vending or smart cooler technology, or both, every location has something in common and that is the need for coffee services. This is an opportunity that is an open door for all operators, and we have some very knowledgeable people in the coffee industry being showcased on the show floor today. Take some time to get to know them and their insights on the industry.
No matter what segment of our industry you are in, it all needs to be supported by payment systems, operational management systems and general business support systems. These categories are represented on the show floor as well.
To sum it up, our industry represents Vending, Coffee, Micromarts including Smart Coolers, and Technology. Our association supports everyone involved. And on behalf of everyone at CAMA, thank you for being here, and thank you for your continued support.
And a special thank you to our upcoming presenters, Yang Yu from Micromart with his session Introduction to AI Smart Stores and how to make them successful in Canada;
Followed by our Ask the Experts! Panel session, moderated by Kayin Kelly & Shayne Christie of the Vendtelligence podcast, with expert panelists Jeff Schiller, Heritage Coffee; Amanda-Marie Spilchen, The Pelican Group and Yang Yu, Micromart.
 |
 |
 |
%202023.png)
