ACE in Space Show 2024 Highlights

A note from our President

Six weeks ago, VendCentral Inc. acquired the long-standing Vending Connection website and weekly newsletters, officially marking our entry into the media industry. Since then, it’s been a whirlwind of learning, excitement, and, frankly, fun! The 2024 ACE Show in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was our first industry event and I was lucky to be selected to cover it. My task? Write our very first trade show newsletter article.

Now, I have to admit — English wasn’t my best high school subject, which is ironic given it’s my native language. But don’t worry, this article will still be full of color and energy!

ACE took place in South Carolina and there were concerns about how Hurricane Milton might impact the show. The storm battered Florida on Wednesday and I was due to fly into Myrtle Beach on Thursday. There was the potential for big flight delays but, fortunately, everything ran on time. I touched down in South Carolina under clear skies – just in time for happy hour!  And let me tell you, the bar was humming with positive, pre-show energy.

One of the best things about the ACE Show is that, in addition to learning about the latest vending industry technologies and products, there’s an invaluable opportunity to network and build relationships, which I think is the most important aspect. During my three days at the event, I made at least a dozen new connections with incredible people I can’t wait to collaborate with.

The ACE Show has been a staple of the vending industry since 1955. This year’s event, organized by Beth Bowen and her team, proved just as valuable as years past. The show is known for being family-friendly and I met plenty of operators and manufacturers who brought their families — something they’ve been doing for years. One memorable moment was seeing Rebecca Lotz, Red Bull Regional Sales Manager, chatting with customers at the Red Bull booth while holding her young son, who seemed just as engaged in the conversation as the customers!

The theme of this year’s show was “Ace in Space,” and the keynote speaker was none other than Steve Smith, a former astronaut and successful businessman. Steve is one of America’s most accomplished astronauts, with multiple space flights and spacewalks under his belt. His keynote focused on the “Explorer’s Mindset™,” sharing how the mindset of an explorer, paired with disciplined protocols, can foster both personal and business growth. His speech was dynamic and well-received by the crowd.

Although the ACE Show had many highlights, what stood out to me most was meeting so many passionate and innovative people from our industry. Here are three companies that made a lasting impression on me:

1. Vending Concepts: I had the pleasure of meeting Lou LaVilla, owner of Vending Concepts, and his two sons. Lou shared the inspiring story of how he built his company, which specializes in new and refurbished vending machine sales. Vending Concepts is also a master distributor of Cantaloupe’s new Smart Coolers. Lou’s journey wasn’t easy—he had some tough experiences early on. We chatted about our common approach to business: focusing on long-term relationships and trust as the foundation for success.
2. World Centric: I was fortunate to connect with Andy Lankford from World Centric, a company that manufactures compostable and reusable food service and packaging products. World Centric is B Corp Certified and donates 25% of its profits back to the community. I had the opportunity to join Andy and two of his brokers for dinner, a perfect example of how the ACE Show brings business conversations from the conference floor to the dinner table.
3. Gimme: I enjoyed spending time with Evan Jarecki, co-founder of Gimme, and Mickal McMath, their sales representative, who was a VendCentral Marketing customer when he ran his family’s Canteen franchise, MM Sales Company. Evan and I had a great conversation about the challenges of running a startup business and shared some funny stories about the experiences we have had along the way. Gimme is a Vending Management System (VMS) designed specifically for the vending industry. It is an excellent software solution for businesses, offering integrations with most industry software and helping to keep the larger companies in check by unbundling the VMS from the micro market and payment technologies to save dollars. Gotta keep the big players honest!

There were lots of other people I caught up with. I  enjoyed hearing updates about their businesses and personal lives. Donna Trego of Canteen Coastal, Greg Kvachkoff of Campofrio Food Group, and Chris Hart of the Canteen Franchise Division – just to name a few!

In summary, the 2024 ACE Show was a huge success, and I’m already looking forward to bringing the team back in 2025. The connections and partnerships I made at the show will undoubtedly lead to exciting opportunities in the future. A big thank you to Beth Bowen and her crew for organizing such an incredible event.

I look forward to seeing everyone next year!

Neil