PICTURED: AVA boss Jonathan Hilder realises he’s on to a winner
Twenty-two groaning tables told their own story: The AVA had got it right with this year’s Christmas Luncheon.
The occasion was billed as a networking event and despite the festivities – or maybe because of them – the buzz of business permeated proceedings. The contrasts with the last vending get-together, the AV Awards Dinner on the eve of at Vendex North, were marked. The most obvious contrasts was numbers: more than twice the crowd attracted by the AV do at The Imperial War Museum North filed into Camden’s The Grand Hall…
Many delegates made a day of it, attending an AVA summit in the morning, enjoying a sumptuous four-hour lunch and then moving on to an evening session.
The venue had something of the Dr Who about it. Walking down Euston Road from the mainline station, with our iPhone indicating that we were almost at the venue, there was no sign, no impressive portico to suggest we had arrived. In fact, the only visual clue was a straggling line of blokes hovering in suits. Upon closer inspection, here were some of the most influential figures in vending queuing on the pavement.
It was an inauspicious beginning. Getting people through the door, getting them badged, cloak-roomed and filtered into the hall was a problem: perhaps if the welcoming bubbly had been served further from the entrance bottleneck, that would have helped. Having said that, the door staff (and the AVA staff) were magnificent.
Once inside the Tardis, the atmosphere was convivial, helped (doubtless) by the perfectly chilled champagne and soft drinks that were presented on arrival.
Throughout, the event was conducted professionally, thanks to the excellent in-house Master of Ceremonies and to the AVA’s take on ‘entertainment’. The much-criticised ‘comedian’ was absent from proceedings and instead, we were graced by two stunning West End performers – ‘Desperate Divas’ – and their first-class accompanist, who performed ‘Songs From The Shows’, some of which had been re-written to include vending lyrics. Yes, honestly.
The performers greased the wheels between courses and provided a focus throughout the event. For their finale, various and sundry guests, (some of whom were, doubtless, the worse for drink), were enticed to the dance floor. Desperate Divas were a triumph.
Another contrast with the AV Awards Dinner was the food on offer. Whereas grumbles had greeted the dinner in Salford, this menu was mouth watering. The starter was a warm tart of smoked applewood and roasted red onions with homemade chutney and oak leaf salad. For the main course, we were treated to thyme roasted breast of guinea fowl with a crushed new potato cake, buttered savoy cabbage tossed with bacon and chestnuts, roasted root veggies and a light (and delicious) jus.
Desert was a delight. Aficionados of ‘Masterchef, the Professionals’ could almost hear Greg Wallace taking a taste and uttering his famous line, ‘oh, mate!’ Indeed, the only minus mark for the meal was the non-appearence of the coffee… (And, perhaps, the £100 ticket price, but the ‘bums on seats’ tally seemed to suggest that the industry was not dissuaded from attending on the grounds of cost…)
The event went well, it was well attended (although we could have done with a few more operators on board) and the ‘disgruntled vibe’ that permeated the AV Awards do was noticeable in its absence.
We’ve endured a difficult year, which has seen Auto Vending withdraw from its traditional printed format to a new ‘e’ version. Personalities have clashed, friendships that had endured for twenty years or more have disintegrated amongst recrimination and ill-feeling that has affected the entire industry.
At the AVA Christmas Luncheon, though, the past seemed to be another country as hearts and minds focussed on future opportunities rather than on by-gone issues.
We at PV eschewed the evening party, so after a gentle stroll down the road to Euston Station, we took a train north just as the hard core were reaching Soho.
One thing’s for sure: 2013’s AVA awards ceremony – black ties and all – will be a cracking do. With a raft of new awards that embrace the vending industry root and branch by recognising the contributions of field based staff, the atmosphere will be electric. Bring it on!
