Vending industry shows gratitude to local customers

Interactive vending machines and free products are the stars of the National Automatic Merchandising Associations' Gratitude Tour that stops April 24 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway.

The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the courtyard of the UNLV Student Union.

Gratitude is designed to thank users of vending machines, especially Generation Y users who are shown by the association to prefer vending over convenience, grocery and drug stores for purchasing snacks and cold beverages.

The event, which is free to the public, will showcase more than 15 high-tech interactive vending machines, providing everything from soft drinks to cheese items. Thousands of free samples of snacks and beverages will be given away.