Latest technology in kiosks sector on show at Vending & Kiosk Expo

Set to be organised at Madinat Jumeirah on May 20 and 21, 2006, the expo is expected to provide an impetus to the vending and kiosks industries and set to grasp the escalating $30 billion global vending industry as well as the 69 per cent growth rate envisaged in the usage of kiosks by 2007.

To be held for the first time in the region, the Expo will be held under the patronage of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and will be organised by Global Links Exhibition & Conference Organizers LLC - one of the leading arrangers of exhibitions and conferences in the Middle East.

Mr Girish Dabrai, Managing Director, Global Links said,

"Kiosks will play a key role in success of business models in the retail sector. More and more firms are now learning to build the business case for self-service. The natural extension of this will be the incorporation of technologies like Wi-Fi, Radio Frequency Identification and Biometrics. The retail industry will see not a just an evolving change but will witness radical transformation with the extensive usage of these self service technologies."

The robust business performances of many of the retail solution providers, who will be present at the expo, are indicative of the retail boom in the country. The growth potential can be gauged from the fact that UAE-based E-PoS - a regional leader for Retail Technology in the Middle East, Africa, CIS Countries and the Asia Pacific -- have consistently recorded an average growth of 10-15 per cent every year.

Keeping this growth trend in perspective, the latest technological solutions to be showcased at the expo - including interactive services from bill payment transactions to informative services - will assume increased significance for long-term business efficiency and return on investment.

Among the industry leaders who will showcase the latest in technological upgrades in the sector is BKtel Germany, which will introduce VENDIwatch System. The system, once introduced, is expected set a new trend as a mode of multi-media advertisement and mobile payment without a coin.

The system monitors the Vending Machines and Parking Ticketing Machines remotely, enables client cashless payment through mobile phone and provides Centralized Fleet Management systems. The system will of immense use for cashless payment because statistics show that 10-15 per cent of machines around the globe are vandalized making collection risky and necessitating secured transport. The system also saves on costs like collection and return to the bank which account for nearly 2%-3% of total revenues accrued. In addition to saving there is also increased revenue through broadband advertisement.

Similarly, Dubai-based Duvade LLC will begin the distribution of standalone kiosk at the expo. The standalone dispenser can be easily installed at any hotel, hospital, residential complex, shopping centre, supermarket, petrol station and even school. It is fitted with a touch screen monitor and it can store up to 624 DVDs in a very small space for rental or sale.

Also displaying their vast array of innovative products will be the UAE-based ENERGY International Phoenix Mecano GPT. The company, which specializes in the design, supply, installation, testing, commissioning and maintenance of high quality pay and display parking machines, bus tickets/chip card/stamp vending, will showcase the market's sole optical coin validator that scans the image on the inserted coin. The company enjoys absolute market leadership in design, development and production of optical coin validators.

Some of the world's biggest players who will also be present at the expo are Alhamrani Universal Company, Hemisphere West Europe Ltd, Pyramid Technologies Inc, Aptec Distribution, Kiosk Information Systems, Zupera Technology and Al Sayegh Brothers.

The exhibition and conference is supported by the Worldwide Vending Association, European Vending Association (EVA) and National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA).