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VendingMarketWatch Top News Stories T Power packed opening event to launch OneShow April 25 he National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) OneShow will kick off Wednesday, April 25, 2012, beginning at 1 p.m., at the Venetian/ Sands in Las Vegas with a power- packed opening event. NAMA's new chief executive, Carla Balakgie, FASAE, CAE, will describe her vision for the industry and NAMA. Balakgie will also address the future of the industry growth strategy, preview a new strategy for coffee members, review legislative priori- ties and initiatives, and share other plans for 2012. Attendees will be treated to a performance by the world-renowned Blue Man Group and the 2012 NAMA Industry Awards will be presented to several exemplary individuals making a positive impact in their communities and the industry. Vending repair program to send students to NAMA OneShow ▶ The vending machine repair program in Philadel- phia, Pa. will send students to the NAMA OneShow this year for the fi rst time in 15 years, thanks to the fi nancial support from the program's advisory committee members. The advisory committee members have agreed to cover the expenses for the students' air fare, lodging, meals, and show costs so students can attend the OneShow. The program thanks the following individuals for their support: Lynae Schleyer, NAMA; Mike Butler, Automated Merchandising Systems; Scott Wechsler, Quality Express Cof- fee & Vending Service; Zane Greenwald, Betson Enterprises, 6 Mike Carrigan, Midlantic Vend- ing; Alan Simons, RDS Vend- ing; Chuck Reed, MEI; Peter Whitney, Crane Merchandising Systems; Russ Guarino, Phila- delphia Coca-Cola; Bud Burke, ADS Distributors; and Wayne Campbell, Changer Services. Obama: federal agencies must follow Randolph-Sheppard ▶ President Obama recently released a memorandum directing federal agencies that have property manage- ment responsibilities to ensure that agency offi cials, when pursuing the establishment of vending facilities (including cafeterias and military dining facilities) as defi ned in 20 U.S.C. 107e, issue permits and contracts in compliance with the Randolph-Sheppard Automatic Merchandiser VendingMarketWatch.com March 2012 Program and consistent with existing regulations and law. The program mandates prefer- ence on government sites for blind operators. Kellogg to buy Pringles from P&G; Diamond Foods' deal dissolves ▶ Kellogg Co. has entered into an agreement to acquire Procter & Gamble's Pringles® business for $2.695 bil- lion. Procter & Gamble agreed to sell Pringles to Kellogg after plans to sell Pringles to Diamond Foods Inc. were jeopardized after Diamond Foods replaced its CEO and CFO following an internal audit. The companies expect to complete the transaction in the summer of 2012, pending regulatory approvals. Kellogg will benefi t from the collective expertise of more than 1,700 Pringles employees. Cantaloupe teams with Unifi ed Strategies Group Cantaloupe Systems entered into a partnership with Unifi ed Strategies Group (USG) to offer USG's buying consortium of more than 700 vending operators Seed Telemetry, Seed Pro, and Seed Cashless solutions. Cantaloupe Systems offers a variety of choices for vend- ing operators — from basic telemetry to advanced payment options such as Google Wallet. Cantaloupe Systems is working with USG to offer its members a fully integrated platform that reduces the overall investment needed for telemetry, cashless and advanced vending man- agement systems. Using the Web-based remote machine- monitoring-and-reporting features of Seed vending tech- nology, operators can reduce investment and simplify the implementation process. AdvancePierreFoods partners with Johnsonville Sausage ▶ AdvancePierre Foods and Johnsonville Sausage have formed a strategic alliance, leveraging AdvancePierre Foods' foodservice organiza- tion and distribution system to deliver Johnsonville Sausage to foodservice customers across the U.S. The partnership will make AdvancePierre Foods the exclusive foodservice distributor of Johnsonville Sausage.