Membership Benefits
Quality Accreditation
The AVA logo is the mark of quality and members work to a strict code of conduct and quality standards. Achieving AVA Quality Accreditation ensures that potential customers recognise that your company has worked to quality guidelines and consistently maintains their trading standards and working practices ongoing. Companies looking to work with you can relax in the knowledge that you are a trustworthy, reliable and credible business. The AVA logo can improve your company standing, add weight to sales presentations and give you an advantage over other non-AVA companies when tendering for new business.
Business Support Services
Being part of the AVA demonstrates that you actively care about your industry and are committed to supporting the work of the industry’s trade association which protects and speaks for vending.
All AVA members now have easy access to an extensive range of business support services. They will help you deal with key issues you may encounter in day-to-day practice; such as legal matters, health & safety, human resources/employment law, VAT and tax.
This service offers you unlimited access to expert advice and over 700 business documents. The good news is that it is included in your membership fee, so you have nothing extra to pay.
Technical Support
Our technical experts can offer help and advice on a wide variety of matters including: HACCP, COSHH, water testing, chemical and microbiology matters, nutrition, ingredients, labelling, allergens, shelf life, food safety etc.
Training
All companies by law need to have their staff fully trained in health and hygiene – we assist our members with the training and the marking of the test papers. We also expect our members to adhere to ISO 9001:2015 or the AVA equivalent, we guide them through the process and audit them against these standards to ensure that they are upheld. All new members receive guidance on how to get the best out of being either a supplier or operator.
We have taken our training one step further – we also offer an ‘Engineers Competency’ training for AVA members to ensure that their engineers are trained with today’s electrical legislation.
The courses provide vending-specific electrical training for all levels of engineers, from new starters to those with years of experience looking to refresh or further develop their skills.
Knowledge
The AVA is known and trusted as a valuable source of information for the industry as a whole. We hold robust statistics and information gathered from the industry via our annual census. We also offer technical advice and professional services via our members and partners. The AVA as an association, is a founder member of the European Vending Association, meaning that you will be informed of not only UK but European changes in legislation and industry trends. We are a source of comfort for our members, in the knowledge that we can be relied upon to communicate what is required to stay compliant and operate within legal parameters.
Industry voice
We are the definitive “Voice of the Industry” and with us, you can have your voice heard. The AVA is the only representative organisation who can influence legislation concerning the vending industry. We positively encourage all our members to contribute their thoughts and opinions so that we are in a position to represent their collective views on issues for the media, lobbying or development of the vending industry. The AVA is continually developing its relationships with UK government bodies and members of the European parliament to ensure that the industry’s voice is heard both in the UK and in Brussels.
Protection
The AVA works to protect your industry and business, fighting your corner when negative press or potentially damaging legislation is under consideration. Many of our members are involved in committees for the AVA, actively speaking and representing values they believe are important.
Networking
Our networking events will help you to make the connections which are vital for your business to thrive. We offer members the opportunity to connect with each other efficiently and endeavour to assist you in meeting the people who will add value to your company. We actively encourage members to use the services of each other as well as promoting member companies to the wider vending industry.