Breakroom

#DYK: GAD has 3 Locations with Lots of Space

#DYK: GAD has 3 Locations with Lots of Space 940 788 GAD Vending

GAD is proud to be celebrating our 40th year in the business of equipment sales and service.

We stock and sell a wide variety of the best equipment in their respected categories.

At GAD’s three locations (Omaha, Kansas City and Des Moines), we stock both equipment and parts to support our various lines. We sell to the vending route trade, commercial business owners and to residential customers. All three of our showrooms are also open to the public.

Call us to find out how GAD can help solve your needs!

Replacing Break Rooms with Game Rooms

Replacing Break Rooms with Game Rooms 2560 1709 GAD Vending

Keep your company ahead of the competition by replacing a tradition break room with a game room

Modern businesses ask themselves whether employee game rooms suit their office space. Many people might dismiss the idea of employee break rooms as a frivolous perk. Still, a lounge space can be a critical part of an optimally performing office design while enhancing company culture. Employee game rooms are a staple of the world’s top companies because of their team-building effectiveness, value as recruitment tools, and serious scientific literature explaining their health benefits.

GAD can help you blend the vending machine needs with the gaming machines. Ask us how!

 

Employee Game Room

Who’s Ahead of the Curve?

Before we get into the benefits of employee game rooms, let’s look at some top companies that have already figured out that game rooms are great for business. Industry leaders like Google, Dropbox, Airbnb, Adobe, Intuit, Quicken Loans, and Boston Consulting Group have dedicated spaces where employees can get together in a fun environment to recharge while collaborating across departments.

It’s no coincidence that most companies above were also on the Top 100 Companies to Work For. These industry leaders understand that a business must offer the best working environment when competing for the best talent.

Game Rooms Build Strong Teams

Yes, employees who can have fun at work are more committed and have much higher levels of creativity, but companies with office games experience even more benefits. Game rooms can bring employees together who might not usually interact and improve employee morale. This interdepartmental socializing is the key to building a great corporate culture. A recent post on The Benefits Guide discusses employee engagement’s benefits. “Game rooms give your employees a place to escape the daily grind and decompress. Workplaces can be stressful. Between work stress and personal issues, your employee’s morale and productivity may suffer.”

Employees playing air hockey

 

The benefits of shared breaks where employees interact in a non-work context extend beyond morale. According to the Harvard Business Review, a team’s energy and engagement outside formal meetings were the most accurate predictors of productivity. This discovery was made in a series of studies across various industries, including post-op wards in hospitals, innovation teams, customer-facing teams in financial institutions, call center teams, and others.

The Harvard Business Review found good communication the most critical predictor of a team’s success. Specifically, they discovered that communication mattered more than all other factors, including personality, individual intelligence, and skill combined. They found nothing creates a stronger, more effective team than positive engagement outside formal meetings. That’s how employee game rooms can help you accomplish more than standard meeting rooms.

Benefits for Employee Health and Wellness

From a business perspective, employee game rooms are enormously beneficial, but many people might not realize they also have profound health benefits. Whether it’s a newly formed team of co-workers or a group that needs a productivity boost, it seems bringing games into work is the way to go.

Studies by Brigham Young University professors found that newly formed work teams experienced a 20% increase in task productivity after playing video games together for just 45 minutes.

Use the information you’ve gathered about your employees from wellness program or employee satisfaction surveys to learn what your employees want. Consider your employees’ most significant sources of workplace stress and how this room could help alleviate those pain points.

Employee Game Room

Get Up and Move

So, the science is precise: arcade machines have profound benefits for your employees’ mental sharpness, attention, and sense of well-being, but those aren’t the only upsides of game rooms. Games like ping pong, foosball, and billiards also get your employees up and moving, which doctors say is critical to their physical health.

According to the Mayo Clinic, extended sitting, like at a desk or in front of a computer, can be surprisingly harmful. Doctors analyzed 13 studies measuring sitting time and activity levels. They found that employees who sat for longer than eight hours a day without physical activity faced a risk of dying, similar to the dangers of death observed in patients who were obese or daily smokers.

What Games Does Your Game Room Need?

Although board games and puzzles are used at some companies, they can be a bit more time-consuming. Also, with pen and paper or tabletop games, your employees don’t get the mental benefits of video arcade machines or the physical benefits of interactive games. The most popular options tend to be physically and mentally engaging games that can be played in shorter bursts, like arcade games, pool tables, ping pong tables, and foosball tables. These games can all be played in 5 to 15 minutes and match the benefits observed in the scientific literature.

Between their recruitment value, massive impact on team-building and communication, mental health benefits, and physical health preservation, it’s clear that employee game rooms are a necessary part of any company built for the future.

And, GAD carries the best-in-class vending. With updated digital menus, phone payment systems, bold graphics and integrated food/beverage options – GAD can help you create a world class employee break area.

Why Adding Skee-Ball to Your Game Room Makes Sense

Why Adding Skee-Ball to Your Game Room Makes Sense 579 315 GAD Vending

Are you looking to add a classic and popular game to your arcade game room? Look no further than Skee-Ball!

Skee-Ball has been a staple of amusement arcades and family entertainment centers for over 100 years. Generations of players have enjoyed the game’s simple yet addictive gameplay. It involves rolling balls up a ramp and into various point targets to score as many points as possible. It’s a game that’s easy to learn but difficult to master, keeping players returning for more.

Adding Skee-Ball to your arcade game room can provide several benefits. Firstly, it appeals to players of all ages, making it a great way to attract families and groups to your venue. Secondly, it’s easy to maintain, with simple mechanics and durable construction. Lastly, it has a small footprint, meaning it doesn’t take up much space in your game room.

Skee-Ball machines are also available in various sizes and styles, allowing you to choose the one that best fits your space and aesthetic. From classic wooden alley designs to modern LED-lit machines, there’s a Skee-Ball machine for everyone.

In addition to its traditional gameplay, Skee-Ball machines can be upgraded with ticket dispensers and redemption counters, allowing players to earn tickets and redeem them for prizes. This can add extra excitement to the game and increase revenue for your business.

A Brief History of Skee-Ball

Skee-Ball is a classic American game that generations have enjoyed. Originally invented in 1908 by J.D. Estes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the game quickly became popular across the United States and worldwide.

The first Skee-Ball machines were made of wood and operated with a simple gravity-fed ball return system. Players would roll balls up a ramp and try to land them in various point-value holes, like modern-day mini golf. The game was an instant success, with players of all ages and skill levels eager to test their luck and try to win big prizes.

In the 1920s, Skee-Ball transformed significantly by introducing electronic scoring and automatic ball return systems. These innovations made the game more convenient and exciting for players while making it easier for operators to run and maintain their machines.

Throughout the 20th century, Skee-Ball remained a staple of American arcades and amusement parks, continually introducing new designs and features. In the 1980s, the game experienced a resurgence in popularity as players rediscovered the simple, nostalgic fun of rolling balls up a ramp and trying to hit the high-scoring targets.

Today, Skee-Ball continues to be enjoyed by millions of people around the world. From classic wooden models to high-tech digital versions, the game has evolved to suit the needs and preferences of modern players. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first-time player, Skee-Ball is the perfect game for anyone looking for a fun, challenging, and timeless arcade experience.

So, if you want to add a classic and popular game to your arcade game room, consider Skee-Ball. Its simple yet appealing gameplay, appeal to all ages, easy maintenance, and small footprint make it an excellent choice for any business owner.

Current Skee-Ball Games:

Skee-Ball Classic

Skee-Ball is THE original alley game. And it’s recently gone through a serious upgrade! Complete with valuable product design updates and a new look that reflects the vintage, hand-crafted style of the early 1900s, the new Skee-Ball is the real deal. Anything else is just a substitute.

Skee-Ball Glow

Patented in 1908, Skee-Ball is THE original alley game – anything else is just a substitute! Now complete with valuable product design updates and a new look that reflects the vintage, glamorous style of that time period, the new Skee-Ball machine is sure to attract attention in any game room.

Skee-Ball 1908 Alley

Meet the beautifully crafted 1908 alley, designed specifically for the home market. Engineered with the original Skee-Ball alley in mind, 1908 pays homage to the launch of the first alley roller, patented in 1908. It’s both an enthusiast’s and a collector’s dream.

If you are looking to add Skee Ball to your commercial establishment or break room, give us a call.

Companies Use AMI Music Jukeboxes to Boost In-Office Morale

Companies Use AMI Music Jukeboxes to Boost In-Office Morale 431 284 GAD Vending

Bringing music into the workplace is a groovy way to break up the usual routine. Music is an engaging strategy to bond with your team and get a fun new method to lighten up the office.

When you provide music as an included benefit for your employees, it will make your company stand out, and great things are also bound to happen for your workplace culture.

Music is something that your employees can interact with and listen to every single day. Digital jukeboxes also allow you to choose your songs and playlists, so coworkers can listen to what they want to hear instead of something they don’t enjoy.

From working as a stress reducer and improving focus and motivation to bringing people together in the office, here are a few ways that digital jukeboxes can improve office morale through the power of music.

1. Music motivates and inspires

Music can be a great way to get you pumped up and ready for the day. Many people pop in their earbuds or listen to music in the car before a busy day to prepare themselves for whatever comes their way while working, presenting, or running errands.

Iconic songs like “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor and “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John are tunes that the busy bees may use to motivate themselves, while slower songs may be better for those wanting a chiller vibe for a calmer day ahead.

A 2016 survey conducted by Total Jobs stated that 79% of respondents said they’re more productive if they listen to music while they work.

Additional research has also shown that music that you love increases your dopamine levels, which plays a role in making your work more enjoyable. When you make music more accessible in the office, it’s easier to become motivated for the task at hand.

Knowing that the songs you love and enjoy can motivate you to get your work done makes us love them much more.

2. Music works as a stress reducer

Music is proven to help people cope with anxiety, stress, and other negative emotions.

While upbeat music can make you feel more optimistic, a slower tempo can quiet your mind and reduce stress.

Research states that music around 60 beats per minute can cause your brain to synchronize with the beat, causing alpha brainwaves, which are present when we are relaxed and conscious.

Listening to music can also be a great stress reducer by distracting and shifting your thoughts away from what might be giving you anxiety and something more enjoyable to focus on instead.

Your favorite music can be a great way to relax and manage stress. The next time you feel overwhelmed at work, try listening to some songs on a playlist that you enjoy and see if it helps.

3. Music can help employees focus at work

Let’s face it: sometimes, it can be hard to focus at work. The chatter and noise of others around you may throw you off, or your routine may bring you down and fatigue.

However, research states that music helps alleviate the fatigue caused by your repetitive routine. When you add music to your routine, it brings in a new, fun, and fresh aspect to your day.

To prevent your brain from getting tired and falling into a rut caused by your routine, try playing music that you enjoy from a digital jukebox. It might help you focus and achieve your goals while doing something you love.

4. Music brings people together

Music helps build communities. With plenty of genres out there with fanbases embedded in each one, there’s something for everyone to relate to.

Concerts are one of the best ways for music fans to connect, so why not bring that experience to the office?

Having a “mini-concert” of your own with the digital jukebox every day and then having certain days dedicated to specific playlists, artists, or genres can help strengthen bonds among the music fans at your business and expose people to new types of music they may not have known they liked before.

Think about it. When you discuss your favorite musical artist or band with someone and mention that they like them too, you’re more likely to think positively of them. Why not bring that positivity into the office?

Whether you’re using an app to control the music or physically getting up and gathering to choose your favorite songs to play on the digital jukebox screen, there are plenty of opportunities to engage with your coworkers and team over the music you enjoy.

Conclusion

Music is a powerful thing. Digital jukeboxes are a fantastic way to bring the power of music front and center into your office.

Whether you love the more nostalgic tunes from the 70s, 80s, and 90s or the latest music from chart-toppers like Taylor Swift and Harry Styles, the possibilities for music to be played on digital jukeboxes at work are endless.

Each jukebox has millions of songs with frequent updates, so you always have the top hits. With various options for offices, big and small, you’ll play music for your team in no time.

Ready to rock? Start by jazzing up your workspace with one of our digital jukeboxes.

Reimagine Kiosks

Reimagine Kiosks 988 675 GAD Vending

Reimagine Self Service Ordering and Payment

If it’s easy, convenient and stream line, customers and employees have learned to take care of it themselves. Sometimes a kiosk replaces a long line for ordering. A kiosk can also be places to receive payments like utilities. A kiosk can provide an immersive experience. A kiosk can be an employee portal to buying from the company store, ordering from the cafeteria, or becoming immersed in more about the company they work for with timely messaging.

Reimagine a totally seamless ordering experience where your customers’ have the time, freedom and flexibility to explore the menu, add to cart, and check out all without waiting in line, making small talk or trying to read a menu and make up their mind at the same time. Make this fantasy a reality when you engage GAD to help you achieve your self service plan.

Capitalize on reducing staff. Helping your customer with a more immersive experience then they may get on their phone. Add flexibility and service without adding employees.

Reimagine Vending Coffee

Reimagine Vending Coffee 988 675 GAD Vending

Reimage Changing Your Brand Loyalty in 6 Square Feet

It’s hard to compete with Big Coffee when they have a shop on every street corner and a box on every grocery store shelf, but it doesn’t have to
be. Instead, colonize the corner of every car dealership, bakery, gym, and
daycare drop off with custom, bean grinding coffee machines. Your brew is there to earn new loyalists whenever, wherever they feel the urge for caffeine. Our COTI customizable self-service coffee machine lets you design your
experience. When your customers want a cup of coffee, you’ll be the first
brand they see.

Gone are the days of instant coffee. If you think self-service can’t offer a premium selection, luxury experience and high-end taste, think again. We
build and fill per your requirements. Want to offer specialty drinks? Want to have a coffee plus other hot beverages? Want the fresh ground bean experience? Just tell us what you want.

If you’re ready to promote your brand, open new revenue streams, and keep your propriety blends top of mind and palate for everyone, talk to us.

Reimagine Vending

Reimagine Vending 988 675 GAD Vending

Coming out of COVID there are new business facts many are struggling with – and reimagining vending can jump in to help your bottom line.

Is your business positioned to make a sale at the exact right moment, 24/7? Are your products were your customers are? Would eliminating staff help your overall business? Take a moment and brainstorm new solutions.

Sell at the Airport

What a better place to find specialty customers that are in a hurry and will spend at a premium to get what they want when they want it.

This goes for a variety of food options, drinks, and specialty items like beauty and electronics. And, GAD can help you customize your vending machine to enhance your brand vision.

If you are a manufacturer or importer, this is an excellent place to seek new end users and bring in a new revenue stream with minimal efforts.

And, with a vending machine, you limit theft, employee costs and can automate payment processing to reduce cash.

Sell at a Festival

It takes a tremendous amount of capital investment to promote a concert, festival or outdoor event. To become a long term business, it takes keeping the immediate gratification of event goers happy.

Most events only consider food trucks – which is a great idea but sometimes they have issues from not enough food to too long cook times to breaks in the music can cause very long wait times (drags down the entire vibe). If you are looking to speed up service to your event goers and increase your profits, vending can supplement your food service.

Add vending machines with snacks, healthy food options or quick meals. Vending machines can be there to dispense quick comfort items like sunscreen, breath aides, hand sanitizer and other beauty items. A vending machine can also dispense liquids. Even alcohol if you have necessary restrictions already in place.

Sell at a School

Middle and High schools are excellent locations for vending machines.

A specialty vending machine can be stocked with all types of student supplies like folders, calculators, pens and paper. And, most students have phones so they can pay without having to bring extra money to school. Vending machines can be specially outfitted to replace a school store. Consider stocking with school colors, branded t-shirts and any specialty items for game day.

This is an excellent idea for PTA’s or student organizations to raise money. It can be used as a learning tool for the business class as it can teach inventory, cost of goods, accounting and marketing.

Sell at a Swimming Pool

What’s better in the summer than a swimming pool? But that can be easily changed to a nightmare when you forget the sunscreen.

A swimming pool – neighborhood, city park or hotel pool can be a great place for a specialty vending machine stocked not just with sunscreen but googles, water wings, absorbent towels and so much more.

 

The best part is, this frees up staff to be invested in safety instead of selling something.

 

Sell at the Gym 

What does everyone need a the gym? Sell it in a vending machine!

Vending goes so far beyond just selling healthy foods and drinks from a vending machines. Try loading with….

  • Head phones.
  • Chargers.
  • Specialty lifting gloves.
  • Microfiber towels.
  • Specialty phone armbands.
  • After workout muscle pain remedies.

Looking for more inspiration? Try the QR code below. Call GAD and we can help.

Safety, Quality, Profitability for Vending Operators

Safety, Quality, Profitability for Vending Operators 2048 1365 GAD Vending

GAD works with a variety of Vending Operators that service many types of end locations. Part of our job is to help our Vending Operators with their profitability, safety and operational streamlining.

Service at the End Location

Service is the pain point for many of the end location customers. This is especially important for independent operators. Tasked with overseeing everything to do with the equipment, payment and stock levels this can be a big lift for a single operator.

But GAD can help.

Rethinking Vending Management

It is critical to manage your time, your route efficiencies and your profitability. Crane Vending offers Simplifi new software apps to manage your entire business on your smart phone. Set up stock alerts. Machine malfunction. And other alerts to help you be aware of issues before your end location. This helps you stop reacting to being proactive.

Customization is Key

Know your customer. Customize your vending equipment to service the type of customer. You may want a mix use machine that delivers both liquids and snacks. Check out the vendors that deliver full meals. Place a vending machine that dispense products like PPE, cell phone accessories or other high need merchandise.

Use Quality Equipment Reduces Ongoing Costs

Maintenance is key to keeping a quality machine in its best working order. Crane vending machines partnered with GAD Vending parts department keep your machines working 24 hours delivering product.

Machine Placement is Key

Machine placement is key. High traffic areas. Low competition areas like breakrooms. Unique locations like apartment complexes, schools and even convenience stores.

Many customers are looking for self service, securing product and low employee interaction cost. This opens up all new positions for vending machines. High priced products can be secured without employee costs. Small items can be vended easily.

Vending machines aren’t just for candy any more! Vending is an answer for today’s growing demand of retail and consumer expectations.

Vending – Brand Extension and New Marketing Opportunities

Vending – Brand Extension and New Marketing Opportunities 1100 450 GAD Vending

Vending: Not Just for Vending

How Convenience Services is Expanding

Vending: it’s not just for vending anymore. As retailers and brands look for ways to extend their reach and distribute their products in new ways, they’re turning to vending for customized merchandising solutions. A trend driven by both retailers and end users seeking self-service, vending operators are presented with new market opportunities to deploy the equipment they’ve been using for years in a whole new way.

Brand Extension

How Custom Vending Can Play a Role

Auto Vending Specialists (AVS), an Australian equipment distributor, has successfully used vending for companies seeking to deploy and extend their brands in unique ways. Some of the world’s leading retailers, including Moet, Armani, Lancôme, and Yves Saint Laurent, have partnered with AVS to produce custom vending machines that both promote their brands and delight their customers.

Their most recognizable project supported wine producer Moet with a custom vending machine. Designed to dispense single-serving champagne bottles, the fully branded vending machines debuted at high-end events and venues. Vending gave Moet an interactive way to take their brand and their product directly to the end customer.

The custom machine program resulted in an uplift for AVS revenue and awareness. To support the custom requests, many of which are for pop-up or temporary events, the AVS model enables companies and brands to rent the machines. This allows them to use the same equipment from event to event, with custom wraps and graphics for each. AVS founder, Basil Hourmouzis, explained that while AVS works with multiple machine manufacturers, they lean on CPI machines for custom events. The flexibility and brand reach enabled by the custom machines’ graphics and digital media screens delivers extra value to retailers.

Big Branding Opportunities

Vending’s Custom Future

Hourmouzis believes that the trend towards non-traditional vending will continue to increase over the years, as retailers look for new ways to distribute and promote their products and brands. Both distributors and operators should accommodate these changing needs, increasing the flexibility of their offerings to support clientele beyond the traditional convenience services market.  Increased consumer reliance on self-service will mean increased demands from brands looking for new options to stay engaged with their customers.

Vending – Brand Extension and New Marketing Opportunities

Vending – Brand Extension and New Marketing Opportunities 1100 450 GAD Vending

Vending: Not Just for Vending

How Convenience Services is Expanding

Vending: it’s not just for vending anymore. As retailers and brands look for ways to extend their reach and distribute their products in new ways, they’re turning to vending for customized merchandising solutions. A trend driven by both retailers and end users seeking self-service, vending operators are presented with new market opportunities to deploy the equipment they’ve been using for years in a whole new way.

Brand Extension

How Custom Vending Can Play a Role

Auto Vending Specialists (AVS), an Australian equipment distributor, has successfully used vending for companies seeking to deploy and extend their brands in unique ways. Some of the world’s leading retailers, including Moet, Armani, Lancôme, and Yves Saint Laurent, have partnered with AVS to produce custom vending machines that both promote their brands and delight their customers.

Their most recognizable project supported wine producer Moet with a custom vending machine. Designed to dispense single-serving champagne bottles, the fully branded vending machines debuted at high-end events and venues. Vending gave Moet an interactive way to take their brand and their product directly to the end customer.

The custom machine program resulted in an uplift for AVS revenue and awareness. To support the custom requests, many of which are for pop-up or temporary events, the AVS model enables companies and brands to rent the machines. This allows them to use the same equipment from event to event, with custom wraps and graphics for each. AVS founder, Basil Hourmouzis, explained that while AVS works with multiple machine manufacturers, they lean on CPI machines for custom events. The flexibility and brand reach enabled by the custom machines’ graphics and digital media screens delivers extra value to retailers.

Big Branding Opportunities

Vending’s Custom Future

Hourmouzis believes that the trend towards non-traditional vending will continue to increase over the years, as retailers look for new ways to distribute and promote their products and brands. Both distributors and operators should accommodate these changing needs, increasing the flexibility of their offerings to support clientele beyond the traditional convenience services market.  Increased consumer reliance on self-service will mean increased demands from brands looking for new options to stay engaged with their customers.