More than 100 industry leaders traveled to Washington, D.C., for the 2026 NAMA Fly-In & Advocacy Summit, where they met with congressional offices to discuss issues affecting the convenience services industry.
Among the attendees were Neil Swindale of Vending Connection and Rebecca Lotz of Red Bull, who reflected on the experience following the event.
“This is my favorite event because it’s so small, and there’s so many opportunities to hang out with really cool people from our industry,” said Swindale, who was attending for the fifth time.
Lotz, attending her second Fly-In, said the event offers a valuable opportunity to educate policymakers while connecting with fellow industry professionals.
“It’s a great time to be in D.C. and really getting information out there to our legislators,” she said. “I enjoy being grouped up with people who have common interests in the industry.”
Attendees broke into small groups and spent the day meeting with congressional offices across Capitol Hill. Lotz’s group of three logged more than 12,000 steps while moving between meetings.
“We met with their legislative assistants,” she said. “It’s always good to get our word out there and ask for their support.”
According to NAMA, this year’s Fly-In included more than 100 congressional meetings covering topics such as nutrition policy, AI, payments, and regulation. The industry supports 171,000 jobs and generates $41 billion in economic activity nationwide.
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