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CES, the big consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, has been shortened by one day as many companies have pulled out of the event, including one e-bike manufacturer. So far, the AIMExpo motorcycle show, also scheduled for Vegas in about two weeks, has not been affected.
CES was shortened to three days as COVID-19 cases surged. Many companies, ranging from tech giants like Microsoft, Intel, Google and Amazon to vehicle makers such as GM, BMW and Mercedes, either eliminated or vastly scaled back their in-person participation in the show. Another company that opted out was electric bicycle maker Super73, which had planned to unveil a new model that was expected to be more motorcycle-like than its previous models. Damon Motorcycles went ahead with its plans to appear at CES and unveil its HyperFighter model.
The cancellations at CES raised the question of whether the AIMExpo might also be affected. The motorcycle expo is also scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, on January 19 through 21. But Motorcycle Industry Council Vice President for Market Expansion Cinnamon Kernes said so far only one small company has decided to pull out of AIMExpo. She noted that while CES is a large show that has attracted around 160,000 people in some years, including many international visitors, the AIMExpo is only expecting about 4,000 people in total attendance and participation.
"I can understand where a very packed show floor might make some people uncomfortable," said Kernes. "With our show having a much smaller attendance... we aren’t seeing those concerns."
AIMExpo has already been refocused, just as the consumer-facing Progressive International Motorcycle Shows were also reimagined due to the pandemic. Prior to 2020, AIMExpo combined industry-only days with additional days open to consumers and it took place in the fall. Now, the event has been moved to January and refocused as a business-to-business conference, without the consumer portion.
As fluid as the situation is with the outbreak due to the more contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus, it's still possible AIMExpo could be disrupted. While it may not be an indication of planned attendance, the host hotel recently announced reduced rates for visitors to AIMExpo.
