AIMExpo 2026 Event Recap
Staged at the Anaheim Exhibition Center in California on January 7-9, AIMExpo is described by the organizers (the Irvine, California based Motorcycle Industry Association/MIC) as having been "another defining moment for the powersports industry.
"OEMs, distributors, aftermarket manufacturers, service providers, dealers and media came together to do business, build relationships, and move the industry forward." However, whether or not the enforced Los Angeles swing this year moved the show's needle forward remains to be seen.
"From the show floor to education and networking, the energy was constant and the momentum unmistakable." Las Vegas had momentum, and this has been a one-year only LA experiment as the show will migrate again for 2027, back to Orlando, where it will staged later, immediately before Daytona Bike Week, at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida on March 3-5. Whether or not it will be back to the Southwest, or maybe try another year or two in the Midwest remains to be seen.
"As a trade-only event AIMExpo 2026 delivered record-setting engagement from retailers and exhibitors, with meaningful conversations, real deal-making, and overwhelmingly positive feedback from across the industry."
But did it deliver? What did it deliver? The changed timing meant that we here at AMD couldn't go to the show this year, and, sadly, I have to say that the reports we have received from exhibitors have been mixed - at best. There still is a perceived inability for the show to achieve critical mass in dealer number terms and still a specific reluctance to engage from among the V-twin and broader Custom Motorcycle segment.
This is a shame because, as we have said before, the old metrics aren't valid yardsticks anymore and what AIMExpo has successfully achieved is to create an industry-wide nexus, a hybrid show that is as tall in terms of the channel levels it caters to as it is broad in terms of its segment footprint.
In seeking the 'Moonshot' outcome it perhaps has become too OE dominated, leaving the pure aftermarket shops and specialist vendors who sell to them a feeling marginalised. It doesn't have to be that way though. It is to be hoped that, eventually, it will 'find a groove' that all segments can dance to - sadly location has a lot to do with this, and there simply is no perfect solution.
The organizers go on to say that "a standout moment was the A1 Track Walk at Angel Stadium - a first-of-its-kind experience for the powersports industry. Bringing attendees onto the track for an unforgettable night of connection and celebration, the event underscored the power of gathering face-to-face in bold, new ways."
In conclusion the AIMExpo team says that "the message from the industry remains clear: we need a place to come together - under one roof, at one time - to connect, collaborate, and find inspiration. AIMExpo is that place, where the industry unites to grow - together."
