AIMExpo To Expand Made In America Pavilion In 2015

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

The American International Motorcycle Expo, or AIME, today announced a new showcase of homegrown products for the 2015 show. Made In America @ AIMExpo will put the spotlight on American companies designing, assembling or producing top quality products in this country.

Iconic American brand GoPro was a crowd favorite at AIMExpo

The focus on American-made brands not only serves as a platform for all American companies to participate, but will also provide a natural home for producers of American V-Twin products. Coincidentally, this announcement was made on the heels of this weekend’s Dealer News Expo – a direct competitor to AIME in the American motorcycle and cruiser scene – happening Friday-Sunday in Chicago.

While we can speculate this announcement is timed to disrupt the Dealer News Expo, there are important distinctions to be made. Both the Dealer News Expo and AIMExpo cover more than just the American motorcycle and cruiser scene. However, AIMExpo is open to the public, while Dealer Expo is for industry representatives only.

During the 2014 AIMExpo, the American Made Pavilion made its debut, following input from key domestic companies. Its popularity and success was enough to expand the idea in 2015, building a showcase in which the ingenuity of American companies could influence a broad domestic and international powersports marketplace seeking to add American lines.

“We made a commitment from the start that we would work to create value and energize the market with innovative ideas at AIMExpo, and this is the next step in that vision,” said Larry Little, VP and GM of the Marketplace Events Motorcycle Group. “It is also our approach to embracing the American V-Twin market segment with a focus first on American, and then V-Twin.”

Celebrating the brand's 60th anniversary this year, Bell Helmets had its Custom-Fit technology available for AIMExpo attendees to experience first-hand

“The time has come to showcase American companies and their American ingenuity!” Said Bob Kay, V-Twin Director, AIMExpo. “Made in America is the first of a number of initiatives we are developing to create a new home for American companies who market to the highly impactful V-Twin community. At the same time, we’re working hard to identify key event components important for V-Twin companies, so stay tuned for additional announcements about those in the near future.”

Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

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