FOR many of us, life is pretty much back to normal after Covid-19 first landed in the UK. For the most part, events are taking place, masks are not mandatory, and life seems, for many people, to be back to normal.
The aftershocks of the Covid-19 pandemic though are still being felt on the continent, as motorcycle fairs and events are still being cancelled. The news comes from Motorcycles.News, as it reports on the cancellation of two motorcycle fairs due to take place in the new year.
It seems like it is not the threat of Covid-19 spikes as a result of the show that is causing the postponement, instead the website is claiming that low exhibitor participation is the defining reason.
The website claims that the number of exhibitors signed up for the event was 50 percent lower than expected, something it links to supply disruption, a lack of staff to run the event, and the overall political and economic situation in the region.
Covid-19 cancels IMA and BMT shows in Hesse and Berlin
The two fairs in question are the IMA event in Hesse and the BMT show in Berlin. And the organisers broke the news on the Berlin Motorrad Tage (BMT) Facebook page. The post read:
Unfortunately we have to cancel BMT 2023!
After 3 years of corona break and approx. 10 put ups or down Cancellation of scheduled and partially already planned fairs, the time is probably not ready for all events yet.
Unfortunately, the participation of motorcycle exhibitors in the Hessen and Berlin area was too low due to supply chain interruptions or too weak staff coverage, that we remained below 50% of the expected participation, in the segment new vehicles.
We are of the opinion that a motorcycle fair must reflect a certain industry cross-section to provide the visitor with comparison and information opportunities. Unfortunately, this was not given at these two scheduled events.
We are very sorry that we had to make this decision for the IMA and the BMT.
The news does counter the experiences we saw this November at the NEC when Motorcycle Live welcomed record crowds, a high number of big-name visitors, and scores of big names from the world of two-wheels. If anything, it goes some way to proving just how big the appetite is on this side of the channel, for live motorcycle events and shows to carry on as normal.
