The analyst meeting was held at a modest hotel to reassure investors that an eye was being kept to the costs of the endeavor, a far cry from the lavish and delicious buffets the company used to serve up at their annual gathering at the Pierre Hotel in New York City.
On the other hand, it could be an expensive endeavor for Amazon with high investment costs in data centers and competitive pricing to fend off market entrants, but that would be a low-margin strategy.