Geneva Motor Show to skip 2021, resume in 2022
The next Geneva Motor Show is to be held in 2022, skipping 2021 altogether, it has been confirmed.
The Geneva Motor Show 2020 was marred by COVID-19 and its ensuing cancellation looked like it might have spelled the end for Switzerland’s largest public event. However, The Committee and Council of the Foundation “Salon International de l’Automobile” has decided that a 2022 Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) is preferable to holding one in 2021.
The organisers conducted a survey of exhibitors and found that the preference was to skip an event in 2021 altogether, due to the uncertainty of whether it would be too soon to hold one in spring 2021 with potentially on-going COVID-19 fears, as well as the industry only just beginning to recover from the crisis now.
In addition, a loan to the organisers from the Swiss government has been rejected due to unfavourable terms in light of no event in 2021, which was a condition of the loan. Consequently, GIMS will be sold to Palexpo SA including all assets. The aim, however, is to find a solution to ensure regular organisation of an International Motor Show in Geneva.
The show’s economic impact on the canton of Geneva is estimated at around CHF 200m per year.