Comité permanent du Salon International de l’automobile, the organizer of the esteemed Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) recently announced that they will be postponing the upcoming 2022 event to 2023.
Industry wide issues directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic plagued the event. Despite the cancellation, however, the organizers are still taking steps to ensure that the much-awaited platform that was supposed to be used for the February 2022 event will continue to be updated so that they can give a more impactful show in 2023.
The GIMS 2022 organizers thought of what would be best for both automotive fans and car manufacturers when they made the decision to cancel the much-awaited event. Unfortunately, due to direct and indirect issues that hit the event because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they were faced with no other choice but to cancel.
The direct issues involved travel restrictions that the visitors, international exhibitors, and journalists would have to face. For indirect issues, car manufacturers are currently facing a semiconductor shortage and it is an issue that they needed to prioritize. After the recent cancellations, the team decided on the cancellation of the event and to announce the final decision formally.
“We have pushed very hard and tried everything to reactivate the Geneva International Motor Show in 2022. Despite all our efforts, we have to face the facts and the reality: the pandemic situation is not under control and presents itself as a big threat for a large indoor event like GIMS. But we see this decision as a postponement, rather than a cancellation. I am confident that the Geneva International Motor Show will come back stronger than ever in 2023,” shared Comité permanent du Salon international de l’automobile President Maurice Turrettini.
“Many exhibitors have indicated that the uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic make it impossible for them to make a firm commitment for GIMS 2022. On top of this is the negative impact that the current shortage of semiconductors has on car manufacturers. The chip crisis is likely to drag on well into next year, with negative financial implications for OEMs. In these uncertain times, many brands are therefore unable to make a commitment to participate in a trade fair that would have taken place in just over four months. When considering all the factors, it became clear that it was necessary to postpone the show, and to announce the news sooner than later to avoid cancelling at short notice,” stated Geneva International Motor Show CEO Sandro Mesquita.
The new GIMS platform has been slowly building up buzz for the last several months. It promised that people all over the world would be able to engage with its new digital ecosystem, giving its users a more enhanced experience. The platform is still being worked on so that it will be able to reach its full potential for the 2023 event.
The annual Geneva Motor Show is much-awaited event that is attended automotive enthusiasts while well-respected marques use the prestigious annual event as a venue to introduce their latest supercars and sports cars.
