The Geneva auto show, originally set to return in March 2022 after a two-year hiatus, has been canceled, event organizers announced today.
The Comité Permanent du Salon International de l'Automobile, the organizing body responsible for putting on the show, released a statement on Thursday citing ongoing issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the cancellation. From the announcement:
The decision to cancel GIMS 2022 was made with the best interests of both car manufacturers and automotive fans in mind. The direct and indirect issues relating to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic left the organizers with no alternative. On the one hand, direct issues of the pandemic include continued travel restrictions for international exhibitors, visitors, and journalists. On the other hand, indirect issues of the pandemic, such as the semiconductor shortage, have presented car manufacturers with new priorities that they need to solve first. These issues led to several recent cancellations, which resulted in the final confirmation of the show’s postponement.
Organizers for the 2020 show canceled the event just days before it was set to occur, caught out by the then-recent outbreak of COVID-19. Just a few months later, the 2021 show was canceled. The 2022 event was set to go on, but a lack of exhibitors forced the show to cancel.
"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," Geneva Motor Show CEO Sandro Mesquita said in a statement. "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 canceling at short notice.”
The organizing body is already promising a return for 2023.
"[W]e see this decision as a postponement, rather than a cancellation," says organizer President Maurice Turrenttini. "I am confident that the Geneva International Motor Show will come back stronger than ever in 2023."
From: Road & Track