The Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) planned for February 2022 has been postponed by the organisers until 2023. The last Geneva International Motor Show was staged in 2019, with the pandemic scuppering the 2020 and 2021 shows.
In a statement, the organisers said that industry-wide issues relating to the COVID-19 pandemic had forced the move. Earlier this year, the organisers had confirmed 2022 show dates.
However, the organisers also said that while February 2022 will be cancelled, the ‘steps already taken to evolve the platform will continue to be implemented, allowing for a more impactful show in 2023’.
The organisers also said the decision to cancel GIMS 2022 was made with the best interests of both car manufacturers and automotive fans in mind.
The statement said: ‘The direct and indirect issues relating to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic left the organisers 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’.
“We have pushed very hard and tried everything to reactivate the Geneva International Motor Show in 2022,” said Maurice Turrettini, President of the Comité permanent du Salon international de l’automobile. “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.”
The CEO of the Geneva International Motor Show, Sandro Mesquita, said: “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.”
The GIMS organisers also claimed that over the last several months, excitement has been building for the new GIMS platform that ‘promised to engage more people around the world with a digital ecosystem and an overall enhanced experience’.