The 2022 Geneva International Motor Show was scheduled to take place in February. However, the COVID pandemic continues and the auto industry is struggling with a global shortage of chips.
Thursday's organizers stated that there are still many uncertainties surrounding the pandemic as well as the lack of automakers being able to commit to the show. The show is usually a showcase for wild supercars and concepts. In 2023, the hope is for a more powerful show with more virtual presentations.
Maurice Turrettini (who runs the committee responsible for the show) stated that they have worked hard and done everything possible to revive the Geneva International Motor Show. Despite our best efforts, the fact remains that the pandemic situation isn't under control. This presents a serious threat to GIMS. We see this as a postponement and not a cancellation. I'm confident that the Geneva International Motor Show in 2023 will be stronger than ever.
Sandro Mesquita (CEO of the show) stated that the chip crisis will likely drag on well into next years, with negative financial consequences for OEMs. Many brands cannot commit to a participation in the trade fair, which would have been held in less than four months due to uncertain economic times.
Before the outbreak of coronavirus was officially declared a pandemic, the Geneva Motor Show was one the first major auto shows to be cancelled in 2020. Although some shows have started to reopen in recent months, organizers were forced to cancel events such as the New York International Auto Show in August due to the virus' delta variant. The Los Angeles Auto Show, originally scheduled for mid-November is still on track.
