The Rolls-Royce Cullinan at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show.
Martyn Lucy | fake pictures
Organizers of the Geneva Motor Show in Europe have canceled next year’s event due to the coronavirus pandemic and plan to sell the annual meeting to the local conference center that houses the Swiss motor show, they announced Monday.
Decisions are made when many automakers reassess spending on advertising and marketing, including vehicle launches and car shows, as Covid-19 paralyzes business operations.
The Committee and Council of the “Salon International de l’Automobile” Foundation, which organizes the Geneva International Motor Show, mentioned the lack of interest of the exhibitors as the main reason for the cancellation of the exhibition in 2021.
“The automotive sector is going through a difficult phase and exhibitors need time to recover from the effects of the pandemic,” the organization said in a statement. Most of the event’s exhibitors who participated in a survey stated that they “probably won’t participate” in an exhibition next year, according to the statement.
Organizers of the Geneva Motor Show were forced to cancel this year’s show in February, days before it opened. It was the first major show to do so due to the coronavirus pandemic. Other auto shows slated for this spring in New York and Detroit were also canceled.
The problems caused by Covid-19 add to uncertain times for world auto shows, many of which were struggling to stay on the limelight before the global health crisis.
Automated displays have historically been used by automakers to present their newest and best products, however many have moved to external or online events due to logistics and costs.
People visit the all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, the United States, on Nov. 22, 2019.
Xinhua via Getty Images
The 2021 Geneva auto show was expected to occur in March. The cancellation of the program raises questions about whether or not other automatic shows will be performed, such as the one in Los Angeles, scheduled for November. Show organizers for the California show did not immediately respond to comment.
Organizers of the Geneva motor show said they plan to sell the program assets to the owners of the Palexpo conference center in Geneva, where the event is being held.
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