Luxury Cars
Geneva Motor Show 2020 Cancelled 3 Days Before Scheduled Event Opening
In a huge blow for the event and attendees, the Geneva International Motor Show 2020 (GIMS) has been officially cancelled.
The 90th edition of GIMS was due to welcome media on Monday 2nd March 2020 and the general public from Thursday 5th – Sunday 15th March with approximately 500,000 attendees expected. However just 3 days before the scheduled opening the official announcement was made that the event had been cancelled with GIMS confirming there would be no rescheduling to another time in the year.
The Geneva International Motor Show stated that the cancellation was due to an injunction of the Federal Council of 28th February 2020 that no events with more than 1000 people are allowed to take place until 15th March 2020.
Czinger Vehicles commented on the Official GIMS Instagram account @gimsswiss stating “Very disappointingly. We know how committed you are to creating the best car show on earth and how much that goes into it, so we empathize with you a lot. Heart wrenching for us as well as this was going to be the big launch that we had planned for for a long long time. Sometimes things are beyond our control…”
With nearly half a million people having already planned to attend, and around 50% of those with flights and accommodation already paid for and secured, many have the difficult decision of whether they should continue traveling to Geneva and holiday or try to contact providers and check their cancellation options. The Geneva International Motor Show has committed to refunding all tickets purchased for the 2020 event.
The GIMS official response via their press release and website home page stated….
The organizers accept this decision: “We regret this situation, but the health of all participants is our and our exhibitors’ top priority. This is a case of force majeure and a tremendous loss for the manufacturers who have invested massively in their presence in Geneva. However, we are convinced that they will understand this decision,” said Maurice Turrettini, Chairman of the Foundation Board. We would like to warmly thank all those involved in the organisation of the 2020 edition of GIMS.
A few days before the opening of the event, the construction of the stands was very nearly complete. A week ago, during the press conferences announcing the 2020 edition, there was nothing to suggest that such a measure was necessary. The situation changed with the appearance of the first confirmed coronavirus diseases in Switzerland and the injonction of the Federal Council on 28.02.2020. The event is cancelled due to this decision. In the meantime, the dismantling of the event will now have to be organised. The financial consequences for all those involved in the event are significant and will need to be assessed over the coming weeks. One thing is certain: tickets already purchased for the event will be refunded. The organisers will communicate about this as soon as possible, via their website.