The Geneva Motor Show is canceled - three days before the start
The 90th edition of the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS), which was scheduled to welcome media representatives starting next Monday and the general public from March 5 to 15, 2020, will not take place.
It is an order of the Federal Council of February 28, 2020, that no events with more than 1,000 people may take place until March 15, 2020. The sanction was issued three days before the opening of the GIMS for the media representatives.
The organizers accept this decision: "We regret this situation, but the health of all participants is an absolute priority for us and our exhibitors. This is a case of force majeure. For the exhibitors, who have invested massively in their presence in Geneva, this is a bitter loss. However, we are convinced that all those affected will understand this decision. We thank all those who have worked hard to make this 90th edition a reality. GIMS 2020 could have been a great event," Maurice Turrettini, president of the Foundation Board, said in a statement Friday.
It would have been only a few days until the opening of the event and the construction of the stands was almost completed, the statement continued. Just a week ago, during the press conferences announcing the 2020 edition, there had been nothing to suggest that such a measure might be necessary. The situation changed, it said, with the appearance of the first confirmed illnesses caused by the coronavirus in Switzerland and the Federal Council's order of Feb. 28, 2020. The event is cancelled due to this decision.
Now the dismantling has to be organized. The financial consequences for all those involved in the event are considerable and will be assessed in the coming weeks. One thing is already certain: the tickets sold for the event will be refunded. The organizers will inform about the procedure on their website as soon as possible.
Published on Sunday anyway: The Sonntagsblick special supplement on the Geneva Motor Show.
