Geneva Motor Show needs help - unfriendly takeover looms

The Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) is one of the most prominent Swiss Corona victims. (Werbewoche.ch reported). How the SonntagsBlick reported in the current issue, the salon-organizing GIMS Foundation was able to settle many financial claims that had arisen - but now it has run out of money.

The foundation therefore asked the canton of Geneva for help. Its government subsequently assured the Salon organizers of aid amounting to 16.8 million Swiss francs - but tied this to demands.

For example, the GIMS Foundation is to pledge all shares in the Geneva exhibition company Palexpo - and thus relinquish all influence on its own exhibition. In addition, the Geneva Motor Show will no longer be organized by the foundation, but by the Palexpo company, 80 percent of which belongs to the canton.

In other words, the Geneva government is thus relieving the GIMS Foundation of its actual task, namely the organization of Switzerland's largest public trade show. Foundation consists mainly of representatives of the Swiss Automobile Importers Association and its members.

Understandably, the car importers are not very enthusiastic about the proposal. Nevertheless, the GIMS Foundation Board decided - contrary to rumors to the contrary - that the Motor Show will not be held in Zurich or Basel in the future, but will remain in Geneva. In order for this to be possible, they will probably have to bite the bullet and accept the demands of the Geneva government.

Nevertheless, the last word has not yet been spoken. The GIMS committee meeting, in which the car importers have a majority, has yet to be held. First, however, we will have to wait and see whether the multi-million euro financial injection will be approved by parliament in June.