The 2022 Geneva International Motor Show, which was scheduled to take place in February of 2022, has already been cancelled by organizers who are citing both the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and industry-wide supply chain issues as the cause.
“We have pushed very hard and tried everything to reactivate the Geneva International Motor Show in 2022", says Maurice Turrettini, President of the Comité permanent du Salon international de l’automobile. “Despite all our efforts, we have to face the facts and the reality: the pandemic situation is not under control and presents itself as a big threat for a large indoor event like GIMS. But we see this decision as a postponement, rather than a cancellation. I am confident that the Geneva International Motor Show will come back stronger than ever in 2023.”
The travel restrictions are one of the biggest issues in play here this year. While vaccines have enabled travel between most countries, there are still varying requirements that come into play — requirements that can change at any time. So, while a journalist or automaker might make plans now to attend the auto show and could satisfy all current travel restrictions, there’s still a chance that those regulations will be drastically different by the time Geneva rolls around depending on changing pandemic trends.
But there’s also a problem with the automotive industry as a whole: supply chain shortages.
“Many exhibitors have indicated that the uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic make it impossible for them to make a firm commitment for GIMS 2022,” the motor show’s CEO, Sandro Mesquita, added. “On top of this is the negative impact that the current shortage of semiconductors has on car manufacturers. The chip crisis is likely to drag on well into next year.”
In essence, organizers are saying that automakers may not be able to bring the same caliber of machine they’d normally bust out for GIMS because of semiconductor chips and other issues of scarcity. That all makes sense; you can’t very well host an auto show with few autos to show.
The organizers have stated very firmly that they intend the show to be back in full swing in 2023, though they’ll likely also be including some online exhibitions for anyone still hesitant to travel.