- 90th edition of Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) has been cancelled
- Swiss Government bans all public events with 1,000 people or more, until 15 March
- The situation changed with the first confirmed case of coronavirus in Switzerland
The 90th edition of Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) has been officially cancelled. GIMS has officially issued a statement injunction of Swiss Government’s decision to ban all public events with 1,000 people or more, until 15 March. The Federal Council issued the directive on Friday, 28 February. The 2020 GIMS, which was supposed to welcome the media from Monday and the general public from 5 to 15 March 2020, will now finally not take place.
Commenting on the decision to cancel the automotive event, Maurice Turrettini, Chairman of the Foundation Board, “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.”
The GIMS statement reads, “A few days before the opening of the event, the construction of the stands was 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 February. 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. The tickets which were purchased for the event will be refunded. The organisers will communicate about this as soon as possible, via their website.
