The automobile salon on Lake Geneva had been a fixed date for the automotive world for decades – until Corona came and the fair had to be canceled twice. The two cancellations also presented the organizers with considerable financial problems, so that the future of the event – with 600,000 visitors the largest of its kind in Switzerland – after 90 editions was about to come to an end. In addition, there were disputes with the canton of Geneva, which called the future of the event into question. But now, according to Swiss media reports, the future of the “Geneva International Motorshow” seems to be secure.
The savior apparently comes from the Arab emirate of Qatar, which has solved the financial problems of the foundation, which is the organizer behind the salon, as a partner. Qatar holds a 15 percent stake in Volkswagen as the third largest shareholder. The partnership with the investment company from the emirate is designed in such a way that the Arab financiers want to use the experience and, above all, the international network of Geneva for their own large-scale auto show. After various major sporting events such as the soccer world championship in the coming year, the emirate is looking for further international events.
Concept still secret for the time being
Trade fair director Sandro Mesquita confirmed the negotiations with international partners to the Swiss media. However, the exact details remain officially in the dark. The identity of the donor and further plans are only to be published towards the end of the month. According to the plans, the redesigned trade fair will take place between February 19 and 27 next year. The tenders were sent to the automobile manufacturers a few weeks ago. “My team and I can hardly wait to present our concept to the exhibitors and then to the public”, explained Sandro Mesquita at the time.
One thing is certain: the Geneva Motor Show will be different from previous events in the coming year. Those responsible have reduced the exhibition space by around 20 percent and at the same time the Geneva organizers want to show the “entire mobility ecosystem”, whatever that means. In contrast to the German IAA, where more bicycle manufacturers than automobile manufacturers show their innovations in September, the focus at Lake Geneva will definitely be on automobiles with all types of drive, assure the planners.
The news that the Geneva Motor Show has a future again should have caused a sigh of relief, especially in the canton of Geneva. Although the left-wing administration of the city has not shown itself to be exactly car-friendly in the past, the hoteliers and restaurateurs in the metropolis on Lac Leman especially like to take the financial effects of the salon with them. According to a calculation by Geneva University, the fair washes around 200 million Swiss francs into the pockets of the local economy.
aum / ww