Geneva Motor Show to be canceled after coronavirus causes government to ban large events
The 2020 Geneva Motor Show will be canceled after the Swiss government banned gatherings of 1,000 people or more on Friday due to concerns over the coronavirus. The ban is effective immediately and runs until mid-March. The 90th edition of GIMS was scheduled to start next week.
The Geneva Motor Show isn’t the biggest car show in the world, but it’s the one where automakers typically like to announce their flashiest, most future-facing vehicles and concepts. Last year we saw the debut of “megacars” like the Koenigsegg Jesko, VW’s electric dune buggy concept, and the Pininfarina Battista, one of the fastest electric vehicles on the planet.
Geneva is the latest trade show to get the axe following the coronavirus outbreak. In the tech world, the most notable have been the cancellation of Mobile World Congress, which is the biggest smartphone show in the world, and Facebook’s F8 developer conference. Some sporting events have been cancelled, too. Both Formula One and Formula E have canceled races in China, and the International Olympic Committee has faced increasing questions about this year’s summer olympics in Japan.
Palexpo, the foundation that puts on the Geneva Motor Show, had tried to keep it afloat by issuing a slate of warnings to attendees. It said it would increase the rate of cleaning and disinfection around the convention center, asked exhibitors from “at-risk areas” to screen their staff, and advised attendees to regularly wash their hands and also keep at least three feet away from anyone “who is coughing or sneezing.”
The 2020 Geneva Motor Show will be canceled after the Swiss government banned gatherings of 1,000 people or more on Friday due to concerns over the coronavirus. The ban is effective immediately and runs until mid-March. The 90th edition of GIMS was scheduled to start next week. The Geneva Motor…
