Geneva Auto Show is due to be held in Doha, Qatar. The show was originally planned to take place in the traditionally chilly venue of Switzerland, Geneva in 2023 but has switched to the summery Middle East.

Formally known as Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS), organizers of the event attributed unspecified economic, geopolitical, and pandemic-related concerns, being the reasons to stage the show outside its hometown.

Maurice Turrettini, President of the foundation Comité permanent du Salon international de l’automobile de Genève said in a statement, “The risks overweighed the opportunities.” In a statement further, the board elaborates that they originally decided to hold the show in two editions. The first part begins from 14 till 19 February at Palexpo in Geneva. Being the world premiere, the second venue was decided as Doha in Qatar in November 2023. “We have done everything possible to ensure that we could host GIMS 2023 in Geneva in February. The enhanced event format and project had been very well received. But in the end, the risks overweighed the opportunities,” Maurice Turrettini further remarked.

 

Geneva’s auto show is abandoning its namesake location in Switzerland next year and instead will be held in Doha, Qatar https://t.co/7umEu24PH2

— Bloomberg (@business) August 18, 2022

CEO of the Geneva International Motor Show Sandro Mesquita added that the team has worked diligently to make sure that GIMS 2023 can successfully take place in both Geneva and Doha. “In these uncertain times, many brands are not in a position to commit to participating in a show in Europe in the winter. After assessing all the elements, it has become clear to the foundation that the 2023 Salon cannot take place in Geneva as planned. For the brands that wanted to participate in Geneva, the fans and the loyal visitors to our Geneva Salon, we regret that we had to decide to cancel this 2023 edition,” continues Sandro Mesquita.

Since 2019, the exhibition hasn’t been held. Previously in 2020, it was canceled days ahead of the show due to the sudden outbreak of coronavirus. The mishap was supplemented by a Doha-based event as per a statement last year in partnership with Qatar Tourism. At a Thursday meeting in Bern, the organizers decided to scrap the Geneva portion of the event in February and hold it exclusively in Doha in November 2023. 

Surprisingly, this news emerged less than a month before the scheduled start of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Ironically, it has also not been held in three years. 

The first edition of GIMS is set to take place at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) as well as at several other decentralized venues. Promising to offer unique and unconventional driving experiences, the organizers are fully focused towards confirming the dates and format of this ground-breaking event with their partners at Qatar Tourism shortly. With the Qatar event scheduled to be held every two years, the first Geneva International Motor Show Qatar will take place in November 2023 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center. 

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New source - Bloomberg