The Geneva Motor Show is of course not a classic car show, but every year it was still a reason for fans of older vehicles to visit the city on Lake Geneva. The 89th Geneva Motor Show took place in 2019 and was the last of its kind.
The 90th Salon should have been held in a new setup in 2020, but coronavirus intervened. Since then, fans of the Geneva Motor Show have been waiting for it to take place again. It will not take place in 2023 either.
Focus on Qatar
The Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) will take place exclusively in Doha, Qatar, in 2023. The event planned for Geneva in February 2023 will not take place, the "Comité permanent du Salon international de l'automobile de Genève" foundation announced today with regret.
"Due to the uncertainties in the global economy and the geopolitical situation, as well as the risks associated with the development of the pandemic, the organizers have decided to focus exclusively on planning the event in Doha in 2023," said Maurice Turrettini, President of the "Comité permanent du Salon international de l'automobile de Genève" Foundation.
Decision due to lack of predictability
The GIMS will be held exclusively in Qatar in 2023, the members of the Committee and the Board of Trustees of the "Comité permanent du Salon international de l'automobile de Genève" decided at a meeting in Bern. The original plan was to hold the GIMS 2023 in two editions, the first from February 14 to 19, 2023 at Palexpo in Geneva and the second, the "world premiere", in November in Doha, Qatar.
"We have done everything we can to ensure that we can host GIMS 2023 in Geneva in February. The format has evolved and the project has been very well received. In the end, however, the risks were weighted higher," says Maurice Turrettini.
A brand with a promising future
"Our team has worked very hard to ensure that GIMS 2023 can take place in both Geneva and Doha," continues Sandro Mesquita, CEO of the Geneva International Motor Show, adding: "In these uncertain times, many brands are not in a position to commit to participating in a show in Europe in winter. After evaluating all the elements, it has become clear to the Foundation that the show cannot take place in Geneva in 2023 as planned. For the brands that wanted to participate in Geneva, the fans and the loyal visitors of our Geneva show, we regret that we will not be able to organize this traditional event."
World premiere in Doha
The first edition of the "Geneva International Motor Show Qatar" is therefore scheduled to take place in November 2023 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) and several other decentralized venues, offering many unique and spectacular driving experiences. "We are now fully focused on organizing the GIMS in Doha and look forward to confirming the dates and format of this ground-breaking event with our partners at Qatar Tourism shortly," concludes Sandro Mesquita. The event in Qatar will be held every two years.
