The Geneva auto show will go ahead next February, after two years of forced cancellations due to the pandemic, according to the event organisation.

The GIMS Foundation, the organisation behind the show, said it would give exhibitors until mid-July to register for the event.

The show will be open to the public from February 19-27, said GIMS. Automakers were forced to switch to internet live streaming to show off their new cars when the 2020 show was cancelled at short notice during the first wave of the pandemic.

The trend is accelerating and threatening the business model of auto shows, which involve heavy investments for the companies taking part.

"We don’t know what the situation will be in February, but it looks like things will be back to normal in September and we are hoping things will stay that way," GIMS CEO Sandro Mesquita told Automotive News Europe.

He said the show was moved to February from its usual timing in March due to the changing events calendar of Palexpo, the organization that owns the venue where the show takes place.

Mesquita said the 2022 show will provide GIMS with an opportunity to showcase the digital innovations that were planned for the canceled shows last year and this year.

He said that the pandemic has accelerated the digital shift across trade shows of all kinds and said GIMS plans to use digital tools to expand the reach of the event and provide new experiences that bring together the virtual and the physical.

"We already know our show will be a kind of hybrid show," he told Automotive News Europe. "Digital is important and will play a role in our show, however, physical contact is something that is also important, and our exhibitors are looking for that."

Exhibitors can also look forward to two exclusive press days on 17 and 18 February, prior to the official opening of the show, said GIMS.

Due to the cuts in marketing budgets throughout the motoring industry in 2021, and the wane in attendance in motor shows in recent years, it will be interesting which brands sign up for the 2022 Geneva event. 

It will also be interesting to see what Covid restrictions GIMS will put in place, such as “vaccine passports”, and whether large brands will host international journalists or just Europe and UK motoring writers to cut costs.