Is The Auto Show Dead? Coronavirus Has Automakers Rethinking Tradeshows Altogether

It is hard to know the full impact of canceling the most prestigious and anticipated auto show in the world had on the automakers that were scheduled to display there. Millions, even billions, may have been lost as the half-setup Geneva International Motor Show without warning canceled just days before it was set to open because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Geneva International Motor Show has been held every year since 1905, with automakers reserving their splashiest car launches for the event. But now many of these same automakers are reportedly rethinking the value of being at these tradeshows altogether.

With the cancelation of the Geneva International Motor Show, automakers scrambled and made alternative plans that included tours and drives of the very cars that they were set to unveil for journalists and customers, according to Bloomberg. Some used live-streaming events to capture an online audience of potential clients that can watch the debut over and over again, and others will launch their new car designs at the next event if that one doesn’t get canceled too.

The Geneva International Motor Show is not the first auto show that has been put off by the coronavirus spread. Organizers canceled the Frankfurt Auto Show, and the Beijing Auto Show has been postponed indefinitely due to the growing number of COVID-9 cases.

But as these car shows get back to their regular schedule, some automakers have opted out of them altogether. Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, Ford, and many others already planned to skip the Geneva International Motor Show even before organizers announced it was canceled, Bloomberg reported. Audi, Bentley, and Daimler also supported the decision to cancel the event, the news outlet said.

While more auto shows coming up have the potential to be canceled as well, attendees of the events that do move forward may not see the full rollout of companies that were once in attendance. Automakers may dwindle, their displays may get smaller, and their absence may be noticed as they use new, more innovative ways to debut that next car, truck, or SUV.

The coronavirus has infected nearly 100,000 people worldwide and killed 3,400 people, according to the World Health Organization.

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