2021 Geneva Motor Show Will Have Some Significant Changes

Sep. 20, 2020 11:10 AM ET byMartin Bigg Geneva Motor Show /Comments

Here's how the Geneva Motor Show could still go ahead next year.

The 2020 Geneva Motor Show was one of many major auto showscanceled this yeardue to the global pandemic. Organizers then decided tocancel next year's showback in June. However, it turns out the 2021 Geneva Motor Show could still happen after all, albeit with some significant changes.

As reported by Autonews Europe, the Geneva Motor Show could return for 2021, but organizers won't be opening the doors to the public. Instead, organizers are offering manufacturers an "all-inclusive package that covers the cost of their stands and accommodations for guests" according to documents seen by Automotive News Europe.

This means the event will be limited to the media only and the will only be hosted for three days. The Geneva Motor Show usually attracts around 500,000 visitors a year, which would make it impossible to enforce social distancing rules if the show opened to the public.

Palexpo, the company that runs the Geneva show exhibition hall, will reportedly host the event, but the company does not own the rights after organizers tried to sell the event for 15 million Swiss franc ($16.5 million). Palexpo refused to pay up, as the company felt this was a "huge" sum.

Manufacturers are reportedly being offered packages ranging from 150,000 to 750,000 francs ($165,000 to $825,000) to attend the event. The entry-level package would allegedly allow automakers to display one car and invite up to 10 members of the media, while the range-topping package allows up to four vehicles to be displayed and 100 guests.

Whether this will lure automakers back to Geneva remains to be seen, as no manufacturers have confirmed they will be attending the 2021 show yet. With the 2020 Geneva Motor Show canceled, automakers relied on digital events to showcase the latest models online such as the newPorsche 911 Turbo, Bentley Bacalar, andBugatti Chiron Pur Sport. Lamborghini, on the other hand,will never attend an auto show againand plans to exclusively host private events. While these events will be smaller, they will still likely have fewer restrictions than the packages proposed by Geneva Motor Show organizers.