Geneva 2024: A very disappointing show

For the first time since the epidemic episode, the Geneva show opens its doors. Unfortunately, reality has caught up with one of the world’s most beautiful automobile events.

“Extraordinary and magical”. Thus I title what will be one of my last reports of the Geneva Motor Show, an event without parallel in the world. Due to its geographical location, on the one hand, but also with its calendar, a few days before spring, on the other hand, GIMS reigned supreme in the world of automobile events. Because it was a favorite of all builders, preparers and craftsmen, they were willing to cut their budgets to get a place at Palexpo. Even Tesla, who still stubbornly rejected traditional methods of communication, had to succumb to the temptation.

Doha in the spotlight

But now, despite all its advantages, the Swiss exhibition, like Frankfurt or Paris, was beginning to hemorrhage. But it was the 2020 pandemic that sounded the death knell for this meeting. Canceled a few days before its opening, when the assembly of the stands was well underway, the Geneva show, unknowingly, turned a page in its fabulous history.

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Especially the Geneva International Motor Show (or GIMS for short) was never able to relaunch, with a series of cancellations in the following years, amid financial reluctance and geopolitical and financial uncertainties. However, in order to better reinvent itself, even if that means imagining anything, the organization had the idea of ​​splitting the meeting into two editions for 2023: one in Geneva, and the other in… Qatar, thus Geneva International Motor Show Qatar. If the first was canceled in 2023, the second took place, which is still bringing together about thirty brands and attracting about 180,000 visitors. A very mixed result compared to 602,000 visitors in 2019, but a satisfying result for an organization on the brink. Could this have saved GIMS?

Honey, I shrunk the living room

The fact is that the 2024 Geneva Motor Show has managed to open its doors at the historic Palexpo venue. Good news for those involved in the industry, at least it seems like good news, but especially for visitors who are used to coming out of the hall with bright eyes. But in the end, this would not be the case, as the restart proved timid. Because this year, the list of exhibitors is enough to bring tears to your eyes: no less than ten automobile brands (20 exhibitors in total) have come forward to participate with the most important, BYD, Dacia, MG and Renault.

Therefore, the size of the living room is a cause of serious concern. Normally spread over seven huge halls (which were considered human-sized exhibitions in the profession), GIMS 2024 now occupies just… two, barred by a black curtain of utter sadness to hide the surrounding emptiness. But, it is undoubtedly no coincidence, the two-story plan, characteristic of the Geneva show, has been preserved. However, the reality is quite different: everyone was accommodated on the ground floor, the other half of the lounge upstairs is reserved for the – cool – display of numerous vintage cars, like old cars. A height, for a seat which carries Auto.Future.Now As a slogan!

Renault Motor Show

As in Paris, the Renault Group decided to play with the diamond brand on its historic plot with two grand staircases and Dacia replacing Nissan on its right. A big blow for the French firm, which positioned itself more than a measure in the media: no other competing brand came to overshadow it, it presented the most anticipated new product this year R5, and was awarded the prestigious award. Car of the Year title with Renault Scénic e-Tech! A winning trifecta.

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Established from the front, BYD and MG, the two other largest stands, had no chance. However, these two Chinese brands, which are happily taking advantage of the current situation and the absence of historical manufacturers, have a rather well-stocked program. BYD, which also presented in Paris and Tokyo, introduced the restyled Tang, but also launched its new brands Yangwang and Danza. A similar strategy at MG with the first appearance of the MG 3 Hybrid, but also of the new high-end brand IM. The strangeness of these models certainly attracted the cameras of the journalists present, but they could not do anything against Renault, which reminded on its stand that, ultimately, “R5volution is a French thing” (Revolution is a French specialty).

Paid a very expensive visit

Despite all efforts to return to the shores of Lake Geneva, GIMS no longer reigns supreme in the world of trade fairs. A magnificent event that attracts visitors from all four corners of the world, the Geneva show appears this year as a small local fair, not even coming close to the Lyon show. Of course, visitors can revel in some new electric cars or other iconic cars (Lucid knows how to do both), but they’ll travel quickly: in less than two hours, we’re done, deal done! And for good reason: there are only eight premieres (world or European), while every edition of the Old World appears ten times more!

This seems a shame for the show which, however, plans to pick the pockets of visitors. Because if the price for exhibitors has been significantly reduced to 110 CHF/m2, the price of tickets has increased: now they cost 25 CHF (26 €) for adults and 18 CHF (19 €) for under 15s, (14 €) and 9 CHF (8 €) respectively in 2019 compared to 16 CHF! Additionally, there is no discount for entries after 4:00 pm (- 50% earlier) and you must also select an entry time slot with a margin of 2:30 hours (from 9:00 am to 11:00 am). 30 for example) which must be respected under penalty of being denied entry without possible refund. With tickets almost twice as expensive and the exhibition area almost halved, it will undoubtedly be very difficult for the organization to reach its target of 200,000 visitors for this edition… which celebrates the centenary of the Show International Automobile Conference in Geneva. !