Coronavirus forces postponing of Geneva inventions show

Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis at the 2018 edition of the inventions fair. © Keystone / Martial Trezzini

The Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions, which was due to take place at the end of March, has been postponed by six months due to the coronavirus epidemic.

“Nearly 50% of exhibitors come from the Asian continent, a third of which from China and a third from Hong Kong,” explained the organisersExternal link on Monday.

Not wanting to take any risks, and facing the widespread difficulties of this large Asian contingent securing visas, they have postponed the event until September.

“We cannot imagine opening an exhibition that does not represent the mission we have been pursuing for many years, namely being a platform of visibility for inventions from all over the world,” exhibition director Gaëlle Grosjean said.

The exhibition has been running for almost half a century. At the 47th edition last year, some 800 exhibitors were present, as well as 31,000 visitors. The top prize went to a recyclable and pollution-free lithium car battery.

Motoring ahead

The Geneva Motor Show, a huge car expo that attracts almost three-quarters of a million visitors, is set to go ahead as planned from March 5-15, public broadcaster RTS reportsExternal link.

The Motor ShowExternal link will take place in the same venue as the postponed inventions fair (Palexpo), with organisers saying that they are following all guidelines issued by the Federal Office for Public Health and that they are ready for “all possible scenarios”.