The Geneva Motor Show is one of the major international auto shows and was held again this year in Geneva, Switzerland. The show consisted of 250 exhibitors (246 in the previous show) and more than 100 world premieres. Press members came from all over the world to cover the show, and the air was charged with excitement.

Top executives from key European brands were present for the press briefings, including Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler; Norbert Reithofer, chairman of BMW; and Martin Winterkorn, chairman of Volkswagen. The presidents of Japanese makers Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Subaru also conducted briefings. Briefings by major makers were packed with people, and makers took steps to generate excitement by bringing in globally famous names, including Michael Schumacher at Mercedes-Benz booth and Justin Timberlake at Audi booth, just to name a few. There seemed to be more choreographed presentation compared to before, such as making an entrance by actually driving in with a car or holding dance performances. Mercedes-Benz’s circus-like performance using suspension wires left an impression.

The environment aspect was dominant throughout the show, with makers including CO2 emission reduction in their briefings, and electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles prominent in the display lineup. Of the premiere models, 16 were either electric or alternative-fuel vehicles. Some makers even displayed electric vehicles in the carrozzeria category.

As a special event, Hall 3 was designated as the “Green Pavilion.” About ten companies and research institutions displayed environmentally themed exhibitions and RWE, a major energy company in Germany, cooperated to set up an electric car test-drive event. There were no events with an entertainment aspect such as previously seen four-wheel drive vehicle test rides. The theme was environmental, and we sensed that times had changed.

For facilities, the congress centre was renovated with a red and black color theme and ads were shown on monitors embedded into pillars, like those seen in train stations in Japan, giving it a new and sophisticated look.

The impact of the recession was not apparent at all at the Geneva show. We were again impressed with the uniqueness of the Geneva show held in Switzerland, where there is no automotive industry.