Worldbex, the organizers of the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS), has just announced that they will be postponing the event due to the international COVID-19 outbreak.
The announcement is as follows:
In light of the recent turn of events concerning COVID-19 which has led the Philippine government to declare a state of public health emergency, the management of Worldbex Services International has come to the decision to temporarily postpone MIAS 2020. The intention behind this pronouncement is to help prevent the spread of the virus and to ensure the utmost safety of all our stakeholders, exhibitors, and visitors.
This decision was made after extensive and careful consideration of the current situation alongside our commitment to cooperate with the government's efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. We humbly ask for your understanding in these trying times.
We want to thank everyone who has taken part in the preparations for MIAS 2020 and those who have expressed their commitment and support for our endeavors and would like to assure all concerned that the event will be held at a later date when the public's safety can be assured. For now we hope for everyone's continued well-being and safety.
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There has been an increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines in the last few days with another 10 confirmed just earlier today, bringing the total to 20. The outbreak has affected international air travel, stock markets, and major international events.
In relation to the auto industry, just a few weeks ago Geneva Motor Show organizers announced that they were canceling the show, and so car manufacturers decided to hold digital world premieres instead.
The 2020 edition of the Manila International Auto Show was originally scheduled to be held at the World Trade Center Manila and the Philippine International Convention Center from April 2 to 5.
This year's show would have been the 16th consecutive edition; an event that attracts over 100,000 visitors per year. The first MIAS was held in 2005, and typically during early April. This will also be the first time that the show will have been postponed.
2020 was originally supposed to host the two major motorshows in the country with MIAS in summer and the bi-ennial PIMS or Philippine International Motor Show much later in the year; the last edition was held in October 2018.
In an earlier announcement, Worldbex also stated that they will be postponing their construction expo which was supposed to have been held from March 18 to 21. In another post after that announcement, Worldbex published a photo that seems to indicate that they are moving the show to 2021.
