How to prepare for the 2016 Geneva Motor Show ?
How to prepare for the next big thing?? The 2016 Geneva Motor Show is right around the corner. As I’m writing those lines, we’re less than 10 days until the beginning of the press days (March 1st – March 2nd)! The show itself will start on March 3rd and will last for 10 days (end day: March 13th). A lot of excitement is slowly building up inside my head, I can’t wait to see all the things which we know about, as well as all the surprises I’ll find there. But what I’m wondering internally is “what’s the best way to organize myself and prepare for the event“?
Believe it or not, it’s actually a very crucial question every petrolhead asks himself before every event (or he *should* be asking himself): what is the most efficient way to cover an event. Even more so when it’s a “big event” with usually a lot of cars displayed, like an international motor show. Wether it’s the press days or even public days, I don’t think there is much difference, though the latter sort of makes it a bit harder due to the bigger crowd (I’ll give you that) but it will never take any of the magic & wonder from it. So while I was thinking of this, I thought I could share with you guys 3 important TIPS on how to prepare yourself, which might seem like common sense to most of you, especially those who are used to events. And they sort of ARE common sense. But like a mother who always makes sure everything is OK for her children (even if they’re in their late 40s, mothers will still repeat what they’ve been saying for 40 years), I want everything to be perfect for you. Here they are:
PLAN AHEAD
Seems pretty obvious, right? But if this is your first time, you might actually want to plan ahead to avoid unexpected surprises. Especially if you’re coming from abroad. Believe me, I’ve had my fair share of bad and unpleasant surprises (worst one being my Passport wasn’t valid anymore, despite being a very simple thing to do, I never got around to actually renewing it).
Where are you going? It’s pretty important to know where you’re going. The Geneva Motor Show takes place at the Palexpo center, which is a HUGE complex, right near the Geneva airport, in Switzerland. Very easy access considering Geneva is a rather small town. How do you go there? Train, car, plane, Geneva has it all. It’s all up to you this one. You only have to make a choice depending on what is easier and less expensive for you (always think of the budget for an event, including FOOD). Are all your documents OK? Travelling inside Europe is a fairly easy task for Europeans due to the “freedom of movement” within the European space. However, never underestimate the fact that you will not be in your home country (well, if you’re not from Switzerland, DUH). So make sure all your documents are valid (passports, visas, ID card etc etc). As I said a bit earlier, I’ve had some annoying setbacks haha.
KNOW WHAT TO FOCUS ON
Now, you’re in Geneva. Everything is allright. You’ve found the right place, you know where you are. You can already see all the manufacturer stands, all the cars being heavily lit by the warm lamps, and the massive crowds of people all around. But now, you need to know how to optimize time so you don’t miss anything you wanted to see.
Unless you’re planning to visit for a few days, it’s always better to know what your focus is. That means you should know what are the most important cars you want to see: making a list might actually help, too. Know WHERE they are located inside the motor show: which hall, where is every stand. Hell, you can even create a whole route from car to car. But that’s taking it a bit too far, I reckon.
PREPARE YOUR STUFF
Last but not least: prepare your stuff. This is very very important if you’re into taking photos & stuff like that. You are there, you know which cars you want to see, where to go and what to do. BUT, you have to make sure you’re 100% operational. That means making sure all your gear is read: make sure all your SD cars can handle what is to come (so you don’t lack space when the time comes), make sure all your cameras & phones are fully-loaded and charged (again, a lot of bad surprises can happen in this kind of situation, and this is something you DO NOT want – trust me).
That also means to make sure you won’t be missing thing that will make your stay & visit comfortable: a sweater if you’re the kind of person that gets cold (though trust me, I doubt this will ever happen to you during a motor show). Also, make sure to always have a bottle of water with you. This might seem *very* silly, but doing a motor show is actually very tiring and a sip can sometimes change your whole perspective on things.
Hope that was helpful! 🙂
SEE YOU THERE & ENJOY!
2016 Geneva Motor Show Logo
