Manila International Auto Show, Inside Racing Bike Festival Postponed Due to COVID-19

Summer will be less busy for bike and car enthusiasts as two of the biggest annual shows, the InsideRacing Bike Festival and the Manila International Auto Show have been postponed due to recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the Philippines.

For its part, the organizers of the Inside Racing Bike Festival said:

“After all the deliberation and thought of the situation the country is facing since this past weekend, it is with the heaviest heart that InsideRacing is announcing that our 14th InsideRacing Bike Festival and Trade Show will be postponed. Despite our best efforts to implement health and safety measures in our upcoming event this March 27-29, 2020 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City, due to the increasing number of people infected with COVID-19 and the DOH Declaring Code Red and the government declaring a State of Public Health Emergency, we will reschedule the 14th IRBFTSXIV to a later date on July 17-19, 2020.”

Meanwhile, the organizers of the Manila International Auto Show issued:

“In light of the recent turn of events concerning COVID-19 which has led to the Philippine government to declare a state of public health emergency, the management of Worldbex Services International [the organizer of MIAS] 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.”

In a separate statement, Worldbex Services International also temporarily postponed their annual flagship construction show, Worldbex 2020.

In both cases, Worldbex Services International says that no new schedule has been set yet. They will issue a separate issue once they’ve finalized their new show dates.

The postponement of these two shows are on top of the cancellation or postponement of several car manufacturer events including the formal launch of the Mitsubishi Xpander Cross this Friday (the mall display will still push through from March 13-15 at the Glorietta 2 – Palm Drive Activity Center).

Likely these won’t be the last cancellations. Car manufacturers often have robust safety guidelines in place, and having the government issue a “state of public health emergency,” may cause them to re-think their plans.

Internationally, motoring-related events around the world are being forced to cancel or postpone as well. The Geneva Motor Show is the most recognized victim of COVID-19, but aside from that, the Bangkok Motor Show has been moved to April, the first MotoGP round in Qatar canceled its premiere class, while the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix will run with empty grand stands.