Bangkok is hosting the first major auto show since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and it may offer a glimpse into the future of large events
Tim Levin
- The Bangkok International Motor Show kicked off on Wednesday as the first major auto show to go on since the pandemic began.
- Thailand's government has relaxed restrictions as the outbreak has remained under control, allowing the large event to proceed.
- The show is requiring attendees to wear masks, check in with a contact-tracing app, keep distance from others, and undergo body-temperature checks.
Major car shows across the globe — in New York, Geneva, Detroit, Paris, and elsewhere — have been called off amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But in Thailand, where the outbreak is mostly under control, the show must go on.
Initially scheduled for March and delayed twice, the 41st Bangkok International Motor Show opened to visitors on Wednesday. The show's organizers have taken a whole host of precautions to make sure everything runs smoothly, and the expo may provide a peek at what big events will look like as the threat of infection looms large.
If Bangkok's show is anything to go by, contact tracing, temperature scans, and sanitation robots may be commonplace at conventions of the future. Below is a look at the first major auto show since the pandemic began — and a look at what other areas of the world may be in for once their outbreaks slow.
Auto shows worldwide were postponed, moved online, and called off entirely as the COVID-19 pandemic shook the auto industry and prohibited large gatherings.
Originally scheduled for early March and delayed twice, the Bangkok International Motor Show opened to the public on Wednesday — and it shows what large events may look like in the age of coronavirus.
Thailand has gotten its coronavirus outbreak largely under control, going several weeks without confirming a local transmission of the virus.
Source: Reuters
That allowed the show to go on, albeit with extensive precautions and rules.
Upon entering the venue, people get their temperature checked via a body-temperature scanner and an eye-temperature scanner.
Attendees' temperatures are also measured as they visit individual booths.
Source: Reuters
Show-goers are required to check in at the event through a government-issued contact-tracing app called Thai Chana.
Attendees must wear masks at all times ...
... and need to sanitize their hands with alcohol sprays before getting into cars on display.
For physical distancing, the show's organizers took the width of the main walkway from six to 10 meters. They also doubled the width of walkways between booths, from three to six meters.
The show floor features plenty of reminders to maintain distance, including signs ...
... and sandwich boards.
The event also has designated waiting spots near booths to prevent overcrowding, Reuters reports.
Source: Reuters
To step up sanitizing efforts, the venue's owner purchased a Germ Saber UVC, an ultraviolet-sterilization robot.
Not to mention, the show's organizers are also running a virtual event for people who can't or don't wish to go to the live convention.
The show features 27 car brands and will run through July 26.
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