Ford to sit out 2019 Geneva Motor Show

Auto shows have been dealt another blow.

In the latest blow to the world's auto show circuit, Ford has announced that it will be sitting out next year's Geneva Motor Show.

The Geneva show is considered one of the most prestigious on the auto show circuit, but Ford announced on Tuesday that it will be skipping the 2019 edition of the annual exhibition. Volvo has also confirmed that it will not be showing any vehicles at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.

Ford will also be sitting on the sidelines for this October's Paris Motor Show, along with Nissan, Volkswagen and Fiat Chrysler, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Ford's announcement highlights the difficulties facing the world's auto shows. The Detroit auto show, arguably the crown jewel of the auto show season, has already lost several key presenters for 2019, including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. In an effort to lure automakers back to the annual show, the Detroit auto show presenters have decided to move the show from January to either the summer or fall starting in 2020.

Although every automaker is different, one of the driving factors in the decline of the auto show is cost. It can easily cost an automaker over $1 million to introduce a new vehicle at an auto show. That investment can be difficult to justify, especially considering dozens of automakers are competing for the same auto show spotlight. Several automakers have already opted to introduce new models at standalone events where they can better control costs and garner more attention.