Chicago Auto Show set to return after more than a year, to be held in July

Chicago Auto Show is all set to return after Covid-19 crisis has subsided partially in the United States. The 2021 edition of the show was postponed due to the pandemic. Illinois, the state which hosts the event, decided to keep it on hold to curb the spread of the virus.

Earlier, the Chicago Auto show was scheduled to be held between February 13 and February 21 of 2021. But the organisers of the Chicago Auto Show were not willing to take a risk with Covid-19 still posing a very real challenge in many parts of the world.

The event has now been scheduled in July. It will now be held at McCormick Place, marking the first large convention to be held in the city and the state of Illinois since the Covid-19 pandemic began more than a year ago.

JB Pritzker, the Governor of Illinois, said that the reopening of the convention centre "is a critical step toward our state's economic recovery." The Chicago Auto Show, one of the biggest in the US, will be held from July 15 to 19 with safety measures in place and will have a limited crowd size to maintain social distancing.

So far, there are no reports if any carmakers have confirmed their participation at this year's event. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has said that attendees will have to register in advance and fill out a health survey. However, he also said that vaccines won't be required for those who will attend the event.

The Chicago Auto Show was last held in February last year, when the Covid-19 pandemic was at its earliest stages. It was one of the last auto shows, including the Auto Expo 2020 held in India around the same time, to take place before the pandemic forced closure of such public events.

After almost a year, several auto shows are making a comeback this year. China has already hosted the first of the lot when Shanghai Auto Show returned last month. The New York International Auto Show is scheduled to take place in August this year at the Javits Convention Centre. The Los Angeles Auto Show is also set to return in November at the city's convention centre.