This just released from Apple:
Apple® today announced that this year is the last year the company will exhibit at Macworld Expo. Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, will deliver the opening keynote for this year’s Macworld Conference & Expo, and it will be Apple’s last keynote at the show. The keynote address will be held at Moscone West on Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. Macworld will be held at San Francisco’s Moscone Center January 5-9, 2009.
Apple is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers. The increasing popularity of Apple’s Retail Stores, which more than 3.5 million people visit every week, and the Apple.com website enable Apple to directly reach more than a hundred million customers around the world in innovative new ways.
Apple has been steadily scaling back on trade shows in recent years, including NAB, Macworld New York, Macworld Tokyo and Apple Expo in Paris.
This is unfortunate news from our favorite technology company. I have a feeling that IDG World Expo and the Macworld Conference will prevail amidst this news but many people are looking at Macworld Boston 2004 as historical evidence that without Apple, Macworld just isn’t the same. I’d say there’s a draw to Macworld with the fact that Steve Jobs usually takes that stage to deliver a keynote and afterwards, The Apple booth is available to show hands on demos of the newest products. I’m not going to let Macworld Boston 2004 prove that there is no Macworld without Apple because 2004′ Expo in Boston was the first year in the city after a long hiatus and I feel that the community was unsure if the conference was going to be worth it. Macworld has always been chock full of fantastic conference sessions, a growing exhibitor list and well worth the money I’ve spent since 2004 to attend.
Have faith and I guarantee Macworld 2010 will be an awesome conference that will be memorable without Apple’s involvement. It’s just a shame that we won’t be able to get up at 3AM to see Steve. Another unfortunate aspect of this year’s Macworld Expo is the absence of Steve himself. Phil Schiller will be delivering the keynote and I know dozens of first time Macworld Attendees are going to email me very soon with their sadness regarding this news. I’ll have no response that will make them happy other than the keynote line may be a little shorter this year.
Below are some tech blog reactions to the news:
The end of an Era – Macworld.com
Macworld Expo responds to Apple’s exit – Macworld.com
Apple Always Wanted to Get Out of MacWorld – Gizmodo.com
Control freak Steve Jobs’s chaotic Macworld no-show news – Valleywag.com
Will Trade Shows Survive? – Gizmodo.com
There are hundreds of other posts from larger sources but these are just a few to help you get a different viewpoint on things. I know that most of them are from Gawker Media and 2 are from an IDG property but cut me some slack.
