[Macworld]

Post your comments for Macworld Expo moving to February in 2010 here

[ElijahPost]

OMG OMG OMG. I'm not quite sure how to take this. If the show floor is only open for 3 out of 5 days. and the conferece is 1 day longer than what is the 5th day for?

[Jason Snell]

I believe it's conference sessions Tue-Sat and show floor Thu-Sat.

[tatilsever]

Saturday show floor is such an obvious improvement that I don't know why it was not done before. Avoiding the immediate post Christmas time period is also a no-brainer, but I presume Apple might have preferred the overlap with CES, as it does not attend that show anyways.

[Moof_in_Charge]

Kent Said:
"This is the first in a series of announcements that will continue to show how Expo is evolving"
I think he should have said:
"This is the first in a series of announcements that will continue to show how Expo is going extinct"
At the risk of getting the same bashing as I did once Apple pulled out of Boston, I am going to say it again. "Macworld Expo in SF is dead"
I am not happy about it but from the above article, it's painfully clear that they don't get it. Short of announcing that Apple is back, they are going to fail in face of CES and private events software publishers host on their own.
Macworld should get on Apple's coattail. use the first day of WWDC as a catalyst for the new date of Macworld. In essence, you'll have Apple's keynote and then you'll split the crowd in to 2. Developers who continue to stay at WWDC while the rest of the Mac Community gets a chance to spin off in to a different venue.
I would hazard a guess and say Apple would be interested in an arrangement similar to this where they dictate the terms of where/when/how then some rouge event in SF.. lets face it, Apple university is money better spent than what you could possibly get at Macworld SF..
All bets are off if Apple is the master of ceremony at CES, in which case, thanks for the memories Macworld.
My 2 cents.

[Jason Snell]

Moof

I am not happy about it but from the above article, it's painfully clear that they don't get it. Short of announcing that Apple is back, they are going to fail in face of CES and private events software publishers host on their own.

If, in your mind, all Macworld Expo is is a place where there's a big event announcing new products, you're probably right. To many other people, Macworld Expo isn't just a keynote -- it's a show floor and a bunch of really good conference sessions.

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Macworld should get on Apple's coattail. use the first day of WWDC as a catalyst for the new date of Macworld.

If you're a trade show or conference you have to reserve the hall space way in advance. There's no way Macworld Expo could piggyback on WWDC. And even if they tried, all Apple would have to do is move the date to a backup reservation and the entire thing would fall apart.

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In essence, you'll have Apple's keynote and then you'll split the crowd in to 2. Developers who continue to stay at WWDC while the rest of the Mac Community gets a chance to spin off in to a different venue.

I think it's a good idea, but it would require Apple's participation, and Apple has made its thoughts about the presence of a consumer-based Apple-related trade show clear. (The phrase "drop dead" comes to mind.)

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I would hazard a guess and say Apple would be interested in an arrangement similar to this where they dictate the terms of where/when/how then some rouge event in SF..

I'm pretty sure Apple's actions on this topic suggest that your guess would be wrong. I'm pretty sure if Apple had just wanted Macworld Expo to move, it would have said so and Macworld Expo would have done so. But that's not what happened -- Apple just dropped out.

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All bets are off if Apple is the master of ceremony at CES

Seems strange that Apple would put out a press release explaining how trade shows are dead if that was ever a consideration.

[TeaEarleGreyHot]

Might iPhone be somehow incorporated into the Macworld Expo theme? It seems to me that there are a lot of iPhone vendors now with products they might like to showcase. Or is an expo not the best venue for such showcasing?

[Moof_in_Charge]

>If you're a trade show or conference you have to reserve the hall space way in advance.
Next year will mark 2 years of Apple's absence. I think Macworld is 2 years behind the curve here to offer something or come up with a compelling solution.
>I think it's a good idea, but it would require Apple's participation.
No, it doesn't require Apple's participation. It's far worse than that. It requires Apple taking charge and extending its umbrella to cover Macworld. The question I have is that did Macworld reinvent itself enough to make a case for itself in front of Apple? I think the answer is "NO"
>I'm pretty sure if Apple had just wanted Macworld Expo to move, it would have said so and Macworld Expo would have done so
I am not sure. The press release from Macworld was kind of tame. I hardly feel the problem with Macworld would have been quelled by a date change. The conference was using Apple. I mean did you folks pay Apple to participate? Did you share revenue with Apple? Or did you just make Apple pay for its space like everyone else?
>Seems strange that Apple would put out a press release explaining how trade shows are dead if that was ever a consideration.
Trade shows are to companies what the mall is to shopping. You can argue that the malls are dead but then again, there are a quiet a few that are doing well even in this environment. Apple is right, trade shows are dead, however nothing in the book says that evolving the next species won’t change that. I mean, WWDC is an resounding success! Isn't that a "focused" trade show?

[Moof_in_Charge]

> If, in your mind, all Macworld Expo is is a place where there's a big event announcing new products, you're probably right. To many other people, Macworld Expo isn't just a keynote -- it's a show floor and a bunch of really good conference sessions.
[/quote]
I want to address this by itself.
It's not my mind that is dictating the perception here. It's reality. You can look up the number of product announcements when the expo is in gear. You can see that the frequency of announcements go up greatly around trade shows. The trend however has shifted away from Macworld to other trade shows (like CES, NAB) for more mainstream companies. Being the universal aspect of developing for both platforms is prevailing, you are not going to see major companies (like Cannon, Epson) make big announcements at Macworld in lieu of CES.
The developer sessions are what make WWDC appealing because they are focused and in depth.
I attended a few Macworld conferences. My view; they are behind the curve and not at all in depth! In an era of specialization where jobs are increasingly put in to singular categories, it doesn't make sense to touch everything under the sun under one tent. You need to be more focused, take a few topics and beat them to death...make them in depth.
Macworld should take a page out of Apple’s book here. Apple didn’t sell Macs to the PC crowd to win them over, it sold the iPod. So for Apple, exposure to the PC crowd is far more important the market it already owns.
People who want to learn about the MacOS, iPhone, OSX Server benefit more by attending Apple University for 4 days. People who want to learn about web technologies can find a plethora of 3-5 day sessions that will cover a topic fully. Same goes for Publishing!
Again, my 2 cents.

[Inkling]

I for one was rather ticked off at Apple's sneer that, "If we're not there, it's not happening." Let's hope these events continue, with or without Apple.
The changes sound good, but I'd add a third. Don't get hung up on a San Francisco locale. Absent Apple, you can have them anywhere and anytime. Move around and pick place less expensive for exhibitors and that give attendees more variety.
I'd suggest Seattle in July or August. The weather is marvelous then--sunny but cool--and there's lot's to see and do, including one of the best aviation museums on the planet. Someone might even add a geeky cruise to Alaska just before or after, offering two trips in one.
--Mike Perry, Seattle

[Jason Snell]

Moof

Next year will mark 2 years of Apple's absence.

One year. And you appear to be changing the subject.

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No, it doesn't require Apple's participation. It's far worse than that. It requires Apple taking charge and extending its umbrella to cover Macworld. The question I have is that did Macworld reinvent itself enough to make a case for itself in front of Apple? I think the answer is "NO"

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>I'm pretty sure if Apple had just wanted Macworld Expo to move, it would have said so and Macworld Expo would have done so
I am not sure.

I don't think your perception is accurate. I'll just say that I know a lot about the behind-the-scenes on this, which is why I hold the opinions I do, and leave it at that.

[Moof_in_Charge]

> One year. And you appear to be changing the subject.
[/quote]
Was Apple "really" present in January? No, next year will be the second year of "full" no-show for Apple.
I am not changing the subject. That was a response to your assertion that you need to make arrangements for space long in advance.
> I don't think your perception is accurate.
[/quote]
Macworld is dead. If the economy wont drive the second nail in its coffin, its relevance will. I am sorry to be so harsh. But if they continue to be on the same path without major revamp and retooling, they will follow Boston in to the abyss. Nothing short of complete reinvention will make it live.
I wish it good luck. I don't want to see it disappear like this, not because I can't go on without it, because it has sentimental value for me and that is part of its problem! It's been living on sentiments far too long.

Sincerely,
Moof

[Chris Breen]

Moof

Was Apple "really" present in January? No, next year will be the second year of "full" no-show for Apple.

You mean other than presenting a Keynote, plopping down mega-bucks for an enormous booth, announcing new products?

Oh, I see, you mean Steve Jobs presenting the Keynote. If the absence of Steve means Apple was not "present" in your world, then yeah, I guess you're right.

[jldinsdale]

The new dates overlap with the start of the winter Olympics. IDG will be jostling for press attention, an even larger struggle now that Jobs & co will not be gracing the show with their presence.