According to this press release, this will be Apple’s last Macworld Expo and Steve Jobs will NOT be doing the keynote address. I’m sure this is a huge blow to the show organizers! Without an Apple presence, this show will likely die. Why? Although there are hundreds of Mac based exhibitors, the big draw was Apple, Inc. Without Apple, the show could go on, but most likely will not. You might remember there used to be two Macworld Expos. One on the east coast and one on the west coast. When the show organizers (IDG) decided to move the show to back to Boston (it’s original roots), from NYC, Apple said NO! Once Apple stopped exhibiting, the show died. I predict the same thing for the San Francisco show. So will there be a Macworld Expo in 2010? Maybe, but I’d bet money that there won’t be one in 2011!
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Do we really need trade shows  anymore?
Yes and no! Before the web, we relied on trade shows to get the bulk of our info and the ability to see new products. Now the minute a company releases a new product you can do everything except touch it right on the company’s website. If it’s a software product, you can usually download a free trial. With Apple’s growing network of Apple stores, that pretty much satisfies the “touch it” appeal. So it’s not hard to see why they would want to stop spending millions of dollars on trade shows. Apple really doesn’t “need” Macworld Expo.
On the other hand trade shows are great networking opportunities and a great way to see multiple vendors all in one spot. I enjoy going to shows like Macworld Expo and Photoshop World each each year. However, I must say, without an Apple presence, this will likely be my last Macworld Expo as well.
This is unfortunate for the smaller Mac vendors that relied on Macworld Expo each year to showcase their products. Times are a changin’
Apple doesn’t need macworld that is without question. I would love to see future events simulcast at Apple stores around the country so mac users could still participate in the announcments.
I won’t miss Macworld for the keynotes but I will miss the parties and get togethers with other macusers as well as the joy of stumbling across a great product at a small booth at the show. Many of us work at home and it is nice to get out and interact with some other folks once in a while.
I’m a little suspicious and worried Terry. I think that you know why. Some of the headlines are thinking along the same lines, but I just can’t bring myself to type it. I hope that you’re correct and I’m just paranoid. I have never been to a show, but I sure do get info about products, some new, from the web. It is fast and free. Considering that most people do the same, there just seems to be very limited utility in these shows for large companies.
At my company, we seem to have a hot and cold relationship with “third party” trade shows. They cost a lot for the booth space at the Expo, they give some nice exposure, you can try to conduct some business (like closing sales), but since many shows have free or very low cost exhibit tickets, there are a lot of tire kickers that come through the booths. In fact, some aren’t even tire kickers, they are just trinket collectors.
So in many ways, it doesn’t surprise that with a wide range of stores, with in store education activities, and with many of the Apple based announcements made available on the web site, Apple has decided to stop attending Macworld.
PS — we do run a few of our own shows, and offer a number of pedestal / booth space locations to various business partners in addition to our own presence.