IDG cancels Macworld/iWorld 2015 conference, says show 'going on hiatus'

Posted:
in General Discussion edited October 2014
On the heels of last month's cancelation of Macworld's print magazine, IDG announced on Tuesday that the long running 2015 Macworld/iWorld conference, formerly known as the Macworld Expo, has also been canceled, marking the end of an era.

Macworld
Macworld/iWorld in 2013, its 29th year.


In making the announcement, IDG World Expo characterized the annual Macworld show as being "on hiatus," but offered no details about any events beyond 2015. The Macworld/iWorld 2015 expo had originally been planned for March of next year.

The lack of a Macworld show in 2015 will bring to an end a 30-year run for the event which was a staple for Apple developers and enthusiasts.

"As Apple products and the related ecosystem have changed, so has the marketplace, and we are proud to have played a part in that evolution," Paul Kent of IDG said in a statement. "Literally thousands of companies and hundreds of products have come to market at Macworld, and countless professional relationships have been forged. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank the Apple community for allowing us to host these events and be a part of the incredible story that is the Apple market."

Macworld once served as a platform for Apple to address fans and developers, and company co-founder Steve Jobs would take the stage to give updates and introduce new products. Unveiled at Macworld over the years were the iPhone, OS X, iTunes, the Safari browser, and the Mac mini.

But Apple stopped attending the show in 2009. The Macworld Expo carried on, however, attempting to evolve and adapt.

Macworld
2010 was the first year Macworld was held without Apple's participation.


Kent spoke with AppleInsider in early 2013 to talk about how the Macworld/iWorld show had changed over the years since Apple left, focusing more on "mobile lifestyle" rather than just the Mac.

In the absence of Macworld, IDG will still hold its MacIT event focused on deploying Apple products in the enterprise. Details on that event are said to be released in the coming weeks.

It was just a month ago that IDG announced that the long-running print edition of Macworld would come to an end and that most of its employees would be laid off. The magazine has since become a digital-only publication.

The first issue of Macworld magazine was published on April 1, 1984 -- the same day the first Apple Macintosh computer was released. The Macworld Expo began a year later, in 1985, in San Francisco.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 62
    That's sad. I mean, definitely foreseeable, but just the end of something quite special to me. When I opened up my first Macworld magazine back when I was 9, I knew apple products would be it for me. And when I attended my first Macworld expo... Well... It was overwhelming. Best of luck in all that made it possible over the years.
  • Reply 2 of 62

    Well, yeah. What’s MacWorld without Apple? 

  • Reply 3 of 62
    blazarblazar Posts: 270member
    Unclear if this is good, bad or neutral for apple or fans.

    I never feel a "deluge" of must have apps and games is "around the corner" for apple mac.

    There is no "must have" apple app that emerges to fascinate us yearly.

    A lot of this centers around the mac or computers in general largely already doing what we want them to do... Am I wrong in this?
  • Reply 4 of 62
    robmrobm Posts: 1,068member
    Well, yeah. What’s MacWorld without Apple? 

    That's it, right there.

    Shame to see it go but - (repeat the above).
  • Reply 5 of 62
    IDG must be bleeding cash, on top of their surprise layoff of Jason Snell and crew, shutdown of Macworld, now this? Not good for these guys.
  • Reply 6 of 62

    honestly the last couple of MacWorld's I went to were pretty ghetto. It was more like a fleamarket, but with prices that were not very attractive!

    I'm used to pro level conferences like NAB and AES where vendors are just handing out slicks and shwag. Not trying to actually make retail sales on the show floor.

     

    That and ever since Apple bowed out of Macworld it's days were numbered.

  • Reply 7 of 62
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member

    First GT Advanced, and now this. More evidence that Apple is doomed. Just waiting on them to cancel their Oct 16th event, and all future events before winding things down and calling it a day. 

  • Reply 8 of 62
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member

    Since Apple does not ‘do’ CES either I wonder if there will ever be another show where Apple centric manufacturers and software developers can show off their wares? I actually attended a KansasFest (which is still going by the way) many years ago where the Apple II vendors had a show after the Mac took center stage. It was wonderful. 

  • Reply 9 of 62
    boredumbboredumb Posts: 1,418member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Slurpy View Post

     

    First GT Advanced, and now this. More evidence that Apple is doomed. Just waiting on them to cancel their Oct 16th event, and all future events before winding things down and calling it a day. 


    Clearly a case of Apple going all Biblical on us and slaying all its offspring...

  • Reply 10 of 62

    Time to take old yeller out back and put him down. Doesn't mean we don't love him, but his time has passed. We shall remember him fondly.

  • Reply 11 of 62
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member
    Surprise!!!!
    /s
  • Reply 12 of 62
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member

    Originally Posted by TheUnfetteredMind View Post

     

    Time to take old yeller out back and put him down. Doesn't mean we don't love him, but his time has passed. We shall remember him fondly.


     

    The last "real" Macworld was waaaaaaay back in 2009.

    That was the final Macworld with an Apple booth.

  • Reply 13 of 62
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by josephwinters View Post



    That's sad. I mean, definitely foreseeable, but just the end of something quite special to me. When I opened up my first Macworld magazine back when I was 9, I knew apple products would be it for me. And when I attended my first Macworld expo... Well... It was overwhelming. Best of luck in all that made it possible over the years.

    Very nice sentiments...similar to me. When I was interested in the first digital camera, the very next issue of MacWorld I received was about digital cameras. The same thing happened with scanners, printers. Over and over again, it seemed MacWorld was writing for me. Perhaps my memory is a bit skewed, but it was a real joy receiving the magazine every month. Dreaming of what devices I would be purchasing in the future. 

     

    I enjoyed Jason Snell's tenure at the helm. His Editor page was always an interesting read. I'll miss that. And Philip Michaels' Podcast was very funny, indeed.

     

    Anyway...sorry to see it go. 

     

    P.S. I tried the digital version on my iPad and it was not the same. I liked the feel of the magazine. Old school, I guess. I recycle, btw! :)

  • Reply 14 of 62
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Never been to MacWorld the show so can't say much about that. Unfortunately the Magazine, all Mac oriented magazines really, has gone down hill in the extreme. I'm actually surprised that anybody would buy the magazine. The writing style did not appeal to me at all and there was very little meaty content. Plus there seemed to be an intent to stress design in the publication at the expense of readability.

    As for meaty content I can pick up several "Linux" magazines and have articles to read that can easily be used in conjunction with a Mac. Want to learn Python no problem. Pick up some new BASH scripting features no problem.
  • Reply 15 of 62
    It was doomed the minute Apple pulled out and started hosting its own events.

    Sad to see it go but the writing was on the wall.
  • Reply 16 of 62
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member

    yeah i got mixes feeling on this. However, thing have moved on, we no longer need a magazine to find out about new mac products and software. You can find what you need on the internet when you need it. I use to keep all my Macworld magazine and turned down pages on things I was interested in, then when I want to look it up I would go through me pile of magazines to find the product or article. I have not look at a magazine in 10 yrs. The same goes for MacWorld yeah cool to go but not something I would do every year. I only went to a few in 30 yrs so not really lose there.

  • Reply 17 of 62
    The PC is winning /s
  • Reply 18 of 62
    jkichlinejkichline Posts: 1,369member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Slurpy View Post

     

    First GT Advanced, and now this. More evidence that Apple is doomed. Just waiting on them to cancel their Oct 16th event, and all future events before winding things down and calling it a day. 




    You do realize that Apple is not associated with MacWorld right?  Steve Jobs himself said that Apple would not be participating in MacWorld any longer and doing their own events in like 2010 or 2011.

     

    GT Advanced is just a bunch of little guys trying to run with the big dogs and realized too late that they couldn't. Now they are going to get massacred in court and their company demolished.  Apple may buy up the pieces for pennies on the dollar and do what GT had "promised" they could do in the first place.

  • Reply 19 of 62
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jkichline View Post

     



    You do realize that Apple is not associated with MacWorld right?  Steve Jobs himself said that Apple would not be participating in MacWorld any longer and doing their own events in like 2010 or 2011.

     

    GT Advanced is just a bunch of little guys trying to run with the big dogs and realized too late that they couldn't. Now they are going to get massacred in court and their company demolished.  Apple may buy up the pieces for pennies on the dollar and do what GT had "promised" they could do in the first place.




    Slurpy forgot the "/s" tag on his post. :)

  • Reply 20 of 62
    jkichlinejkichline Posts: 1,369member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Dave MacLachlan View Post

     



    Slurpy forgot the "/s" tag on his post. :)




    Ugh!  I kind of thought so which is why I wasn't too pissy ;)

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