Macworld Expo moving from January to February

[AppleInsider]

IDG World Expo announced Monday that next year's Macworld Expo -- the first without headliner Apple -- will take place February 9th through the 13th rather than January 4th through the 8th, as was previously announced.

IDG said the new dates are the result of feedback from the Mac community that will "give exhibitors and attendees more breathing room between the busy holiday season and the world’s largest event focused specifically on Apple products."

Macworld Expo is embarking on a new era in 2010, as it will be the first time in the show's 25-year history that Apple will not be in attendance. The Cupertino-based company announced last December that this past January's Macworld would be its last, citing a broader move away from trade shows in general.

Since then, IDG has been soliciting feedback from the Mac community on how to keep Macworld afloat without the Mac maker's participation. It also held a town hall meeting during January's show to offer fans and industry figures a forum to share their ideas.

"As we began the planning process, attendees and exhibitors made it clear that February in San Francisco was the time and location that worked best, so we listened," IDG chief executive Mary Dolaher said in a statement Monday.

"We firmly believe that these new dates will better meet the needs of everyone participating in Macworld, and are pleased to have been able to respond to this request from the community," he added. "The journey toward a new era for Macworld has begun and we are more excited about this ride than ever before."



In addition to moving the event to February, Macworld 2010 will further break from tradition by shifting the expo portion of the event to include a Saturday. The Expo now is scheduled to take place Thursday, February 11, through Saturday, February 13.

The Macworld conference sessions will take place Tuesday, February 9, through Saturday, February 13. To register for next year's show or provide a suggestion to show organizers, please visit MacworldExpo.com.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[Fast Fred 1]

So who's gonna go?

[gfeier]

Dead Expo walking...

[OriginalMacRat]

Originally Posted by Fast Fred 1

So who's gonna go?

Didn't go last year.

I planned to but then found out most of the vendors i wanted to see had pulled out.

That's in addition to all the vendors who had pulled out since 9/11.

[hillstones]

Seems pointless these days since information on the internet about products travels much faster than a trade show.

[Quadra 610]

It'll look the like the Zune section at Best Buy . . . tumbleweed, a lot of dust, and the faint sound of windchimes. Once in a while someone will pull up asking for directions or to use a phone.

That's about it.

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by gfeier

Dead Expo walking...

Agreed. They need to repurpose into an Apple Dev-centric expo.

[walshbj]

Originally Posted by Fast Fred 1

So who's gonna go?

I was thinking about going, but it seems kind of deflated. What else is there to go to for the same kind of environment though?

[solipsism]

The articles states that Apple is moving away from trade shows but I think we'll see Apple at CES next year with more than just a booth. It just seems more beneficial to the longterm growth of the company.

[gtreible]

Originally Posted by Quadra 610

It'll look the like the Zune section at Best Buy . . . tumbleweed, a lot of dust, and the faint sound of windchimes. Once in a while someone will pull up asking for directions or to use a phone.

That's about it.

LMAO, very good.

[elliots11]

Never had the opportunity to go, but with Apple growing I'm sure that they can succeed. They're going to have to change it up to keep people excited, maybe they'll have a few lean years until they can figure it out, but you never know when just what they need will present itself. Listening to it's attendees is a good start, best of luck to Macworld.

[Walter Slocombe]

Originally Posted by Quadra 610

It'll look the like the Zune section at Best Buy . . . tumbleweed, a lot of dust, and the faint sound of windchimes. Once in a while someone will pull up asking for directions or to use a phone.

That's about it.

"thats Mother, she likes to sit up in the window looking down at the Motel....."

[/Norman]

[GregoriusM]

Originally Posted by elliots11

Never had the opportunity to go, but with Apple growing I'm sure that they can succeed. They're going to have to change it up to keep people excited, maybe they'll have a few lean years until they can figure it out, but you never know when just what they need will present itself. Listening to it's attendees is a good start, best of luck to Macworld.

I agree. Let them work things out and not have us being self-proclaimed prophets before we see even how the 2010 event turns out.

More power to them!

[teckstud]

Well it really should have been called AppleWorld to begin with as no one else makes Macs. PC expo makes sense because of all the different PC manufacturers that attend. MacWorld without Apple is a waste and stupid.
I went to the Apple-less MacWorld in NYC 2003 and I might as well have gone to a CompUSA- boring as hell.

[brandenburg5]

Actually, having Macworld Expo on a Saturday is a return to tradition. The early expos all extended through Saturday, making it available to those of us who must attend on personal time (taking a day off work to do so). I was very disappointed when Saturday was discontinued.

I will consider attending next year if there are enough vendors to make it worthwhile. I like to see software demos and talk to the vendor personnel. I take advantage of show specials (some, but not all, of which are available on the web). I like being able to shop for iPod accessories and actually see the items (rather than an image on a web page) or hear them - most stores have only a limited selection at best and do not always have them set up for demos.

I think there is a place for Macworld Expo without Apple, we'll see if enough people agree with me to sustain it.

--Larry

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by brandenburg5

Actually, having Macworld Expo on a Saturday is a return to tradition. The early expos all extended through Saturday, making it available to those of us who must attend on personal time (taking a day off work to do so). I was very disappointed when Saturday was discontinued.

I will consider attending next year if there are enough vendors to make it worthwhile. I like to see software demos and talk to the vendor personnel. I take advantage of show specials (some, but not all, of which are available on the web). I like being able to shop for iPod accessories and actually see the items (rather than an image on a web page) or hear them - most stores have only a limited selection at best and do not always have them set up for demos.

I think there is a place for Macworld Expo without Apple, we'll see if enough people agree with me to sustain it.

--Larry

No offense but do you work for IDG? If not, don't hold your breath. Look at NYC 2003 and then Boston. Epson was the most exciting vendor at MacWorld Expo NY 2003. NYC's expo was really an exciting place before Apple left. At it died while in Boston.
I hope you enjoy it but don't get your hopes up too high.

[aresee]

Originally Posted by teckstud

No offense but do you work for IDG? If not, don't hold your breath. Look at NYC 2003 and then Boston. Epson was the most exciting vendor at MacWorld Expo NY 2003. NYC's expo was really an exciting place before Apple left. At it died while in Boston.
I hope you enjoy it but don't get your hopes up too high.

Do you work for an IDG competitor? I do not work for IDG but agree with brandenburg. I go to Macworld to wonder around and see what's out there. I completely ignore the big guys and look for the small shops. They are the ones with the clever, must have products. The web is nice if you know that something exists but if you don't know that something exists you can't search for it. Wondering the floor is a great way to find out that something exists.