Apple says 2009 Macworld Expo will be its last
Apple announced Tuesday that next month is the last time the company will exhibit at Macworld Expo in San Francisco and that chief executive Steve Jobs will not be making a keynote presentation this year.
Philip Schiller, AppleÂ?s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing,Â*will deliver the opening keynote for this yearÂ?s Macworld Conference & Expo, and itÂ*will be AppleÂ?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 FranciscoÂ?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 company said.Â*
"The increasing popularity of AppleÂ?s Retail Stores, which more than 3.5 million people visit every week,Â*and the Apple.com website enable Apple to directly reach more than a hundred million customers around the world in innovative new ways."
Apple hasÂ*been steadily scaling back on trade shows in recent years, including NAB, Macworld New York, Macworld Tokyo and Apple Expo in Paris.
The startling news comes after a string of bad news for Macworld host IDG that has seen Adobe and Belkin withdraw from the show while other recognizable companies have opted to scale back their presences at the San Francisco event. Officially, these exhibitors have attributed their withdrawals or reduced presences to economic conditions.
Previously, Apple's exit from these events has effectively signaled their respective death knells.
After IDG announced a return of its East coast Macworld Expo to Boston from New York, Apple promptly canceled its own presence at the relocated event and refused to return even when IDG reversed its decision and moved the event back. The magazine publisher continued on with the New York gathering for 2004 and 2005 but was ultimately forced to shut it down as attendance dwindled and exhibitors rapidly backed out.
Without further elaboration from Apple, the twin decisions of exiting from Macworld and CEO Steve Jobs' absence from the stage is having a destructive effect on the Mac maker's shares as well: as of this writing, the company's stock is down more than 4.5 percent in after-hours trading.
Philip Schiller, AppleÂ?s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing,Â*will deliver the opening keynote for this yearÂ?s Macworld Conference & Expo, and itÂ*will be AppleÂ?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 FranciscoÂ?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 company said.Â*
"The increasing popularity of AppleÂ?s Retail Stores, which more than 3.5 million people visit every week,Â*and the Apple.com website enable Apple to directly reach more than a hundred million customers around the world in innovative new ways."
Apple hasÂ*been steadily scaling back on trade shows in recent years, including NAB, Macworld New York, Macworld Tokyo and Apple Expo in Paris.
The startling news comes after a string of bad news for Macworld host IDG that has seen Adobe and Belkin withdraw from the show while other recognizable companies have opted to scale back their presences at the San Francisco event. Officially, these exhibitors have attributed their withdrawals or reduced presences to economic conditions.
Previously, Apple's exit from these events has effectively signaled their respective death knells.
After IDG announced a return of its East coast Macworld Expo to Boston from New York, Apple promptly canceled its own presence at the relocated event and refused to return even when IDG reversed its decision and moved the event back. The magazine publisher continued on with the New York gathering for 2004 and 2005 but was ultimately forced to shut it down as attendance dwindled and exhibitors rapidly backed out.
Without further elaboration from Apple, the twin decisions of exiting from Macworld and CEO Steve Jobs' absence from the stage is having a destructive effect on the Mac maker's shares as well: as of this writing, the company's stock is down more than 4.5 percent in after-hours trading.
Comments
Instead Apple is doing good making their own events at different times of the year. It's better for us all since it could mean more releases.
You think Apple could plan this a little better.
Now can you pass those "Expo" savings to your customers? How about scaling back the cost some of the products?
for all i know, this could be a strategic move by apple...but perception matters...and the perception that this makes isnt good.
I have to agree. They can call it whatever they want, but to me it just looks bad. I remember when they pulled out of MWNY, and where is it now? My guess is that Macworld Expo will be no more come 2010, which is sad.
I remember a few years back, waking up early to watch the live stream with my roommate. And in recent years following the live play by play on websites. It was just a cool event. My guess is Apple doesn't have much of anything to talk about, or else Steve would be doing the farewell tour here and not Phil.
To be honest, i'm a bit bummed now...
They were my favorite company, but that is slowly changing.
Actually, I think it is a good thing in the big picture (except for IDG?). The announcement moves the focus off of Steve Jobs as being the only person who can make (keep) the company successful. In the long run that will strengthen the company, the stock price. I smell buying opportunity, if I only had cash for such foolishnesss.
Instead Apple is doing good making their own events at different times of the year. It's better for us all since it could mean more releases.
Not if they're as lame as that "Rockin' iPod event this year. MacWorld keynotes were always "the event"- bar none.
Great Apple.
Now can you pass those "Expo" savings to your customers? How about scaling back the cost some of the products?
Apple is selling more computers than it ever has.
Apple continues to excel with the iPod / iTunes product line.
There is no "demand" to lower the prices. They only do when they want to increase their presence to a larger market. Apple wouldn't be Apple if the price wasn't different, as well. The extra cash they make allows them to do what they do.
Honestly, if you were in their shoes, how would you look at it? If you had a business with products in high demand, would you say "okay, we're lowering our prices to be nice". That's not a good reason.
Great Apple.
Now can you pass those "Expo" savings to your customers? How about scaling back the cost some of the products?
Sure, they'll give you back the 3.5 cents it cost the individual Apple customer in 2008.
Conventions like these will someday be gone. It was fun while it lasted. I live in San Francisco and while it was always interesting to see the hordes of Apple fans walking around with their MW badges around their necks, I certainly won't miss the traffic headaches that came with it.
I'm sure the hotel industry will be missing the lost revenue.
Farewell MW! You'll be missed but not forgotten!
I have to agree. They can call it whatever they want, but to me it just looks bad. I remember when they pulled out of MWNY, and where is it now? My guess is that Macworld Expo will be no more come 2010, which is sad.
I remember a few years back, waking up early to watch the live stream with my roommate. And in recent years following the live play by play on websites. It was just a cool event. My guess is Apple doesn't have much of anything to talk about, or else Steve would be doing the farewell tour here and not Phil.
To be honest, i'm a bit bummed now...
Take heart. Kansasfest is still going strong fifteen years after the last Apple II ceased production.
http://www.kansasfest.org/
NOOOoooooooooo!
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on the plus side Buy Buy Buy!