Apple announced in a PR that the coming Macworld 2009, held in San Francisco will be the last time Apple is attending MacWorld.
Is this announcement that significant? With the buzz generated with this Apple PR, the Interweb has been buzzing all morning and through out the day with new articles speculating what this all means. With some even brought up conspiracy theories.
Here are a list of articles found on the Interweb so far:
- CNNMoney.com: Steve Jobs won’t give Macworld keynote
- PCWorld: Macworld Expo Loses Apple in 2010, Jobs in 2009
- MacNN: Last year for Apple at Macworld Expo, no Jobs keynote
- Yahoo News: Jobs to skip Macworld keynote as Apple backs out
- CNet: Jobs to skip Macworld keynote as Apple backs out
- CNet: Without Macworld, how will Apple create the buzz?
- International Herald Tribune: Jobs to skip Apple event at Macworld
- ZDNet: Can you have Macworld without Jobs and Apple? We’re going to find out
- The New York Times: Apple’s Chief to Skip Macworld, Fueling Speculation
- Apple Insider: Apple says 2009 Macworld Expo will be its last; no Jobs keynote
- Gizmodo: Steve Jobs Skipping Final Macworld Apple Keynote
- Ars Technica: No Jobs keynote, 2009 our last Macworld Expo
- OS News: Apple Pulls Out of MacWorld, Jobs To Skip MacWorld
- San Francisco Chronicle: Apple pulls out of Macworld
- TechCrunch: Apple Leaves MacWorld: It’s About Time
- Engadget: Apple announces final MacWorld, Steve Jobs won’t deliver keynote
- The Unofficial Apple Weblog: Apple announces 2009 will be its last Macworld Expo, Schiller to deliver keynote
To me this is an inevitable decision that is long over due by Apple and other large corporates. Apple had long omitted their attendance at CES, and earlier Adobe announce that they will not be attending Macworld 2009.
Large conferences like CES and Macworld are not suitable venue for them to show off their products, these sort of show are more suitable for SME and startups. Unfortunately, without the large corporates, consumers may not attend these shows. If the attendees do not show up the organizer will eventually have to shut the show down, the ones who will suffer the most are the startups and SME who relies on the traffics to these conferences to get their word out. For them I say they need to rethink their marketing strategies.
With this PR announcement, Apple has in effect drove in the last nail to the Macworld coffin. When Apple pulled out of the [US] East coast Macworld conference, the organizer had to eventually stop holding a conference on the East coast. This latest development should shut down Macworld once and for all after the San Francisco show in three weeks. Unless the organizer comes up with original tactics to keep the attendees and exhibitioners.
For the average consumers (Macintosh and Apple products users), I think the lack of a Macworld is a great lost. Although, Macworld is serving only “average” consumers in the San Francisco area, as there are not too many “average” (non-press, non-tech industry) users who flies to San Francisco just to attend Macworld; admittedly I did one year. Most of all Macworld also serves as an annual celebration for these consumers for choosing the Macintosh platform and Apple products in general.