| Macworld Expo |
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Information AboutMacworld Expo |
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Produced by Boston -based IDG World Expo , Macworld Conference & Expo is a trade show dedicated to the Apple Macintosh platform with conference tracks occurring twice a year in the United States , usually during the second week of January. '' Macworld '' is the most widely read Macintosh Magazine in North America , and is a Trademark of its publisher Mac Publishing , a wholly owned subsidiary of International Data Group . IDG World Expo is also a subsidiary of International Data Group . At one time, the show was known simply as ''Macworld Expo''. The Conference & Expo features educational conferences taught by leaders in their field, which require large admission fees to attend, and last for a few more days than the Expo. The Expo is open for a number of days (generally three or four), and attendees can visit the exhibits set up by hardware manufacturers and software publishers that support the Macintosh platform. There has been some discussion among critics about the necessity of having two Macworld events (referring to the San Francisco expo and the now-defunct New York/Boston summer expo) in the United States at a time when non-Mac focused events such as COMDEX are encountering financial trouble. Additionally, as Apple continues to expand its retail presence in the US market, it becomes easier to shop for Macintosh computers and accessories. The emergence of the World Wide Web has also contributed to the decline in trade shows of relatively established markets such as the Macintosh business. HISTORY The first Macworld Expo occurred in 1985, it was started by David Bunnell . Since 1997 , the Macworld Conference & Expo has been known for its keynote presentations by Apple CEO Steve Jobs , often referred to as Stevenote s. The event in San Francisco has always been held at the Moscone Center . The Expo was also held in Brooks Hall near the San Francisco Civic Center from 1985 until 1993 , when the expansion of Moscone Center allowed the show to be consolidated in one location. The Eastern U.S. event was held simultaneously at the Bayside Expo & Executive Conference Center and at the Boston World Trade Center in Boston from its inception, but was moved to New York City 's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in 1998. In 1998, the New York Event inaugurated a competition (produced by ''Double Exposure'') called the '' National Macintosh Gaming Championship '', which challenged attendees to play Game s for a number of premium prize packages. The event continued in 1999 in San Francisco, and was terminated after the New York show in 2000 to make way for the Apple Gaming Pavilion . In 1999 actor Noah Wyle made an appearance during the keynote address, posing as Jobs in a reference to his role in the TV Movie " Pirates Of Silicon Valley ." {Link without Title} In 2000 the San Francisco keynote revealed Mac OS X 's Aqua User Interface and the New York keynote featured the introduction of the Power Mac G4 Cube . In 2001 the New York keynote included no major new product announcements, but did feature a technical presentation on the Megahertz Myth . In October 2002 , IDG World Expo announced plans to move the 2004 edition of the East Coast show to Boston . The day of that announcement, Apple declared its intent not to participate in the Boston Macworld Expo. In 2003 , IDG World Expo renamed the New York trade show ''Macworld CreativePro Conference & Expo'' in an attempt to reach the creative market in the New York area. The 2004 and 2005 summer shows, retitled ''Macworld Conference & Expo'' did take place in Boston, and Apple carried through on its refusal to exhibit there. Many other companies followed the lead of Apple, canceling or reducing the size of their own exhibits, which resulted in reduced attendance when compared to previous Macworld conferences. On 16 September 2005 , IDG announced that no further summertime shows would be held in NYC or in Boston {Link without Title} . The show has taken place in other cities, historically. A Tokyo show, produced by IDG World Expo Japan , was held at Makuhari Messe and moved to Tokyo Big Sight in 2002. Macworld Expo Summit, a version of the show targeted at U.S. government customers, was held at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. as late as 1994 . In 2004 Macworld UK, part of the IDG UK division of IDG, created two ''Macworld Conference'' events on its own: one standalone conference, and one conference adjoining the Mac Expo trade show in London. Historically, the event has drawn more diverse crowds than other technology trade shows, as Apple's often fanatical customer base made up a significant portion of the show's attendance. In January 2005, IDG World Expos announced ''Macworld On Tour'', a series of small conferences in various North American cities. An initial conference, in Kissimmee, Florida, was later canceled. No future announcements for ''Macworld On Tour'' have been made. CULTURE In its heyday, it was legendary for the parties that coincided with it, frequently with open bars, lavish Hors D'oeuvres , and requisite T-shirt s and other premium favors. Apple's developer Parties featured high-profile entertainers like James Brown and Smash Mouth . '' MacWEEK '' had an exclusive party known as Mac The Knife , named for its anonymous columnist that wrote the back page industry gossip and rumor section; after ''MacWEEK'' Robert Hess of ''MacWEEK'' was the original keeper of the Macworld Party List, which kept track of each leisure event after the show. Prior to his death in 1996, he reportedly requested Hoffman to maintain it; the list was subsequently renamed the Robert Hess Memorial Events List. The list shrunk gradually as events became more sparse, and did not publish for the show in New York 2003, but has been published for subsequent San Francisco shows. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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