Cult of Mac: MacWorld Announces Dates For 2011, Free Registration Before July 26th
By John Brownlee on July 13, 2010

It’s that time of year again. MacWorld — the annual convention for all-things Mac bringing together thousands of enthusiasts and developers alike under one roof — has just announced next year’s dates and venue: January 27 through the 29th.

Even better: free registration is now open. If you register your attendance before July 26th, you can expect a free ticket to the convention. So get on it now: in just two weeks, you’ll have to pony up some cash.

So who amongst our readers can we expect to bump elbows with at MacWorld next year? Let us know in the comments.

The Mac Observer: Macworld Expo Opens Registration for 2011 Event
By Jeff Gamet on July 13, 2010

Attendee registration for Macworld Expo 2011 opened on Monday, and expo-only passes are free through July 26. Macworld Expo is an annual event in San Francisco where Mac, iPhone, iPod and iPad users gather for conference sessions, social events and to meet the companies that make the Apple-related software and accessories.

The conference and expo will host part-day and full-day sessions for small business owners, musicians, video editors, educators, photographers, designers, It professionals, and more. The expo floor will be home to a long list of hardware and software companies such as App Cubby, MobGenie, Ten One Desgin, Verbatim, Rain Design, and more.

Macworld Expo 2011 runs from Wednesday, January 26 through Saturday, January 29, 2011 at the Moscone Center’s West Hall in San Francisco. The expo floor will be open from January 27 through January 29.

PC World: Macworld Expo Begins Free Expo-only Registration
By David Dahlquist on July 12, 2010

It may seem a little early to have 2011 on the brain, but January 26, 2011--the start of next year's Macworld Expo in San Francisco--will be here before you know it. To that end, event organizers IDG World Expo have opened up Expo-only registration for the 2011 event. If you register before July 26, it's free.

Macworld Expo will be held once again at San Francisco's Moscone Center. The annual Mac trade show runs from January 26-29, with the expo portion of the event opening its doors on January 27.

If you're thinking about attending, you'll want to register soon--starting July 27 up until January 25, expo-only registration will cost $25, and from January 25-29 registration must be on site and will cost you $50.

Conferences at the January 2011 event require separate registration. Conference packages and pricing info won't be available until October, but you can request to be notified when the info goes online.

Beatweek Magazine: Macworld 2011 to include Microsoft, HP, OWC, Dr. Bott, Monster, more
May 4, 2010

After a highly successful 2010 event in February which caught some observers by surprise, IDG has begun releasing details for Macworld 2011. While the event will once again not include the participation of Apple itself, several heavy hitters from the Macintosh (plus iPhone, iPad, iPod) universe have officially signed on to participate in the 2011 show, which will take place in late January in San Francisco.

Chief among the announced exhibitors is Microsoft which, while seen as an Apple rival in some aspects, provides Macintosh users with a Mac version of its Office suite. Also on board is Hewlett Packard which, again despite being one of Apple’s rivals in the computer market, is also one of the primary providers of printers to the Mac market. Additional returning exhibitors include accessory distributor Dr. Bott; headphone makers Monster and Sennheiser, plus accessory makers Scosche; Other World Computing, FastMac, Mophie, and Trexta; Mac software makers SmileOnMyMac, OmniGroup, and MacSpeech; and technology titan Fujitsu. The published list does not include iPhone app developers, who made up the largest group of new Macworld exhibitors this past year.

Macworld 2010 saw an exhibit hall which was crowded almost to the point of annoyance, along with feature presentations from David Pogue, Leo Laporte, director Kevin Smith, musician BT, and Daring Fireball’s John Gruber. While some had preemptively written off the 2010 event due to Apple’s lack of participation, the six hundred journalists in attendance generally agreed that the event was an all around success.

The published dates for Macworld 2011 are January 25th through 29th. Registration for the expo has not yet opened.

TUAW: Looking forward to Macworld Expo 2011, despite John Dvorak
By Steven Sande on February 22, 2010

OK, I'm the first to admit that I didn't feel Macworld Expo had much of a future without Apple. After all, I was the guy responsible for the graphic that showed a gravestone with "Macworld Expo 1985 - 2010: Rest In Peace" engraved on it (my apologies to Paul Kent of IDG World Expo for that...). But even in that post, I still ended on a note of hope about the show. Many of our readers, however, agreed in an informal poll that the show had seen better days and that without Apple, Macworld Expo 2010 would be the last stop.

Longtime PC Magazine writer John Dvorak took the decidedly negative path in a recent post titled "Macworld Expo's Iffy Future." Based on a single quick walk through of the Expo captured on video, he concluded that the show is dead: "Last one? I think so."

After spending a few days at Macworld Expo 2010, I have exactly the opposite opinion to Dvorak. 2010 was the year that many vendors stayed away from the show, thinking that it just wasn't worth the time and effort. Nearly every exhibitor I talked to at the show said without reservation that they'd be back next year, and I've heard from many hardware and software vendors who say that even though they weren't in San Francisco this year, they'll be there in 2011. Just as I'm certain that spring crocuses will soon peek through the snow, I'm confident that Macworld Expo will be back in 2011 with even more exhibitors and visitors. Why? Let's go through some reasons.

1) Enthusiasm -- when you're just walking through an expo floor with a video camera, it's hard to get a feel for how much enthusiasm is running through the attendees. Those of us at the TUAW booth had the opportunity to talk with literally hundreds, if not thousands, of expo-goers, most of whom said they'd be back next year. We were not only talking to people who were new to the Apple world and seeing the Expo through fresh, unbiased eyes, but folks who had been going to Macworld since 1985.

2) Crowds -- if you watch Dvorak's video, you'll notice that he walks into some of the same human traffic jams that we saw every day. Sure, there are times where he's walking free and easy around the floor, but not every area was crowded at the same time. One common refrain I heard from many Expo-goers was that they wished the event had been held in a larger hall. Dvorak should also remember that this show happened in the midst of a recession with a 10% unemployment rate. If the economy had been doing well, the crowds would have been overwhelming.

3) Socializing -- for the Apple fan, Macworld Expo is the one steady event where you can go and meet others who are also fanboys. Whether you're just chatting with a vendor and other Mac or iPhone users at a booth, or attending one of the many parties that take place during the week, even the most introverted Apple geek can't help but be swept up in the sense of community.

4) Conference and Expo -- people tend to forget that the full name of Macworld is Macworld Conference & Expo, and that there are conference sessions that begin before the Expo floor is open. From comments I heard from many of the instructors who were participating, this year's conference sessions were well-attended and enthusiastic. Did John Dvorak attend any of the conference sessions? Not from what he stated in his post. Did he sit in on any of the Main Stage sessions? No, instead he panned the camera across the area in-between sessions, so of course it looked dead.

Dvorak does have a point that the show has relatively few Mac-related products, and the Macworld moniker just doesn't seem to fit anymore. Next year, we'll most likely see another Apple product -- the iPad -- and the iPhone as the big focus of the show, with the Mac taking a back seat to its younger siblings.

Personally, I'd like to see IDG World Expo rename the event to something that reflects this change in the Apple ecosphere. I'm sure they'd have to contend with Apple's trademark lawyers, but a name like Appleworld Expo would make a lot more sense in these times when the Mac isn't the only Apple product line.

Macworld Expo 2011 -- or whatever it may be called -- is scheduled for January 25-29, 2011. You can count on an enthusiastic contingent of TUAW bloggers happily attending the event again next year.

TUAW: Macworld 2010 Coverage

Read all of The Unofficial Apple Weblog's Macworld 2010 coverage from February 9-13, 2010.

MacVoices #1006: The Road to Macworld – Peter Cohen Profiles The iPhone App Business Development and Marketing Symposium
By Chuck Joiner on January 21, 2010

On The Road to Macworld 2010, Peter Cohen, Executive Editor of The Loop, gives us a preview of one of the Market Symposiums at the show, iPhone App Business Development and Marketing. With recent reports of Apple’s app dominance, more developers are looking at what it takes to be successful in the iPhone app arena. Peter’s panel will draw on industry experts to reveal best practices for getting your app priced properly, seen by users and media, and building a sustainable business in iPhone development. Peter summarizes why getting it right is so important, and why this is the first and best place to learn all about it. Peter also talks about his participation in the Angry Mac Bastards session on the show floor, and the characteristics that make Macworld a unique session.

Datamation: Macworld Expo Marches On for Apple Fans
By David Needle on January 19, 2010

The show took a major hit last year when the biggest news coming out of the event was that its largest supporter, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), was dropping out. Amid health problems, CEO Steve Jobs did not give his usual keynote and his fill-in, marketing executive Phil Schiller, made no major announcements.

Apple, by far the show's biggest exhibitor, also said it would no longer participate in the event for various reasons, including the success of its retail stores and a general decision not to participate in big trade shows.

If that wasn't enough, last January's Macworld happened against the backdrop of a failing economy and questions about whether enough exhibitors could support such an event. But tech publisher IDG, owners of both of the Macworld magazine and conference, promised to carry on without its bigger backer. Next month's event, starting Feb. 9, will be a critical test of whether the 25 year-old event still has legs.

"In the absence of Apple, there's an opportunity for other companies to get more mindshare," Macworld General Manager Paul Kent told InternetNews.com. "The glass-half-full way to look at this is that it becomes more of a fanfest environment. Also, big companies are still supporting Macworld. We'll have an interesting cross-section with companies like Microsoft, HP and VMware all exhibiting."

It's not just for consumers either. Kent notes Macworld's professional development sessions include a "Mac IT" conference within the show for learning more about Macs in a corporate setting. A mobile application showcase will feature a variety of iPhone apps in an informal setting that lets users talk directly with the developers.

Kent acknowledged that the show has been taken criticism for the increasing focus on iPod and iPhone accessory makers. "We're a mirror to the industry and those products were very much in demand," he said. "You'll still see lots of cool Mac stuff and now also for the iPhone.

A real world social network

Macworld may no longer be "a show where agenda-setting technologies make their debut," Kent admitted, though he said users can experience a kind of real world social network in a setting that lets them exchange ideas and meet those with similar interests in music, photography, multimedia and other areas.

"There are rumors of an Apple announcement later in January," Kent said, noting the expected debut of Apple's tablet computer. "We're prepared to provide an attendee perspective if that happens."

As for registrations, Kent doesn't want to compare this year's show to last year's or prior events, given the economic downturn and Apple's exit. "My answer on attendance is we're starting new," he said.

Macworld isn't charging as much as past shows, and has added a free exhibit pass to those who pre-register (the deadline has already ended). That strategy appears to have helped early sign-ups, as there already 30,000 pre-registrations, the same number that attended last year. Macworld expects more than 300 exhibitors.

Feature presenters will include New York Times personal technology columnist David Pogue, tech pundit Leo Laporte, and Hollywood actor/producer/director Kevin Smith.

MacSparky Blog: Macworld Feature Speakers 2010
By David Sparks on January 16, 2010

The Macworld feature speaker list is looking pretty good. If you are heading to San Francisco next month it is time to start filling in your dance card.

Thursday, February 11

9:00am – 10:00am = Late Night with David Pogue

11:00am – 12:00pm = Macworld DEMO: Best of Show, Matt Marshall to host

2:00pm – 3:00pm = Q&A with Kevin Smith

4:30pm – 5:30pm = The Photoshop 20th Anniversary, David Biedny to host


Friday, February 12

9:00am – 10:00am = Revolution from the Rest of Us, Guy Kawasaki

2:00pm – 3:00pm = Macworld Live! with Leo Laporte

4:30pm – 5:30pm = The Gruber 10: Apple’s Top Issues, John Gruber

Macsimum News: Music producer/artist/composer BT to debut new album at Macworld 2010
By Dennis Sellers on January 14, 2010

Macworld 2010 will serve as the debut event for the new album from BT, one of today’s hottest music producers, artists and composers, as well as the premier venue for things related to Apple products and music.

This year’s Macworld event will showcase numerous special musical guests including Warp 11 and Roger McGuinn, an expanded Music Studio in collaboration with Berklee College of Music, and a special Gibson Guitar Giveaway, IDG World Expo, owner of Macworld 2010, announced today.

At Macworld 2010, BT will sit down with Berklee College of Music’s Mike Carrera to talk about how he incorporates technology to express the vision of his music and create mixes and beats that pioneer the electronic genre. Following the launch of his Sonifi iPhone app, BT will demonstrate how mobile devices are the wave of the future for music allowing users to create and manipulate their own mixes. The presentation takes place Saturday, Feb. 13 at 2 pm.

BT’s presentation at Macworld is the first scheduled event for the artist and his new album, “These Hopeful Machines,” which launches on Feb. 2. His sixth studio album is a double-disc opus that carries listeners through two hours of orchestral arrangements, electronic beats, vocal melodies and even simple acoustic guitar. The album’s first single, “Suddenly,” hit the airwaves January 12.

Other music-related highlights of Macworld 2010 include:

- The Macworld Music Studio. In collaboration with Berklee College of Music, this expanded show floor attraction will be filled with instruction, demonstrations, performances and training on how to use the Mac to bring musical visions to life. There will be sessions and performances led by Berklee professionals, professional musicians, studio engineers, and other music and sound experts. Music studio sessions include: Home Studio Basics, Music Creation Software for the Mac, Adding Drum Tracks Using Your Mac, Mac Guitar Solutions, The Mac DJ, What’s New in Music Software and Open Music Forum. The Macworld Music Studio runs from Thursday, Feb. 11 through Saturday, Feb. 13.

- The “Music Tech Jam––Unleashing Your Inner Rock Star: Recording Your Music with the Mac” Supersession. Led by Berklee College of Music professionals, this two-hour session will provide attendees with info on how know to record their own music with the Mac. Designed for both beginning and intermediate musicians, the session will look at computer-based music recording from the ground up and cover topics ranging from software and hardware to editing and mixing techniques and tips and tricks for making your music sound its best. The Music Tech Jam Supersession will take place Friday, Feb. 12, from 4-6 pm.

- Special musical guests at Leo Laporte’s feature presentation. Tech guru Leo Laporte is hosting Macworld Live!, Macworld’s annual onsite talk show featuring news of the day, guests and plenty of surprises. This year, Leo’s guests will include Warp 11, a sci-fi rock band, and Roger McGuinn, founder, lead singer, and lead guitarist of The Byrds.

- Gibson Guitar Giveaway. Macworld 2010 is giving away a Gibson Les Paul professional guitar custom-designed by Macworld faculty member Andrew Shalat, designer, writer, and author of Shalat Design.

Macworld Expo 2010 will take place Feb. 9-13, 2010, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

MacNN: Macworld 2010 attendance on par with 2009
By MacNN Staff on January 11, 2010

Apple's absence having minimal impact?

Macworld 2010 should have just as many attendees as the 2009 event, IDG has announced. The expo organizer says that over 30,000 people have pre-registered so far, along with over 300 companies. Potential visitors can still register, although only a few weeks remain before the February 9th beginning of the event. The expo will run at the Moscone Center in San Francisco through February 13th.

This year will mark the first Macworld that Apple has not attended in some time. The company has in fact withdrawn from all major third-party tradeshows, citing their obsolescence given the opening of hundreds of Apple Stores and the ability of executives to organize ad hoc press gatherings. Observers had worried that Apple's absence would effectively kill Macworld, which previously drew people in through the anticipation of product debuts.

Apple may be continuing a trend of January announcements however, as it is widely expected to unveil a tablet device in an event at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, on January 26th or the 27th. The month has in the past been used to reveal some of the company's most radical products, including the iPhone and the MacBook Air. January 2009 was comparatively tame, mostly featuring new productivity software and unibody notebooks.

Presentations at Macworld 2010 will include ones from director Kevin Smith, New York Times writer David Pogue, and this WEEK in TECH host Leo Laporte.

MacVoices #1001: The Road to Macworld – Bruce Nazarian On Blu-ray Authoring, Music Production with Logic Pro and His Macworld Sessions
By Chuck Joiner on January 4, 2010

On The Road to Macworld 2010, The Digital Guy, Bruce Nazarian, talks about how Blu-ray disc authoring has improved over the last few years, and why you’ll be a Blu-ray Jedi after his limited-seating session at Macworld. Bruce talks about how you can experiment with Blu-ray authoring using your current DVD drive and players. Bruce’s background is in music production, both analog and digital, and he’ll be sharing some of his wisdom at another Macworld session focusing on Logic 9. Find out what to expect, and why you need to sign up *now* for these sessions, the extra value Bruce and Macworld are offering to attendees of the Blu-ray session and more.

Macworld 2010The Road to Macworld 2010 is a special MacVoices series produced in partnership with Macworld to preview some of the exhibitors and presentations at Macworld 2010 in San Francisco from February 9 – 13 at the Moscone Convention Center.

Macsimumnews.com: Appigo to award $10,000 in iPhone App Developer Contest
By Dennis Sellers on December 19, 2009

Appigo has announced the Appigo Todo iPhone App Developer Contest, in which the company will award US$10,000 in cash prizes.

The contest encourages third party developers to integrate their iPhone apps with Appigo’s latest version of Todo, the most connected to-do list for the iPhone. Todo’s most recent update gives third party apps the ability to create and import tasks, projects, and checklists using Apple’s iPhone OS 3.0 SDK (software development kit).

“Our developer program is the first step in encouraging integration between apps on the new iPhone computing platform,” says Calvin Gaisford, president and co-founder, Appigo. “This opportunity is an excellent way for iPhone apps to distinguish themselves among the ever growing list on the App Store.”

Members of Appigo’s free developer program have the opportunity to be included on Appigo’s list of integrated third party apps. Appigo’s users will be able to find these third party apps on the company’s web site and in a future update of Todo.

A total of $10,000 will be given to winners of the contest. The best integrated app will receive a cash prize of $5,000. Five additional apps will be named as honorable mentions and will each receive $1,000. Winners are expected to be announced during Macworld Expo 2010, where Appigo will show their latest innovations at their booth.

Macworld.com: Macworld 2010 Best of Show: Call for Submissions
Winners get to show off their products on stage with Demo's Marshall
By Jason Snell on December 16, 2009

The Macworld Best of Show Awards, presented each year at Macworld Conference & Expo to the best products making their debut at the annual trade show, are back for 2010 with a few twists.

For the Macworld 2010 show, Macworld is teaming with Demo, the new-product launch event, for a miniature Demo within Macworld Expo.

Here’s how it’ll work: As usual, Macworld’s editors will comb through products submitted for the Best of Show awards and will pick a list of winners. From that list, the Demo experts will pick six winners to highlight on stage during a special feature presentation hosted by Matt Marshall, editor and CEO of Venture Beat and executive producer of Demo. Each of the six winning companies will give a six-minute demo of their product during the presentation, scheduled for Thursday, February 11, at 11 a.m.

The remaining winners will be granted 10-minute demo slots in the Macworld 2010 Main Stage, located on the expo floor.

If your company is exhibiting at Macworld 2010, you want to be considered for this award. To submit your product, fill out this form no later than January 15, 2010. We will sign confidentiality agreements to cover products that have not yet been introduced. If you have any questions, drop an e-mail to bestofshow@macworld.com.

Because this year’s Best of Show presentation precedes the opening of the trade-show floor, there won’t be any chance for you to flag down a Macworld editor on the floor in hopes of getting a Best of Show award. To get an award, you need to tell us about it in advance!

Click here to fill out the form to submit your product.

iProng Magazine: Paul Kent talks Macworld 2010
By Bill Palmer on December 15, 2009

Here in its third decade, Macworld is still the annual epicenter of the Apple universe, in a landscape that now includes everything from the Macintosh to the iPhone and iPod to everything in between (and whatever comes next). Come February, the iProng team will be on-site to cover the relevant product rollouts and happenings from hundreds of Apple-oriented exhibitors. But in the mean time, here’s the latest scoop the man in charge of Macworld himself.



First things first: Macworld has traditionally been in early January. Why did you move it to mid-February this year?

Macworld 2010 has moved from our traditional first week of January dates to February 9-13th the based on input from exhibitors and attendees. It was a stress to exhibitors to get new products ready and deal with the logistics of planning for the show through the holidays. Similarly for many attendees, the first week of the year is typically a back to work week after having time off through the holidays. We’d heard the the input to move for years – this year, some suitable dates became available at Moscone and we were able to take advantage of the opportunity and deliver on probably our top customer request.

You’ve had a significant amount of participation from the iPhone and iPod community from the start, but the App Pavilion in the exhibit hall is new this year. What’s that all about?

Macworld is always a mirror of what’s going on in the Apple products marketplace. Obviously one of the most interesting and dynamic areas this year has been the explosive growth in iPhone and iPod touch apps. We launched the Mobile App Showcase at Macworld 2010 to be the first place where attendees can get face to face exposure to new apps – try them out and meet representatives from the companies that develop the app. In many cases, attendees will get to interact with the actual developer. We expect to host around 100 app developers all together. It’s an exciting new addition to the show that we think people are really going to enjoy.

What have you got on tap for the conference tracks this time around?

There’s education everywhere at Macworld 2010 – our conference sessions cover a host of topics to help people get more use out of their Mac, iPhone and favorite apps. The conferences offer power user tips on using Snow Leopard, techniques to further your interest in photography and videography, how Apple technology is being used in education and small business. We’re presenting over 150 total sessions – lectures, demonstrations and panel discussions, taught by a stellar faculty of experts from around the world. We also have quite a bit of free education on the show floor, including our Music Studio where the Berklee College of music, and special guests, will be presenting how to make music with Apple technology- great content for music educators, songwriters, bands and musicians.

“Silent Bob” himself, acclaimed director/screenwriter Kevin Smith, will be one of the featured speakers. I know he’s been an iPhone user from day one, because he was standing in line with the rest of us to buy one at the Apple Store back in 2007. What can we expect from Kevin?

In a word – humor. In two words – adult humor. Kevin will be doing the Q&A format he’s made popular on his speaking tours and DVD. Anything goes, and attendees should be prepared for answers very much in the style of Kevin’s films – thoughtful, funny and often laced with the kind of language that his home state of New Jersey is known for. This will definitely be a highlight for attendees – admission is free, but lines for this will be long and it is first come, first served. Those who make it in will be treated to wit and wisdom from one of the great Apple-using storytellers of our time.

David Pogue and Leo Laporte will also be speaking. What have they got on tap for attendees?


David moves to our opening slot to deliver “Late Night with David Pogue” – even though it’s at 9am, and we look forward to David being his infamous wry, witty, entertaining and insightful self. Along with thoughts on what’s going on in the tech industry in general and the Apple market in particular, I expect a song parody or two and a few other surprises. Leo Laporte is taking over David’s old spot as the host of “Macworld Live” – a Conan-style talk show featuring guests of interest from around the technology and entertainment industries. Leo’s shared with me some of the guests he’s inviting – it’s still a surprise, but suffice it to say attendees will see some very cool people and enjoy hearing from Leo, one of the best regarding personalities in the tech world today.

There are bound to be some skeptics wondering if they should still attend Macworld 2010 now that Apple is no longer participating in trade shows. What do you say to those skeptics?

This is the new era of Macworld. For 25 years we’ve been helping product developers and users find each other in this interesting “marketplace” called Macworld. It’s part fanfest, part shopping excursion, part social networking brought to life, and part professional development university. Close to 300 companies will be exhibiting this year, many of them new to the marketplace. Additionally, the Mobile App Showcase will be the largest face to face showing of iPhone apps. All of this makes for a compelling product viewing experience. Our conferences continue to deliver timely, relevant training information to help everyone from the IT professional to the hobbyist become more proficient and get more enjoyment out of the Apple-related products. There’s really no conference environment like it in the world – putting musicians, photographers, videographers, IT professionals, educators, graphic designers, small business people, hobbyists and pro-sumers alike into a learning environment. Like interests find each other and help each other at appropriate levels, and the cross-pollination expands horizons for all involved.

And of course, our faculty is second to none – the best thinkers and doers in the Apple community sharing what they’ve learned over the past year on all things related to using Apple-products. And then there’s the social vibe, which Macworld is really kind of famous for. The impromptu conversations of people sitting in circle on the floor, the after hours get togethers, the social parties. In a world where people increasingly interact virtually, the value of a week of face to face interaction can’t be understated.

What are the best ways to stay connected with Macworld 2010 between now and February?

There are several ways to stay connected:

Website – www.macworldexpo.com


Twitter – follow @MacworldExpo


Facebook – become a Fan at www.facebook.com/macworld

We have several messages and announcements to share between now and the show, so interested readers should definitely follow us on Twitter and Fan the Facebook page. It’s going to be a great show – Kevin Smith, David Pogue, Leo Laporte, our outstanding conference and a show floor full of some of the most interesting and useful products to use with your Mac, iPod and iPhone. Register today at www.macworldexpo.com!

MacDirectory: Noted Writers Speak, Microsoft Returns to Macworld 2010
By MD Editor on December 13, 2009

Macworld 2010 will feature presentations by John Gruber, writer and publisher of "Daring Fireball", one of the most respected commentaries on the Apple marketplace, and David Biedny, a digital effects, graphics and multimedia expert, IDG World Expo, owner of Macworld 2010, announced today. Gruber and Biedny join a line up of feature presenters, which currently include filmmaker Kevin Smith, New York Times' columnist David Pogue, and This WEEK in TECH's Leo Laporte. IDG World Expo also announced today that Microsoft will join a growing list of key industry exhibitors including HP, Other World Computing, Livescribe, Xerox, Shure, Boinx and Rogue Amoeba.

"Trusted industry visionaries John and David epitomize the savvy of the ever-growing community of Apple product users and developers," said Paul Kent, Macworld general manager and vice president at IDG World Expo. "Their participation in Macworld 2010, along with the addition of key exhibitor Microsoft, illuminates our value proposition that Macworld is the most important gathering on the planet for the Mac community each year."

John Gruber, who writes and publishes "Daring Fireball", a popular weblog ostensibly focused on Mac, and co-hosts The Talk Show podcast with Dan Benjamin, will take center stage for "The Gruber 10: Apple's Top Issues" on Friday, February 12, 2010, from 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm PT. Gruber comes to Macworld to share his list of top issues shaping our world. His views on usability, competitive factors, areas of innovation and market fairness will offer invaluable insights to users and developers alike.

Photoshop's 20th
Recognized worldwide as an expert on digital effects, graphics and multimedia, David Biedny comes to Macworld 2010 to host The Photoshop 20th Anniversary Celebration on Thursday, February 11, 2010, from 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm PT. For the last 20 years, Photoshop has defined the state-of-the-art of digital imaging, spawning an entire media discipline and achieving the status of verb in the popular lexicon. Biedny will host a special panel presentation featuring Adobe executives: Jerry Harris, co-author of PixelPaint and primary architect of brushing engine in Photoshop 7; Kevin Connor, Vice President Product Management, Adobe's Professional Digital Imaging Products; and Russell Brown, senior creative director, Adobe Systems. The panel will focus on the past, present and future of this graphics phenomenon with demonstrations of Photoshop 1.0 and insight into the next version of Photoshop.

Keep checking back for news leading up to Macworld 2010 and follow MacDirectory's live coverage at the Expo.

Macsimumnews.com: Gruber, Biedny added to list of Macworld 2010 presenters
By Dennis Sellers on December 9, 2009

Macworld 2010 will feature presentations by John Gruber, writer and publisher of Daring Fireball, and David Biedny, a digital effects, graphics and multimedia expert.

Gruber—who writes and publishes Daring Fireball, a weblog ostensibly focused on the Mac, and co-hosts The Talk Show podcast with Dan Benjamin— will take center stage for “The Gruber 10: Apple’s Top Issues” on Friday, Feb. 12, 2010, from 4:30-5:30 pm. Gruber comes to Macworld to share his list of top issues shaping our world. He’ll offer his views on usability, competitive factors, areas of innovation and market fairness.

Biedny comes to Macworld 2010 to host “The Photoshop 20th Anniversary Celebration” on Thursday, Feb. 11, from 4:30-5:30 pm PT. He’ll host a special panel presentation featuring Adobe executives: Jerry Harris, co-author of PixelPaint and primary architect of brushing engine in Photoshop 7; Kevin O’Connor, principal, Make Color Behave; and Russell Brown, senior creative director, Adobe Systems. The panel will focus on the past, present and future of this graphics phenomenon with demonstrations of Photoshop 1.0 and insight into the next version of Photoshop.

The Macworld 2010 conference program, expected to attract several thousand Apple product users from around the world, will feature six programs: MacIT Conference, Users Conference, MacLabs, Market Symposiums, Power Tools and Creative Safari. All speaker slots for these conference tracks have been filled with leading experts delivering training on the newest and most relevant topics, such as Mac OS X 10.6 (“Snow Leopard”) and Final Cut Pro. There are a handful of slots being left open until closer to the event in order to address last-minute, late-breaking topics of interest.

Featured content at Macworld 2010 includes a dedicated, full-day of hands-on training around the iWork suite and an expanded Users Conference that targets a wider base of vertical segments. In addition to creative professionals, photographers, educators, small business professionals and general Mac users, musicians and videographers now have dedicated sessions to help build their skill set.

Sessions will be taught by a faculty of Mac leaders that includes: Rich Harrington, a practiced expert in motion graphic design and digital video and internationally published author of books in the Apple Training Series; Don McAllister, podcasting pioneer and host and producer of ScreenCastsONLINE, a weekly show delivering video tutorials on Apple Mac software to a global audience; and Bruce Nazarian, “The DVD Guy” and CEO of Digital Media Consulting Group.

Macsimumnews.com: ‘Macworld DEMO: Best of Show’ launches at Macworld 2010
By Dennis Sellers on November 18, 2009

Macworld 2010, in collaboration with DEMO and Macworld magazine, is launching a new program that that will give attendees an exclusive first look at the best new products for the Apple market at “Macworld DEMO: Best of Show.”

DEMO, the launch pad event for emerging technologies, and Macworld will spotlight the most promising technologies to hit the Apple products market exclusively at Macworld 2010. This new award program will give six selected companies a chance to spotlight their products during a special feature presentation hosted by Matt Marshall, editor and CEO of Venture Beat and executive producer of DEMO.

Each of the six selected companies will give a six-minute demonstration of their product at the Macworld DEMO: Best of Show Feature Presentation, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010, from 11 am to 12 noon. The deadline for Macworld DEMO: Best of Show submissions is Jan. 15.

Macworld Expo 2010 will take place Feb. 9-13, 2010, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

TUAW.com:Paul Kent gives TUAW the latest news about Macworld 2010
by Steven Sande on November 11, 2009

As a Mac-head who has attended the Macworld Expo and Conference on and off since the late 1980s, I met the announcement last December that Apple would no longer attend the event with a big, jaw-breaking yawn. Personally, I never attended Macworld for the Apple display, which was overcrowded and staffed by Apple employees who usually knew less about the new products than I did. The keynotes were usually a highlight, but hard to get into, and without Steve Jobs as the "star," it just wouldn't be the same. My reason for going to Macworld has always been the same; to see great new software or hardware made to work with Apple products, meet with manufacturers and developers, and to enjoy the camaraderie of the large group of buddies I've made at Macworld Expo in the past.

So, when I saw that registration for Macworld 2010 had opened, I immediately jumped on the website and signed up. To me, it's a no-brainer to attend the original and only US conference that is all about Apple. Macworld Expo has been around for 25 years, and all indications are that it will continue for as long as the Macintosh and other Apple platforms exist. Yesterday, I talked with Paul Kent, General Manager, Macworld 2010 and Vice President of IDG World Expo, about Macworld 2010 and how preparations are coming along for the show.

To start with, I asked Kent about the attendance figures so far, and he mentioned that the numbers are very encouraging. To date, over 28,000 pre-registrations have been received for the Expo, which is about two-thirds of the average attendance figures with three more months of registration left to go. That's also already at the level of attendees at Macworld Expo 2009, which saw lower-than-average attendance due to the state of the economy.

The show was moved to February 9 - 13, 2010 from the traditional January date, based on availability of space at the Moscone Center venue and requests from both exhibitors and attendees. Kent said that for many exhibitors, the early January date was difficult as employees needed to work through the Christmas and New Year's holidays in order to prepare for the show. Surveys done of exhibitors and attendees showed that many supported moving the Expo dates to a new timeframe, and IDG World Expo was able to comply.

As of early November, Kent said that there were also about 125 exhibitors signed up, and 480 press pass requests had been processed. But there's more to Macworld 2010 than just a lot of products -- there are free training opportunities on the floor, paid educational "tracks," and talks by a variety of Apple cognoscenti. David Pogue (personal technology writer for the New York Times and well-known Mac author), This Week In Tech's Leo Laporte, and writer/director Kevin Smith are all lined up to provide Expo-goers with their unique viewpoints.

Since Macworld has always had a presence in Apple's home port, the Bay Area, many attendees are from the region. Kent mentioned that by adding a Saturday to the Expo, they hope to attract a new audience of visitors who have not been able to take time off from work in the past. The new schedule, coupled with the additional special guests and events that will be added during the remaining three months before the show, should boost the attendance to all-time highs.

The conference tracks are always popular, and there will be six of them planned for 2010: MacIT, Market Symposiums (discussing deployment of Mac technology in key markets), Users, Power Tools (in-depth 2-day training in popular applications), MacLabs, andCreative Safari.

Kent was excited to pass along the information that the Berklee College of Music will once again present the Macworld Music Studio. This is an on-floor venue where you professional musicians and music educators instruct, demonstrate, and perform music.

As usual, as the clock ticks down to the start of Macworld 2010, you can read all of the latest coverage here at The Unofficial Apple Weblog.

ZDNet.com: Macworld 2010: Gearing up for an Apple-less event
Posted by Sam Diaz on November 10, 2009

He’s no Steve Jobs - but filmmaker Kevin Smith, whose works include the Clerks films, will do his part as a featured presenter to attract a crowd to the 2010 Macworld Conference, which is being held in February in San Francisco, the first without any sort of presence by Apple.

Does this make Smith - recognized by movie fans as his Silent Bob character - the replacement keynote presenter? The folks behind Macworld aren’t necessarily saying that - but they are calling him a “feature presenter” and said he will be on-hand for a Q&A with attendees to talk about pretty much any subject, but likely will stay focused on the role of video technology in the film industry.

You’ll recall that last year, Apple said the 2009 Macworld conference would be its last. And with CEO Steve Jobs headed into a medical leave of absence that would eventually include a liver transplant, Apple exec Phil Schiller represented the company on the stage for the last time.

As they say in Hollywood, the show must go on - and so the folks behind Macworld have been busy lining up speakers. Smith, who was announced today, will join tech journalists Leo LaPorte or David Pogue as presenters this year.

In addition, the show has moved from its traditional spot on the calendar in January - which always overlapped with the big Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas - to February 9-13. It will continue to be held at San Francisco’s Moscone Center.

Macworld.com: Filmmaker Kevin Smith to appear at Macworld 2010
Posted on November 10, 2009 by Dan Moren

Maybe Apple isn’t coming to Macworld 2010, but that just means it won’t be hogging the spotlight. On Tuesday, IDG World Expo announced that filmmaker and Mac fan Kevin Smith would be giving one of the feature presentations at the February 2010 event. Snooch to the booch, indeed.

If you aren’t familiar with Smith’s work, then you have been sorely deprived. His debut feature, 1994’s Clerks, is a classic, one that he followed up with films like Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and more. I have to admit a soft spot for much of his work, especially the short-lived Clerks animated series.

Smith’s session will be a Q&A with attendees; it's scheduled for Thursday, February 11 at 2PM PT. This isn’t his first trip to Macworld, either; he made a similar appearance at Macworld Expo 2007. Macworld 2010 head honcho Paul Kent waxed enthusiastic about Smith's appearance, saying in a statement, “Kevin’s dynamic and informative style, commitment to his community of fans and creative use of Mac technology exemplify what Macworld is all about.”

I got to see Smith live when I was in college, an event that was immortalized (along with sessions from a few other schools) in the An Evening with Kevin Smith DVD, and I’ll tell you this: attendees are in for a treat. As with other feature presentations by the likes of New York Times tech columnist David Pogue and pocdcaster Leo LaPorte, the Smith session is open to all Macworld attendees.

Macworld 2010 takes place from February 9-13 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA. Registration for the event is now open online at the Macworld 2010 Website.

Tom's Macs Blog By Tom Nelson, About.com Guide to Macs

MacWorld 2010, the first MacWorld to take place without a major presence by Apple, will be held February 9-13 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

This year, IDG has created six tracks for those attending the conference: MacIT, for the IT professional; Users, for individuals who want to develop skills using both the Mac OS and many applications; MacLabs, for hands-on interactive training; Market Symposiums, which will feature analysis of key Mac markets; Power Tools, with two-day training seminars on specific applications; and Creative Safari, with full-day seminars on using the Mac for photography, video, publishing, and other creative endeavors.

I wonder what will take the place of Apple's keynote address, traditionally the kick-off for the MacWorld show. Last year was the first keynote without Steve Jobs; this year, Apple isn't planning to have any official presence at all. IDG hasn't yet announced a keynote speaker, but it has booked two noted tech personalities for appearances during the MacWorld show. New York Times columnist David Pogue will appear Thursday evening in 'Late Night with David Pogue.' Leo Laporte, host of MacBreak Weekly, The Tech Guy, and the TWiT network, will be behind the microphone for the 'Live at MacWorld' show.

In addition to the conferences, MacWorld is offering passes to the exhibition floor, where hundreds of companies will exhibit their Mac-related products and services.

MacWorld has already pre-registered 28,000 attendees, roughly two-thirds the number of visitors to a typical MacWorld show. With 3-½ months left before the show, this MacWorld is on track to be as large as previous MacWorld shows, with or without Apple.

MacVoices #997: The Road to Macworld – Paul Kent Updates Us On The Latest Announcements
Posted by Chuck on September 9th, 2009

Macworld may be six months away, but you should be keeping it at the top of your things-to-watch list. Macworld General Manager Paul Kent delivers an update on their plans, including how Snow Leopard and the iPhone will get special attention and more. Paul discusses the imminent official opening of registration, the status of attendee and exhibitor registration and the best way you can both talk and listen to what’s going on as more plans for Macworld are announced.

Listen to the interview here.

theappleblog.com
Written on August 24, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum

A Macworld Expo without Apple is like ordering a decaf, non-fat latte – what’s the point? This is old news, right? Not really. For many, this time of year is when the discussion about going to Macworld begins. IDG has already started some of its marketing push. Will Macworld 2010 be a ghost town, or will it be the best Macworld ever?

Macworld was in intensive care in 2008 and Apple’s decision to not exhibit in the future killed it, right? Maybe not. Macworld may end up stronger than ever. It reminds me of the classic science fiction plot where the main character goes through some strange metamorphosis on his deathbed (Doctor Who anyone?).

The Big Squeeze
My first Macworld was 1995. The clone wars were about to begin, but it was still Apple’s show. I had an absolute blast, and it wasn’t just because Sandra Bullock was filming “The Net” on the show floor. Back then there were detailed product demos and face time with a vendor’s sales and support team. Schwag bags were so big I’d have to ship a separate box back to Kansas.

As time marched on, smaller vendors were squeezed out by the big shots. Just like in any business, big national chains increased costs and make it more expensive for the little guys. Eventually, vendors stopped sending top personnel and often just hired warm bodies to staff their booths.

After over a decade of attendance, I decided in 2008 to pack it in. Too many exhibitors were doing “engineering via PowerPoint,” showing off screenshots and mockups of future products in lieu of real demos. Quicken Financial Life is still M.I.A. Any word on NightHawk? When I asked an exhibitor a moderately difficult question I was simply handed a card and told to call some support or sales number, or pointed towards the FAQ on their website. Furthermore, the show’s emphasis on Mac hardware and software had been overwhelmed by a preponderance of laptop and iPod cases and sometimes seemed to be more of a fashion show than a technical conference.

As a press person, qualifying for passes became difficult as the show management became overly bureaucratic. Many attendees and exhibitors hated the event’s timing, right after the holidays and New Year. After the second day in 2008, I decided it would be my last Macworld due to the increased hassle and decreased value. Apparently Steve Jobs agreed with me and took a pass on 2009, and then Apple soon followed suit.

Better, Faster, Stronger
With Macworld declared dead, IDG can take the opportunity to completely upgrade the event. They can rebuild it. They have the technology. Better than it was before. Better, stronger, faster. Now instead of the beginning of January, the Expo takes place in February. This gives all of us time to breathe after the first of the year and the busy holiday season. Additionally, the expo is at the end of the week and includes a weekend day.

Better hours will attract the casual Mac user who wouldn’t necessarily take time off from work to attend, but who simply wants to learn about new Mac products. These are the people who go to the Apple store “just to browse.” Registration is currently free for an exhibit-only pass thereby encourage those window shoppers (not to be confused with Windows shoppers). IDG is also focusing on attracting more small and independent developers who had been priced out of previous Expos. These are all very smart moves by IDG and will greatly increase the show’s value.

I’m psyched to attend in 2010. I’ll have plenty of time to recover from the holiday rush. I’ll attend on Saturday so I won’t be missing as much work. The outreach to small and independent developers will act as a tonic to boost the show’s technical and Mac-focused content. I’ve always loved the developer pavilion and am glad to see this concept extended. Not only is the person working these smaller booths the sales agent, but he or she may also be the developer! Want a feature in the program? Just ask and they’ll try and accommodate you. Like a rainforest, removing a couple big trees lets the underbrush grow and flourish.

Will attendance increase in 2010? I predict it will, and I plan to be part of this. Are you attending? Exhibiting? Thinking about it?

View original article.

Recently, Macsimum News interviewed Paul Kent, IDG World Expo’s Vice President in charge of Macworld Expo, about the move of the expo from January to February in 2010, the lack of Apple as an exhibitor, what Apple fans are requesting of IDG in regards to the expo, and more.

Macsimum News: What are some of the things that people are requesting that has surprised you?

Kent: The suggestions have been great—lots of useful ideas. We get suggestions for things like dates and venue—obviously the date suggestions were acted on very quickly. We get show content ideas—both conference and show floor attractions, thoughts for how the website could communicate more effectively, the activities that we have going on, ideas to help people meet up at the show, ideas for pricing structures. The concept of one day conference pricing is one we’re looking at very closely now. I’ve gotten everything from one-liners on the back of napkins to five-page emails. I can’t say that any comments have been surprising – but it is very gratifying to see how participants are so forthcoming with their ideas. It really reinforces the notion that they look at it as “their” show—and they care deeply about its future direction.

Macsimum News: Are you leaning towards a keynote, an esteemed panel discussion or no single major event?

Kent: We’ve just started content development for the show in the past few weeks. Lots of interesting ideas for featured presentations and keynotes are flowing—everything from technology visionaries, Mac industry luminaries, people who can talk elegantly about the power of communities, to experts on technology and world issues. The Mac community is incredibly knowledgeable and thoughtful—they absorb and appreciate vision and intelligence. They have a sense of humor. They love brilliant technology. And, of course, they love Apple products. All those lines will intersect in some shape or form in our featured presentations.

Macsimum News: Now that Apple has bowed out, has IDG given any thought to moving Macworld to a more central location?

Kent: We are committed to San Francisco for 2010. If an opportunity presents itself that has as strong a localized base of Apple product developers and customers as the Bay Area, I’d be open to looking at it.

Macsimum News: Have you had any communications with Apple concerning the expo? If so, can you elaborate on anything?

Kent: No further communication with Apple since the show concluded. Apple’s decision to cease participation in all trade shows— readers should understand that Apple no longer does AppleExpo in Europe, NAB, NAMM either—and use their retail stores as their means of customer communication was their business decision. We, of course, feel that there’s a unique value in hosting a central event that has extensive product viewing and demonstration opportunities, an in-depth conference agenda and the unique business and social networking things that happen at the show as an entirely different experience for Apple product customers. There’s a 25 year relationship there, that started with the launch of the Mac and I’d like to think the good things that Macworld does for Mac, iPhone and iPod users will bring some additional discussion as the show gets closer.

Macsimum News: Do you think there’s advantages to putting distance between Macworld and CES?

Kent: Our new Feb 9-13 dates will give exhibitors and attendees more breathing room between the busy holiday season and give them much needed time to get products ready for launch at the show. It also allows media opportunity to attend both events without being forced to choose one event to cover.

Macsimum News: What sort of reaction have you gotten from vendors on the schedule change?

Kent: Vendors/exhibitors have been overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the move. The logistical, marketing and product development demands to get ready over the holidays had been a point of concern for a long time. The upsides to prep time, and quite frankly costs, are evident and are being met extremely positively. Attendees have reacted very positively as well – over 4 ,000 registered the week of the date change announcement.