Macworld 2010: Thoughts

Macworld 2009 has now come and gone. The biggest news, of course, is that Apple themselves have pulled up stakes and made this show their last. The question on attendee's minds: does this finish Macworld, too? I'm sure it does not.

That is not to say that the show won't be different; it certainly will be. There are two things, primarily that IDG (the show's owner) now has to battle. The first is the date for the 2010 Macworld show. It's already scheduled—for the 4th of January. Well, we might as well all just give up our December holidays and New Years and just go live in San Francisco for the duration. Of course, we'll need to bring our families, too. Then, there's the issue of not having Apple at the show.

Apple not attending is no big deal. However, IDG has to deal with the perception that it is. Up, down, black, white, hard facts and reality: none can compete with someone's perception. Perceptions are difficult to impossible to change. IDG needs to deal with the perceptions of both attendees and vendors, both of which currently seem lees than positive. That also seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to Apple's decision.

Frankly, the community wants Macworld. It's currently the last real bastion of any semblance of a show focused around Apple products. For consumers, the show is interesting. For professionals-IT administrators, consultants, writers and so on-the social aspects can't be denied. It's wonderful to see what your peers are doing. It's great to put faces to e-mail addresses. And, it's great to see people that share your passion for all things technological.

While the community will keep the gathering going in some form or another, we need IDG to succeed here. It's unlikely that a company is going to categorize a business trip to a destination where you're just going to hang-out all week. However, most people are going to go back and (successfully, justifiably) expense their trip to Macworld.

The reality is that 2010 will be a make-or-break year for Macworld as a show, and the two issues above are real problems. The date is just awful. Push the show to March and make it easy on everyone to commit to a date. The perception problem stems primarily from most vendor's wait-and-see attitude. Instead of just saying, "yes, we want to be a part of the show," they're waiting to see who else commits. Sure enough, those other vendors are doing the same thing, leading to a downward spiral of non-commital. My guess is that once we're a little further away from this event, vendors who can see all of this a little more objectively will sign up.

Smaller, more focused show? I'm all for it. Vendors: get on the stick and commit. Plan events and user meetings; have fun. Do it right and you'll rule the roost. IDG: make it attractive for vendors to exhibit. Speakers: present your best ideas yet. The crowd at Macworld 2010 should get more attention than any in an long time. Come together, and you'll reap the rewards in the future.