Fallout from Apple’s divorce from Macworld Expo

Starting next January, Macworld Expo, Winter’s hot ticket for devoted Macheads the world over and one of Apple’s three yearly venues for new product unveilings, will be missing a key participant: Apple. That’s kind of like bailing on your own birthday party, one that friends spared no expense to throw for you. “SURPRISE! For he’s a jolly good…hey, who the hell are you?”

Even though Macworld Expo is operated by IDG, InfoWorld’s parent company, I have no involvement with the show except as an attendee. 2008 is the first year I can recall missing it. I’m not following (rather, anticipating) Apple’s lead. In a flash of opportunistic brilliance, American Express, you know, that card with no preset spending limit, chose to turn three years of travel expenses, all paid on-time, into a $30K revolving debt. Hey, Feds, would you turn me into a bank, too?

I digress.

Vendors don’t often issue press releases to announce what they’re not doing, but Apple decided to send out a media missive to let us know that effective 2010, Apple will be taking the Mac out of Macworld Expo. Don’t take that the wrong way–there will still be plenty of Macs in third party booths on the exhibit floor, but after one last token keynote from Phil Schiller, Apple will no-show for the only third party trade show made just for Apple.

That’s a dramatic step, but not unexpected. It’s been in the cards for some time that WWDC (Worldwide Developer Conference), Apple’s only self-sponsored trade event, would become the only (semi-)public event left on Apple’s calendar. That shindig costs a Jobs’ ransom to run, especially considering that a fair number of students, bloggers and open source project crews get a break on the conference’s hefty cover charge. I can’t see WWDC being a profitable show on its own, but it pulls in Mac and iPhone application, system and peripheral developers. WWDC nails down existing developers’ loyalty, and an embarrassment of staff and luminary-hosted sessions sends a creative thrill through Windows, UNIX and Linux migrants. WWDC has a broader reach than its name suggests: WWDC sessions also hit creative professionals, sci/tech, high-performance computing and IT. Proficiency in Objective-C is not a prerequisite.

WWDC is completely controlled by Apple, unlike MacWorld Expo and NAB (National Association of Broadcasters), and it pulls together those responsible for Apple’s iPhone and Mac revenue, namely, application developers. If you’re going to throw just one major show a year, that’s the group to target.

Apple will also use invite-only Town Hall meetings to show off new product. It’s an intimate setting, where press gets the chance to Q&A and to handle real machines without being glowered at by a stop loss officer.

Apple’s free word of mouth (word of blog/podcast/YouTube…) advertising has exceeded the critical mass needed to sustain itself as the company’s primary means of face-to-face promotion. Anywhere there’s an Apple Store, you’ll find Macheads hauling converts-to-be to the Mac tabernacle. Those that aren’t brought into the fold by current fans are lured in by iPhone 3G or iPod. Even though the devices are now distributed far and wide, Apple Stores are the only place where you can get up close and personal with one, and you certainly can’t expect a vest-clad Wal-Mart clerk unbox one to answer your questions. Apple Store has what you’ll miss from the Apple booth at Macworld Expo, and Macworld Expo has the essentials that you can’t get from the Apple Store. They’re both needed.

Steve, heal well.