Steve Jobs won't give Macworld keynote
In a surprise move that shocked fans and troubled investors, Apple announced after close of markets Tuesday that Steve Jobs will not be delivering the keynote address at Macworld 2009.
In the same press release, issued three weeks before the event, the company let it be known that after this Macworld, Apple will no longer participate in the industry showcase that takes its name from the company's flagship product.
Apple's press release offered no explanation for why Jobs has decided not to give his usual keynote address, one of the signal events of the year for Apple watchers. It will be delivered instead by marketing VP Phil Schiller, an Apple executive notably lacking in Jobs' showmanship and star power.
The switch is likely to raise questions once again about the health of Apple's CEO, who struggled earlier this year with complications from surgery performed in 2004 to remove a tumor from his pancreas. See here.
Apple (AAPL) shares, which had closed the day up a fraction of a point, fell nearly 6% in after hours trading before settling at 92.94, down 2.6%.
San Francisco hosted the first Macworld in 1985. The expo was held twice a year until 2005, when it was scaled back to an annual event.
Now its future is in doubt.
"We're on track for a terrific show for this year," Paul Kent, a VP at IDG World Expo and general manger for Macworld 2009, said in a prepared statement. He insists that IDG is committed to staging Macworld in San Francisco's Moscone Center in January 2010, but declined to go further than that.
Apple's press release begins as follows:
Apple(R) today announced that this year is the last year the company will exhibit at Macworld Expo. Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, will deliver the opening keynote for this year's Macworld Conference & Expo, and it will be Apple's last keynote at the show. The keynote address will be held at Moscone West on Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. Macworld will be held at San Francisco's Moscone Center January 5-9, 2009.
Apple is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers. The increasing popularity of Apple's Retail Stores, which more than 3.5 million people visit every week, and the Apple.com website enable Apple to directly reach more than a hundred million customers around the world in innovative new ways. (link)
I feel the Net is to blame. The Net has made collaboration possible and easy. In such an environment, closed systems get both hacked and hosed. We all carry phones so iphone made more sense than ipod but the future is open. Nokia opened up symbian. Apple and MS are not likely to do so.
The end of iPod/iPhoneWorld shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Even the most loyal Apple devotees have commented on its decline over the past few years.
While face-to-face flesh pressing will always be the best form of engagement, trade shows are a dinosaur in the digital age. I wouldn't say they are dead, but like print media, the value proposition has eroded. Can assisted living be far off?
@Jonathan, pls note that Apple CultBoys, when their precious is touched or its domination is threatened in any way, can turn really nasty.
Hey Paul from St. Louis
Shows that you don't know anything about Switzerland. Yes, we have assisted suicides, but we have better things that attracted people all around the world such as mountains!
Who in their right mind would offer to give a keynote address to millions of beady eyes staring at one's body in an incredibly rude effort to detect some nuance of change that might allow yet more incredibly rude gossip. What rock did those who try to wager on Mr. Jobs life-span crawl out from under?
Although the current recession doesn't really make attending MacWorld a good investment, I think the main reason for Steve not showing up is that he doesn't have anything outstanding to present to attendees. I find the rumored new Mac Mini very appealing, but this is no iPhone or MacBook Air…
@Paul: Your comment about suicide tourism in Switzerland is outrageous and pathetic.
Hear-ye al you believers.
Seriously, this is the downside of reling on a "cult support" more than a commercial company style promotion. Cults must have mystic and secret "mechanisms" of power and Apple is not different. Just like in the days of the Soviet Union's "Kremlinologist" who tried to out-guess what was goin on in the darkened corridors of the Kremlin, there are now "Cupertinologists" and "Jobsologists" that try to enlighten the world hungry for information about everybody's favourite predatory underdog.
Whatever his holiness' stae of health (and I trully hope that he is OK), the strategy of Apple's PR (No Comment secrecy) is that of the Kremlin, superior and smug snobs that know what's best for you ("He's like a god that knows what we want" Simpsons episode) works grat on the way up, but it hits them (and their followers' self esteem) on the way down.
Now is the way down (even if Apple will fare bettehr than other, "mortal" competitors) and each and every "No Comment" will cause an explosion of rumours.
I bet that Apple's PR dept (who probably dont know much what's going on either) had hours of words shuffling when drafting the release.
Namaste.
People need to get away from personalities and go to brands. Msoft is living with Monkey Boy without Billy G. Apple will live on but as long as they are revolutionary. Other than that what else can I say
AppleWillLive
Trade shows may be a thing of the past, I don't know. My only real experience has been MacWorld. I've been to many since 1996 or so and have loved them. It is a way to see what is out there besides reading rags & going online. It's a chance to try and experience new things. I remember buying my first Rio Mp3 player at a Macworld in New York. it was like $300 and only held 16 songs, but I knew it was hot! It's these experiences that I will miss. MacWorld cannot be the same with Apple's presence.
I didn't expect Apple to drop MacWorld San Francisco, but they have been dropping other trade shows for quite some time now. Apple Marketing is very aware of how the money they spend affects sales, and if a show's not pulling its weight, then the show gets cut.
Besides the cost of attending, I think Apple was getting pretty tired of having their product announcements driven by someone else's schedule.
I can understand that with Apple Stores providing a superior access point for customers, that Apple would consider MacWorld less than an ideal use of their resources. But to say that 'trade shows are dead.' is simply not true.
We've been producing trade show presentations for well over 20 years and have attended dozens this year. The traffic at most of them has been considerable, with many vendors signing up for the following year. Admittedly, they are spending their marketing dollars more wisely, with smaller booths, less 'sizzle'. But they still see the marketing value in face to face encounters with potential customers.
I don't see this industry disappearing any time soon.
It is funny to watch the rumors start flying.
1. He never had the keynote scheduled so where is the cancellation? Expecting him to do it is not him scheduling it.
2. As a former trade show vendor, they are right. Trade shows are a thing of the past and not worth their cost.
3. Steve is a private man. You will not hear of his health unless he wants you to know about it. Quit trying to stir the pot about his health and realize that all things change and so to does this. A sign of the times.
CYNIK….
Figures such a moronic statement to come from a country with SUICIDE TOURISM as its main income. Sad, really sad.
Meh. After waiting for a freaking year for the iPhone to come out in Switzerland, and then being pack raped by Swisscom and Apple to use it….. and even then it doesn't tether……
I say let him die.
The non-news here is just a bit more evidence that trade shows are dead. They are just too expensive for any good they do. When there were lots of computer vendors, the big iron trade shows were a great opportunity to look at other company's mainframes and for the Honeywell marketing people to look for jobs with Univac, IBM, Digital and RCA. And vice versa. This is less of an issue at Macworld since Apple is the only big presence. Macworld is also a poor focus for Apple, being just after Christmas, for launching new consumer products.
As to Steve's non-presence, anyone can see that Steve likes to start things. He's not needed at the last of anything. Apple retail stores are worth a dozen trade shows for anyone to see the gear and Apple's ability to have new products in every store the day of or day after an announcement is far better reach than a show.
For something totally out of the blue, let's consider that the real announcement will be made on January 24th, 2009. That day marks the 25th anniversary of the Macintosh.
Maybe there is not keynote by Steve this year because the big announcement won't happen until later in the month.
i don't know if this is about steve job's health. Apple is also known for shunning people for rubbing them the wrong way. I don't think we should count this possibility out because they said they won't exhibit anymore. Another possibility is that they might go to the other expos where there competition is instead.
Naysayers? What are you talking about? It's just a computer company. Why do you care what other people think? And I'm curious… who are the "REAL investors" that Steve is talking about? What makes them any more knowledgeable? I'm sure they took the same beating that everyone else took this year. But maybe their beating was more REAL.
This is bad – people do not survive pancreatic cancer despite what Patrick Swayze and the the rest of the PEOPLE magazine culture say. I worry for Mr. jobs health
Those that claim this is troubling have not been paying attention. Apple has been heading in this direction for a while. Steve intentionally played a very minor role at the last press event.
Some of us saw this coming for a while because we actually pay attention and don't just have knee-jerk responses.
But the nay sayers will be out in full force.
Too bad…I hope it's some consolation to the Mac nerds that they can still attend the Star Trek convention!
The news is only "troubling" to rumor-mongers and gossip-hounds, not to REAL investors and people who take information at face value and don't try to read between the lines to find some sort of vast conspiracy. Some of you people (bloggers included, DimWit) need to get a life.
Steve gave an address every year. it was something the company believed you to expect. So when we are told he is not giving one this year, it is a cancellation. Don't let this commentatoe play with semantics. The news is very troubling, and facts are facts
Could this be the passing of the baton rather than the "Steve must be sick again" chant. Is it possible we may soon hear of Shiller's promotion rather than Steve's demise? This would certainly be worth exploring don't you think?
Jobs had given the keynote every year since 1998, when he returned to Apple. It was his speech to give, and he DID cancel his appearance.
Um…..last I checked Steve Jobs ALWAYS gave the keynote at Macworld. One would ASSUME he'd be there. Investors, customers and media EXPECT him to be there.
You say the company offered no explanation as to why Jobs cancelled his keynote, but he never had one scheduled. Try reporting the news instead of making it up.
ex ped: A fine point, but a good one. Reworded. Thanks.
I can't believe the way OUR PHIL has been treated regarding this hot story.
He broke the news to CNN, but then some other guy wrote the leading story. What is up with that?
Is THE OTHER GUY going to rip out OUR PHILs' gold teeth next?
I am a picture of outrage, I am telling you. I may have to pop out and get an assisted suicide to deal with it.