Many Vendors to Skip Once-Major Technology Trade Show in Boston

[Mac Reporter]

Steve Jobs made clear a long time ago his Apple Computer wasn't showing up at the Macworld Conference & Expo when it moves from New York to Boston next month. Maybe Bill Gates wasn't happy with the change either.

Dozens of former exhibitors, including software giant Microsoft, will be absent from what was once the granddaddy of technology trade shows on the East Coast. Macworld, which will return to Boston in July after an eight-year absence, has attracted 50 exhibitors so far, compared to 131 last year. Organizers said they expect the number of exhibitors to reach as many as 80 before the convention starts July 12, still 39 percent fewer than last year.

Among the previous exhibitors who aren't on the list for Boston are Apple, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Sony, and many others that have significant sales to the Apple community. Macworld's organizers and some exhibitors who are attending acknowledged yesterday that moving the convention reduced its appeal for many of the companies that helped make the event a must-attend for Macintosh enthusiasts through much of the 1990s.

Read more at TechNewsWorld.

[Henjie]

Kulit kasi eh. Dapat talaga sa NY na lang. Without the participation of Apple (and a Steve Jobs keynote), I think most people will just skip Macworld Boston 2004.

Hopefully, WWDC 2004 (June 28 to July 2 in SF) will generate enough excitement to further increase the number of Macworld Boston 2004 exhibitors.


~Henjie

[Maverick]

that's rather sad... i was thinking of going to Macworld Boston. But it looks like its going to be lame.

[NiX]

yeah dapat talaga dito nalang sa NYC...makakapunta pa sana ako...hehehe...

[Gomi]

imho: boston is arguably a "no man's land" in terms of the technology or creative industry, i understand why apple et al wouldnt want to go; its cold, boring, and full of lawyers he he he

[Macmon]

If that is the situation in Boston, what was the main reason they were persistent in going there?