There’s been a lot of discussion over last week’s rumor that Apple is forsaking Macworld Expo and will instead make the the 600 mile drive south east to Las Vegas to exhibit at CES instead.
Regardless of where you stand on the rumor CNet News.com’s Tom Krazit reports that the Consumer Electronics Association has confirmed plans to host a Mac-centric area at CES 2010. According to the report, CEA’s Jason Oxman confirmed that the group “dedicated a special area at the 2010 CES to Apple-related CE manufacturers.”
We decided to create this special area based on discussions we’ve had with companies regarding 2010 show participation. We are pleased with the feedback we’ve received regarding this space
Does that mean that Apple will take a booth at the venerable consumer electronics ho down in Vegas? No. But it does mean that CES is actively courting “Apple-related” CE manufacturers which will undoubtedly put pressure on Macworld Expo after losing its anchor exhibitor after 12 years.
People have been asking me about what I thought about Macworld Expo this year and although traffic was down slightly, that’s mostly attributable to the poor economy and shrinking business travel budgets. The show itself was very vibrant and the conference sessions had good speakers drawing lots of eager attendees.
The conference sessions are what makes a show like Macworld Expo. Good speakers and relevant topics will continue to draw attendees regardless of who’s booth is set up in Moscone South. In fact, most business attendees that I know spend more time at conferences and networking than they do on the show floor. So while the show floor is nice, for many it’s just a place to go in between sessions.
Apple has not commented it plans for CES 2010 and won’t until the last possible minute.
