Apple says Macworld 2009 is its last – and that Steve Jobs WILL NOT be giving the Keynote


Apple just released a bombshell of a press release, not only announcing that Macworld 2009 will be the last time they exhibit at the show, but that Steve Jobs will not be giving this year’s keynote address.

Instead Philip Schiller will be giving the Keynote. The press release makes it clear that this is the last Macworld keynote for the company, but makes no mention of why Steve Jobs is not participating in the event.

Here is the press release in its entirety:

CUPERTINO, Calif., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — 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.
Apple has been steadily scaling back on trade shows in recent years, including NAB, Macworld New York, Macworld Tokyo and Apple Expo in Paris.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its
award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

(C) 2008 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.


Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a stalwart in the tech journalism community, has been chronicling the ever-evolving world of Apple products and innovations for over a decade. As a Senior Author at Apple Gazette, Kokou combines a deep passion for technology with an innate ability to translate complex tech jargon into relatable insights for everyday users.

3 Comments

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  1. Well this is certainly upsetting. You’d think for the last one they’d get El Jobso back to end on a good note. Frankly I’m as upset as pissed. Canceling Macworld sucks too as its been a great way to gauge when new products might be released and/or announced. The lack of a Jobs keynote is the biggest blow, stocks are going to fall fall fall. Something tells me I won’t be following this Macworld as closely as I did the others. If Jobs won’t be giving keynotes anymore than there’s really no need for these events. WWDC is different but it was all about El Jobso before, if he doesn’t want to do it anymore than whats the point? I hope this doesn’t mean we won’t be seeing him at WWDC.

  2. It is upsetting, as an Apple fan for years who looks forward to Macworld to see new things, BUT…

    Macworld sets an arbitrary deadline for Apple to have products ready to ship, or at least ready to demo. If there’s no big announcement, stock prices fall. If there’s a huge announcement that’s not ready to ship, sales of other products slump, and stock prices fall. It’s a no-win situation.

    The Macbook event, and previous iPod and iPhone events in Cupertino prove that Mac gets just as much press as Macworld. Only it does it without spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on booth space, travel of dozens of Apple employees, and setting up technologies in a remote location that are already on the Apple campus. It’s a expense, not an investment.

    10-15 years ago, trade shows were hot for selling and advertising. Now, I can watch the keynote from my Brooklyn, NY apartment, and buy whatever they’re selling a couple hours later on the web. It’s the way of the world now. There’s no reason to haul my butt across the country and wait in line for any of this information, or these products.

    It’s sad, though. I became an Apple guy years ago, and every January I watch the live blogs and download the Quicktime of Jobs’ keynotes and events. It’s not just because I’m drooling over whatever new product there is. It’s because I have an appreciation for a well-written presentation, a good software demo, and some insightful marketing talk. And about those new products? I still drool a little.

  3. I think this pull-out is not voluntary. I think Apple understands that they will be loosing in the short run, but I AM behind the idea of transition from Apple = Steve Jobs. Regardless of his achievements, it is not healthy for one man to have so much power. Good leadership is needed, but it’s best if it’s provided by more then one individual. At any rate, I do hope best things for Apple. What I cannot understand in this announcement is the idea of not participating in an event like Macworld. Why would anybody want to slap so many people on their faces by showing this kind of disrespect (I think that’s what it is: “You people don’t matter to us” kind of thing)?