Macworld Expo in decline?

Quoting Jolin M Warren <JolinWarrenOakAndApple.org>:

> I find that potentially disturbing. That indicates that the number of
> Macintosh exhibitors might have actually declined (I can't be sure
> because I don't remember if anyone mentioned how many iPod-only
> vendors were at the Jan 2004 expo). Are there less smaller companies
> creating interesting, niche products for the Macintosh? Or less
> bigger companies with products for the Macintosh (there's not much
> variety anymore in the big application categories, especially ones
> that Apple competes in)?

I think part of the issue is that the Mac uses so many standard
components these
days, and includes a ton of drivers for things already, that the concept of a
Mac specific peripheral is declining.

Looking at my mac setup the only thing I can see that might be
considered a Mac
peripheral is my scanner and maybe my printer. I needed to make sure they
supported Mac OS X before I bought them. And both support windows too.

My firewire drives, flash readers, wireless trackball, even my iPod,
are not Mac
only peripherals. In fact serveral of these products don't even specify mac
compatiblity on the box.

Kevin

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On Jan 26, 2005, at 9:00 AM, Jolin M Warren wrote:
> I find that potentially disturbing. That indicates that the number of
> Macintosh exhibitors might have actually declined (I can't be sure
> because I don't remember if anyone mentioned how many iPod-only
> vendors were at the Jan 2004 expo).

There were far fewer iPod-only exhibitors previously. I hope there's a
halo effect in the works here as well, i.e., iPod accessory maker
starts to make Mac accessories...

> Are there less smaller companies creating interesting, niche products
> for the Macintosh?

There were a number of very interesting first-time exhibitors as well
as some that had not exhibited in a long time that were there. That
said, there were also some notable missing exhibitors (Macromedia, for
one). It took me a long time to go to every booth and I know I missed
some, even though that was one of the reasons I was there (seeing
_every_ booth).

> Or less bigger companies with products for the Macintosh (there's not
> much variety anymore in the big application categories, especially
> ones that Apple competes in)?

I don't know about that. I think Apple having an app in a category is
validating. With a few exceptions, they are not the juggernaut that you
might think.

> On the other hand, maybe the days of Macworld Expo as a barometer of
> the health of the Macintosh have passed. But that would still be a
> shame, because I think Macworld Expo used to be quite fun.

It's still fun, though I didn't go to any parties this year (a first).
I felt better at the show as a result and did not get sick after (also
a first).

I think the biggest barrier to a wildly successful Expo is the fees IDG
charges (frankly). I talked to one exhibitor who said that Macworld is
twice as expensive as the show that's second on their list of shows (in
terms of cost) and that one is a gourmet foods show in NYC (not
something you'd think of as a bargain).

I wish that the cost of exhibiting was lower (much lower) and I think
that if it were, more people (many more) would be exhibiting.

> I remember attending an Expo in London many years ago (1996 maybe?)
> and it was great to wander around booths from companies making
> interesting products that one could play around with (anyone remember
> OpenDoc components and the Wave word processor?!). A lot of them I
> either hadn't heard of before, or never had an opportunity to actually
> see and play with them. An Expo that just has booths from Apple,
> Microsoft, and Adobe plus a bunch of iPod accessories would be a lot
> less interesting.

I'd have to say this was one of the better ones in recent years (Power
Computing added something special to the Expo experience, but then
again, that was then, etc.). I saw some cool stuff I'd never heard of,
got a chance to visit with some of my favorite vendors. All in all, I
think that as a barometer of Mac health, there's still some life in the
market place.
--
Lorin Rivers
Marketing Professional
<mailto:lriversmac.com>
<http://homepage.mac.com/lrivers>
512/203.3198 (m) 408/580.8588 (f)

At 9:37 AM -0800 1/27/05, Lorin Rivers wrote:
>I think the biggest barrier to a wildly successful Expo is the fees IDG
>charges (frankly). I talked to one exhibitor who said that Macworld is
>twice as expensive as the show that's second on their list of shows (in
>terms of cost) and that one is a gourmet foods show in NYC (not
>something you'd think of as a bargain).
>
>I wish that the cost of exhibiting was lower (much lower) and I think
>that if it were, more people (many more) would be exhibiting.

Lorin is absolutelty correct.

We would LOVE to be an annual exhibitor at Expo. We did several shows
in the "crazy days" ... BUT when you add up the travel/hotel costs
with the fees for being an exhibitor, it is REALLY hard to get a
return on the investment. IDG's rates are quite high.

Especially in a service industry like ours, where we have no hard
"widget" to sell. It really becomes a marketing expense rather than a
sales one, as it serves to keep your name in the potential client's
mind. Hard to track that.

You will note that there are very few non-widget exhibitors at Expo anymore.

--

Chuck Goolsbee V.P. Technical Operations
_________________________________________________________________
digital.forest Phone: +1-877-720-0483, x2001
where Internet solutions grow Int'l: +1-425-483-0483
**** celebrating ten years of service 7/12/1994 - 7/12/2004 ****
12101 Tukwila International Blvd Fax: +1-425-482-6871
Suite 410 http://www.forest.net
Seattle, WA 98168 email: cgforest.net

Chuck,

You guys at forest.net should be showing the world how to deal with
that nonsense: by running a "Mac World Support Celebration" ONLINE.
The title will have to be chosen to make MacWorld feel good about it
and not to feel that they need to exercise their Copy Rights, of
course.

Whenever things are difficult by virtue of Time; Space; $$$'s;
Location: go online for God's Sake. There should be plenty of company
for you and we could all benefit.

Apple.com is still running the SF Keynote for people who couldn't get
there.

I'm putting a MultiHull Society meeting online or at least on CD for 3
dozen members who couldn't attend because of sunbathing engagements in
Mexico and the Caribbean during our wet Vancouver winter. Different
subject: very similar problems. We could not all afford the time to
join the sunbathers to put on the meeting at their holiday resorts.

On 28 Jan, 2005, at 12:27, chuck goolsbee wrote:

> At 9:37 AM -0800 1/27/05, Lorin Rivers wrote:
>> I think the biggest barrier to a wildly successful Expo is the fees
>> IDG
>> charges (frankly). I talked to one exhibitor who said that Macworld is
>> twice as expensive as the show that's second on their list of shows
>> (in
>> terms of cost) and that one is a gourmet foods show in NYC (not
>> something you'd think of as a bargain).
>>
>> I wish that the cost of exhibiting was lower (much lower) and I think
>> that if it were, more people (many more) would be exhibiting.
>
> Lorin is absolutelty correct.
>
> We would LOVE to be an annual exhibitor at Expo. We did several shows
> in the "crazy days" ... BUT when you add up the travel/hotel costs
> with the fees for being an exhibitor, it is REALLY hard to get a
> return on the investment. IDG's rates are quite high.
>
> Especially in a service industry like ours, where we have no hard
> "widget" to sell.

If you are servicing a million people overseas; a million at home; ten
thousand who were at other events at MacWorld and people like me who
like to see demos several times before we 'get it,' you've got a big
audience to provide a service to.

Just don't use Skype to broadcast till we have the rumours settled!
This week's bad joke.

George

As a small software developer I've exhibited at Macworld Expo for years but have gradually become more hesitant for a few reasons. I suspect other small vendors are weighing similar factors.

First of course is the expense and return on investment, but there are two other underlying factors: (1) Apple's shift toward incorporating more built-in solutions has made some technical products less relevant to a large part of the Macworld audience; and (2) The cost effectiveness of the Internet as an alternate means of gaining product exposure.

While I've always enjoyed participating in Macworld Expo and look forward to the next one, whether or not to exhibit has become a more difficult business decision.

Peter wrote:

The cost effectiveness of the Internet as an alternate means of gaining product exposure.

There's the big one. In the early days of Macworld Expo, as far as most Mac users were concerned, there _was_ no Internet. Now that Internet access has become common, like mobile phones and cable television, the cost of exhibiting at a trade show (not just for Macs, but of all sorts) doesn't have the benefits it used to.

Remember how thick those MacWarehouse catalogs used to be too?

-- Derek http://www.penmachine.com