IDG Bakes New Apple Show

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This summer’s Macworld in New York is cancelled — sort of.

IDG World Expo, producers of Macworld Conference & Expo Wednesday said it has replaced the July event at the Javits Center with a new show called “CREATE.” The event will take place on the exact same days (July 14-18) with an exhibit floor, open from July 16-18.

And they did it with Apple Computer’s blessing.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based computer maker said it will still be a major player at the show and is working with Framingham, Mass.-based IDG to help make an “event where our pro customers can immerse themselves in the latest technologies and solutions.”

“It’s time for a change, and time for an event which addresses the increasingly tech-savvy community,” IDG vice president, business development and operations Colin Crawford said in a statement. “We’re very excited about the new event, and hope the creative community is looking forward to a different kind of learning and networking experience.”

Instead of focusing on new hardware and software, CREATE will be filled with educational programs, including one- and two-day tutorials, two levels of conference sessions for beginner/intermediate and expert users, labs and various feature presentations — each with a different focus.

Seminars include, “Editing Techniques for Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Express and iMovie,” “Music Editing on Your Mac,” and “Graphic Design for Online Gaming Development.” Online registration will be available beginning in April.

What is also vastly different about this show is that there will not be any keynote addresses by either Apple CEO Steve Jobs or any of his executive staff. Apple employee Doug Werner is among many presenters. Apple did not say if any of its other executives would be attending the event.

IDG World Expo vice president of sales marketing and Rob Scheschareg told internetnews.com that the Macworld San Francisco show in January 2004 will remain untouched and should actually expand. IDG’s other marquee shows LinuxWorld will also stay the same. Scheschareg said the Linux shows are so popular, that they are looking at expanding them internationally.

So, why the change in plans for New York?

“We realize that budgets are tighter and tighter and it’s harder and harder for people to come to events,” said Scheschareg. “More and more we are seeing that our customers like the focused events where they can have a hands-on experience and really work with professionals to come up with solutions. CREATE will be very much like that.”

Scheschareg said he was not aware of any exhibitor or presenter cancellations and said that the show floor will be a little smaller, but will be replaced with seminars on all three floors.

In fact, Scheschareg said having a non-Mac name to the show opens the door to even more companies that previously would not come to an Apple event.

“Where we see an opportunity is companies that have not worked with us before,” Scheschareg said. “Such is the case with Seybold. We’ve been talking to them for years telling them the benefits of coming to a Macworld. This most definitely opens the door.”

As for next year’s Macworld scheduled for Boston, IDG said it could only look to this summer and Macworld San Francisco.

The organizer has already smoothed over a tiff with Apple concerning a move from New York to Boston.

But speculation is that now departed IDG World Expo president Charlie Greco played a major role in Apple’s decision to tweak the New York event.

Scheschareg said the choice was motivated more by market factors and not by the “actions of one man.”