End of an Era; Macworld Expo's Last Breath of Air

Apple has announced that Steve Jobs will not be giving the annual keynote address at the 2009 Macworld Expo in January. It is rumored that his absence is health-related; however, his absence this year may be a sign that this will be the last trade-show for Apple. Giving the keynote address is Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, Phil Schiller. The Macworld site quotes Michael Gartenberg, vice president of market research firm JupiterMedia, as saying "I think its the end of Macworld Expo. It's the end of an era."

Trade-shows have lost much popularity in this digital age, as most marketing is distributed online and products need not be at Macworld for a better promotion. Trade-shows in general are starting to decline, as Belkin and Adobe this year alone pulled out of the Macworld Expo. This may be the last year for Apple enthusiasts to experience their fun at the annual expo and get a hands on with products. We are moving into a new era, and one that apparently no longer needs this annual tradition for fuel.

Full article: Macworld.com