So who is going to Macworld Expo 2009?

It is no secret that Adobe will not exhibit at Macworld Expo at The Moscone Center in San Francisco next month. They and many others will either be absent altogether or simply put up a basic display this time around. Everyone knows the economy is hitting everyone hard, businesses included, so I do not think we will see a large showing of third party developers. It just too expensive for the small guy to be a part of the Expo. There are, however, about 500 companies that will make it this year. Attendance will be at least 40,000. That is big. Really big.

What I suggest is a completely different format; take the whole thing back to square one. I understand that the Macworld Expo is kind of a traditional Apple platform for certain things, but hear me out before you dismiss the idea. It can still be both and reach a lot more people much more quickly.

Why not offer a Pay-Per-View of the event? Wrestling does it. The UFC does it. Boxing does it. This would make it much more lucrative to the companies that do set up shop every January in San Francisco. It would allow some of the smaller companies to set up a display if it did not cost as much. I understand it would then become a “business,” but it would allow everyone like you and I who live on the other side of the country the ability to see the keynote addresses live. How cool would that be?

What do you think?