Macworld/iWorld
| Company type | Trade exhibition |
|---|---|
| Industry | Technology, Consumer electronics |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Founder | Peggy Kilburn |
| Defunct | 2014 |
| Fate | Indefinite suspension announced by IDG |
Area served | United States, International locations (Tokyo, UK) |
Key people | Peggy Kilburn (founder), Steve Jobs (notable keynote speaker) |
| Parent | International Data Group (IDG) |
Macworld/iWorld (initially known as Macworld) was a yearly technology trade exhibition centered on Apple's Mac ecosystem, held every January in the United States. Founded in 1985, the event was managed by International Data Group (IDG), which also co-published Macworld magazine.
On December 18, 2008, Apple declared that the 2009 edition would mark its final participation in the Macworld Conference & Expo. Later, on October 14, 2014, IDG announced an indefinite suspension of Macworld/iWorld.
History
The inaugural Macworld Expo took place in 1985 in San Francisco, initiated by Peggy Kilburn, who significantly grew the event’s scale and profitability during her leadership from 1985 to 1999. Kilburn attracted prominent speakers such as David Pogue, Steve Case, and Bob LeVitus, along with representatives from influential user groups like BMUG and LaserBoard. Apple’s involvement was usually the highlight of the event, with CEO Steve Jobs delivering impactful keynote addresses—referred to as "Stevenotes"—from 1997 until 2008.
The San Francisco show consistently took place at the Moscone Center, having moved there after initially being held at Brooks Hall near the Civic Center until 1993.
Up until 2005, U.S.-based events were held twice a year: a January show in San Francisco and a summer event on the East Coast. The summer gathering originally occurred in Boston at the Bayside Expo & Executive Conference Center and later expanded to include the World Trade Center Boston. Between 1998 and 2003, it shifted to New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The 2004 and 2005 summer editions, renamed Macworld Conference & Expo in Boston, proceeded without Apple’s participation. After Apple’s exit, numerous exhibitors scaled back their involvement, causing a decline in attendance. On September 16, 2005, IDG confirmed it would cease these summer events in both New York City and Boston.
Macworld Expo also extended internationally and catered to specialized markets:
- A Tokyo-based show produced by IDG World Expo Japan was initially held at Makuhari Messe before relocating to Tokyo Big Sight in 2002.
- The Macworld Expo Summit targeted U.S. government agencies and was hosted at the Washington Convention Center as late as 1994.
- In 2004, Macworld UK organized two separate Macworld Conference events: one independent conference and another alongside the MacExpo trade exhibition in London.
1987
The Boston Macworld Expo of 1987, conducted from August 11 to 13, introduced Bill Atkinson's HyperCard, distributing over 3,000 copies. Apple also unveiled several products including MultiFinder, Apple File Exchange, the ImageWriter LQ, EtherTalk, AppleShare PC, and the AppleFax Modem. Attendance figures were estimated at around 40,000. MacUser described the event as "revealing, exhilarating," highlighting the Macintosh's rising prominence as a business tool throughout corporate America.
1988
At the San Francisco Macworld event attended by approximately 45,000 people with 400 exhibitors, Apple's primary announcement was a new series of LaserWriter printers.
1991
At the Boston exhibition, Outbound Computers presented the earliest portable computers compatible with Macintosh systems, preceding Apple's own introduction of the PowerBook by several months.
1995
The Macworld Expo was held in three cities: San Francisco (January), Washington DC (April), and Boston (August). During the Boston event, Apple unveiled its "Power Surge" series of Power Macintosh models, including the 8500, 7500, and 7200.
1997
During Macworld San Francisco, CEO Gil Amelio emphasized Apple's acquisition of NeXT, which resulted in co-founder Steve Jobs returning as an advisor and set the stage for creating the next-generation Mac OS derived from NeXTSTEP, internally named "Rhapsody". The event also featured the exclusive Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh edition.
At Macworld Boston in August, interim CEO Steve Jobs made his debut appearance following the launch of Mac OS 8. Jobs revealed significant agreements with Microsoft aimed at securing Apple's future: a $150 million investment from Microsoft; mutual patent licensing; a commitment from Microsoft to support Office for Mac over five years beginning with Office 98; and Internet Explorer becoming the default web browser on Macs. Despite audience jeers, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates appeared via video to endorse these collaborations. Jobs stressed that Apple's success would rely on internal performance complemented by strategic partnerships rather than competition.
1998
At Macworld San Francisco, Jobs highlighted recent product introductions such as the Power Macintosh G3 and PowerBook G3, alongside a collaboration with CompUSA to establish "store-within-a-store" concepts. He also previewed the upcoming Mac OS 8.1 update incorporating the new HFS+ file system and QuickTime 3.0. Jobs forecasted a quarterly profit of $45 million fueled by G3 Macs and sales through the online store. Concurrently, Microsoft launched Internet Explorer 4.0 for Mac.
During Macworld New York, Jobs underscored Apple's resurgence under the theme "Apple Hierarchy of Skepticism" and showcased various supported games. He provided details on the iMac and PowerBook G3 Series, including new USB peripherals, announcing the iMac's release scheduled for August 15, 1998, which featured an enhanced 56K modem. Additionally, Jobs outlined Apple's Mac OS development plan: forthcoming Mac OS 8.5, the 1999 update codenamed "Sonata," and "Rhapsody," which would debut as Mac OS X Server 1.0 in 1999.
1999
At Macworld San Francisco, Jobs announced that Apple had achieved five straight profitable quarters. He introduced updated models including the "Blue and White" Power Macintosh G3 and a refreshed iMac featuring new specifications and color options. The keynote included the launch of Mac OS X Server, demonstrated through a setup of 50 diskless iMacs streaming content from a single Power Mac G3 using NetBoot and QuickTime Streaming Server. Meanwhile, Connectix presented its Virtual Game Station, a PlayStation emulator for PowerPC Macs, while Microsoft showcased Internet Explorer 4.5 Macintosh Edition.
At Macworld New York, Jobs revealed Apple's consumer-oriented laptop, the iBook, alongside AirPort, a wireless networking gateway and card compliant with the 802.11 standard. He also announced the scheduled release date for Mac OS 9.
2000
During Macworld 2000 held in San Francisco, Apple introduced the new Aqua interface along with the Quartz graphics system designed for Mac OS X. Steve Jobs revealed that the initial version would be released in January 2001 after a final preview. Additionally, Jobs was appointed as the full-time CEO.
At Macworld New York, Apple showcased an upgraded iMac featuring improved specifications and fresh color options, refreshed Power Mac G4 models, the optical Apple Pro Mouse which replaced the previous USB "hockey puck" mouse, and launched the Power Mac G4 Cube. The release of the Mac OS X Public Beta was postponed until September.
2001
At the San Francisco Macworld, Apple debuted iTunes and iDVD, along with enhanced Power Mac G4 models and introduced the first widescreen laptop, the PowerBook G4.
The New York event at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center presented an updated Power Mac G4 and announced Mac OS X 10.1. The keynote featured Jon Rubinstein discussing the megahertz myth. Attendance reached a record high of 64,000 participants.
2002
The Summer 2002 event in New York City highlighted the launch of the 17-inch iMac G4.
In October, IDG World Expo declared that the 2004 East Coast show would move to Boston. On that same day, Apple announced it would not take part in the Boston Macworld Expo.
2003
The January keynote introduced Apple’s Safari web browser, AirPort Extreme technology, and new 12- and 17-inch PowerBook models. This event also marked the debut of NightWatch, the world’s first interactive video CD-ROM.
In 2003, IDG World Expo rebranded its New York trade show as Macworld CreativePro Conference & Expo, aiming to appeal to creative professionals in that area.
Steve Jobs did not attend the July Macworld keynote in New York; instead, Vice President of Product Marketing Greg "Joz" Joswiak delivered the presentation.
2004
Alongside the traditional San Francisco event and a return to Boston, a Macworld Expo was held in Paris. At this Paris event, Apple's Vice President of Marketing Phil Schiller unveiled an updated iMac featuring a PowerPC G5 processor and a design integrating both the logic board and optical drive within the display.
2005
The San Francisco expo took place from January 10 to 14. The keynote introduced several new products including the Mac Mini, iPod shuffle, and iWork software suite.
During this period, IDG World Expos announced Macworld On Tour, a series of smaller regional conferences across North America. An initial event planned for Kissimmee, Florida was later canceled with no further events announced. IDG also confirmed cancellation of Macworld East 2006.
2006
In January 2006, Intel Core Duo-powered iMacs were launched. The conference held from January 9 to 13 saw a visitor increase of 6.8% reaching 38,441 attendees, a 20% growth in paid delegates totaling 4,188, and a 25% rise in exhibiting companies to 367.
2007
At Macworld 2007 (January 8–12), Steve Jobs introduced the first generation iPhone, announced the finalized name for Apple TV (previously known as iTV), and revealed Apple’s corporate name change from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple Inc., signaling its expanded focus on user experience beyond computers.
IDG World Expo reported that attendance at Macworld 2007 reached 45,572, marking a 19% increase compared to the prior year.
2008
During Macworld 2008, held from January 14 to 18, Steve Jobs introduced the MacBook Air, touted as the slimmest notebook computer worldwide. The event also showcased the Time Capsule, designed to work seamlessly with Time Machine in Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard". Enhancements to the iPod Touch included new applications such as Mail, Stocks, Notes, Maps, and Weather. Apple launched iTunes Movie Rentals and unveiled the second generation of Apple TV featuring a revamped interface and new options for downloading content without requiring a PC. Additionally, the forthcoming iPhone/iPod Touch SDK was announced, with a release planned for late February.
IDG World Expo reported a 10% rise in attendance compared to the previous year.
2009
The San Francisco event took place from January 5 to 9, 2009. On December 16, 2008, Apple declared that 2009 would mark its final participation in Macworld. The keynote address was delivered by Senior Vice President of Product Marketing Phil Schiller, representing the first time in ten years that Steve Jobs did not lead the presentation. Jobs attributed his absence to health complications related to a hormone imbalance.
At Macworld 2009, Apple introduced updates including iLife '09 and iWork '09 along with a new 17-inch unibody MacBook Pro featuring an integrated battery. The company also announced that all songs on iTunes would be offered without DRM protection and would adopt a tiered pricing structure of $0.69, $0.99, and $1.29 per track (or £0.59, £0.79, and £0.99 in the UK), replacing the previous uniform price of $0.99. Furthermore, users gained the ability to download tracks over cellular networks on the iPhone.
2010
On March 30, 2009, IDG World Expo revealed that starting in 2010, Macworld would be rescheduled from January to February.
2011
The Macworld event in 2011 was conducted from January 25 through January 29.
2012
Held between January 26 and 28, the 2012 edition rebranded as Macworld/iWorld to reflect its broadened scope encompassing all iOS devices prior to registration opening.
2013
Macworld/iWorld took place from January 31 to February 2 in 2013.
2014
The 2014 Macworld/iWorld event occurred from March 27 to March 29.
2015
Originally planned for March 12–14, the 2015 Macworld/iWorld was cancelled by IDG. Following this change, Apple’s keynotes shifted exclusively to the Apple Event format.
Culture
Throughout its first twenty years, the Expo became famous for extravagant parties featuring open bars, gourmet hors d'oeuvres, and branded giveaways. Apple's developer gatherings often included performances by well-known musicians such as James Brown and Smash Mouth.
MacWEEK initiated an exclusive gathering known as Mac the Knife, named after its anonymous industry gossip columnist. After MacWEEK ceased publication, Ilene Hoffman continued organizing this event until trademark issues necessitated a name change. Despite this, the party endured under various titles featuring performances by the Macworld All-Star Band.
Robert Hess of MacWEEK originally curated the Macworld Party List, which cataloged social events during the Expo. Following his death in 1996, Ilene Hoffman took over management under the title Robert Hess Memorial Events List; although it gradually declined in prominence, it persisted for San Francisco-based shows after 2003.