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Apple’s Last Stand – or in This Case, Booth

Is Apple secretly cutting costs and disguising it as an innovation?

Last night Apple announced they would no longer be attending the Macworld conference and Expo. The explanation is that Apple is popular enough to no longer need the publicity. Apple retail stores draw 3.5 million people per week and Apple.com draws 100 million customers.

The consensus on this BNet poll is that the cost of trade shows are not worth the leads they generate. The example they list shows a single genuine lead costing $4500. That translates into a lot of iPhones per lead. Less than 2 Macbook Pros though.

Perhaps Apple simply realized this truth:

If you are attending MacWorld, you probably already like their products.  Simple math says they don't need the expense of a trade show to sell their gear.

What's missing from this black and white view of trade show ROI? Is there any other potential value of showing up and showing off? What possible purpose could the droves of Apple fanboys and girls attendees serve besides shelling out cold cash to buy product?

One word: buzz!

Trade shows like Macworld do more than showcase to the crowd that attends.  The majority of people there will be sharing their experience with everyone in earshot.

"Grandma, did you know I'll be attending Macworld?"

"Hey co-worker, when I was at Macworld..."

Macworld Blog!

Twitpic - "Just Seen at Macworld!"

You get the idea.

People want the cred that goes with attending the big show. They want the connection that comes with hearing Steve Jobs in person. They love the opportunity to network with others who love their gadgets as much as they do. Ah well, there's always SXSW I guess.

Apple is hot, hot, hot, there's no doubt. But do they really have the momentum to drop one of the events that got them where they are today?