24th annual Macworld Conference & Expo kicks off today in San Francisco

Macworld Conference & Expo opens its doors today at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. With a 10 percent increase in pre-show registrations over Macworld Conference & Expo 2007, this year’s event promises to be the largest single gathering of creative professionals, IT managers, small business owners, and Mac enthusiasts in years. Combining five days of in-depth training and educational content for all skill levels with the latest innovations from more than 450 exhibitors, Macworld offers attendees an unprecedented opportunity to learn from industry experts, discover new solutions and see the coolest products in the Mac marketplace all under one roof.

This year, the exhibit floors in the West and South Halls of the Moscone Center will include the debut of several new features, including a “Podcast Studio,” where several popular online media professionals will broadcast live from the show floor, and the “Microsoft Blogger Lounge,” a dedicated area for bloggers, podcasters, and active forum members to share their experiences with the rest of the Mac community. In addition, Macworld is hosting a Mac Developer Pavilion in Moscone South, as well as the new Mac Developer Boulevard in Moscone West, where attendees can discover dozens of innovative new companies displaying Mac products for the very first time. On the show floor, attendees can find, test drive, and purchase the latest Mac products and services designed to improve productivity, business results and the home computing experience from leading companies such as B&H Photo Video Pro Audio, Belkin, Cannon USA, Epson America, FileMaker, Harman Multimedia, HP, Microsoft, NEC, Parallels, Samsung, Quark, VM Ware, XtremeMac and others. The Exhibit Hall is open Tuesday, January 15, at 11:00 a.m. PT through Friday, January 18, at 4:00 pm PT.

During this year’s Macworld conference program, which runs from Monday through Friday, January 14-18, 2008, more than 5,000 people will receive education and advanced training on a series of top-notch educational sessions, workshops, and hands-on labs. Additional Macworld 2008 highlights include:

Feature Presentations: Macworld Senior Editor Christopher Breen, New York Times technology columnist and Mac industry luminary David Pogue, and Chicago Sun-Times columnist and Macworld Editor Andy Ihnatko will all be participating in this year’s event as featured presenters. Additional presentations include the Macworld Best of Show 2008 presented by Macworld magazine. Feature Presentations are open to all registered attendees.

Specialty Programs: This year’s conference agenda includes several specialty programs, including A Day at the Office: Microsoft Office 2008. Macworld attendees will witness the grand unveiling of Office 2008 before it hits store shelves––this day-long series of sessions will enable attendees to learn from Microsoft’s Macintosh Business Unit (MacBU) about the new features and improvements in Office 2008.

Digital Photography Experience: The Digital Photography Experience is dedicated to comparisons, hands-on demonstrations, training, tips and techniques on everything from cameras and printers to hosting services, asset management and more. New this year is the Digital Photography Safari where attendees bring their own digital cameras and laptops and learn how to use their own equipment in real-world photo shoot situations, as well as get advice on editing, organizing, sharing and archiving images.

Dream Studios: Making Music with the Mac: Sponsored by harman/kardon, Berklee College of Music presents its “Dream Studio,” a state-of-the-art music studio filled with Mac hardware and software to help bring musical vision to life. The “Dream Studio” will feature a self-guided tour, music production demonstrations and daily lectures led by Berklee faculty.

The John Lennon Bus: The brand new John Lennon Educational Tour Bus will be making its debut at Macworld as it kicks off its 11th anniversary. Take a tour of this completely revamped non-profit mobile recording and multimedia studio or stop by to learn how celebrated artists have used the Bus to work with students to record their own music and video projects with the products and solutions found on board, including Logic, Reason, Final Cut Pro, Live 6 and JVC Pro video cameras.

MacIT Conference: Broaden your understanding of Mac administration by participating in the largest gathering of Mac IT managers. Designed to encourage meetings with field experts and collaboration between peers, MacIT offers 19 invaluable technical sessions over three days highlighting both Apple and essential third-party IT applications. Multiple tracks focus on Mac OS X Administration, Mac OS X Security, Open Source Solutions and Scripting for Mac OS X, as well as advice on how to leverage Apple Products for Enterprise Solutions.

Market Symposiums: Focused on innovative new business tools, including Podcasting, Photoshop, and New Media, this conference features 18 unique day-long Market Symposiums that will cultivate enterprising solutions for Mac users looking to improve their work and grow their business. Topics will include: Launching a Successful Web site; QuickTime, MPEG 4 and Flash Video; and Producing Your Podcast.

Power Tools Conference: Thirty-six separate two-day immersion sessions are designed to help professionals get the most out of specific Mac applications and tools. These conferences include specialized tracks for digital photography, graphic design, and small business owners, and will cover topics ranging from Aperture and Final Cut Studio to Mac OS X.

Users Conference: Renowned for its broad array of subject matter and lively in-depth sessions, the Users Conference provides expertise on diverse topics for new Mac users to the savviest veterans. Topics for 2008 include: Real World Mac Troubleshooting; Advanced Digital Story Telling and How to Get Your Movies Ready for View on iPhone and TV; Best of Leopard OS X Hints; iLife Mastery; iPod Fully Loaded; Podcasting Studio; Make Your Business Stand Out with iWork; and Make Your Own Games on the Mac.

Macworld Educator Academy Conference: Offered by Computer Using Educators (CUE) and IDG World Expo, the Educator Academy Conference will feature expert educators demonstrating current applications of technology to engage students, enhance achievement and impact learning in new and powerful ways. The two-day Educator Academy will include “The Why” sessions focused on broad issues and thought leadership, as well as “The How” sessions focused on implementing strategies and successes, as well as ideas and best practices from teachers, administrators and students alike. The Conference will also feature several hands-on workshops throughout the week focused on the needs of K-12 educators.

More information: http://www.macworldexpo.com