“Apple has made it official that it will not attend September’s Apple Expo in Paris via a statement published by the French-language Mac Plus,” Sam Oliver reports for AppleInsider.
“‘Year after year, Apple reduces its participation in trade shows because there often exists better means of getting in contact with our clients,’ the company said. ‘The growing popularity of the apple.com website permits us to directly touch over 100 million clients around the world in innovative ways,'” Oliver reports.
“The statement confirms a report published Monday by French Mac news site Mac Generation, which noted that original plans for conference called for Apple to occupy the two largest floor exhibits,” Oliver reports. “In recent days, however, all mention of the electronics maker was removed from the floor plan.”
Full article here.
Apple should be at all major Apple exclusive venues even if they cut back. Users need to know they care.
Plus, it’s the French. Who wants to deal with the French?
And the costs…….probably would cost more to attend than it is worth.
“I don’t know Lloyd, the French are a$$holes.”
just my $0.02
is it you Ray des fe$$es
It’s o.k. if they pullout. Just don’t use the curtains to wipe off.
Apple should have a presence there, no matter what. Even a “normal” booth with software and hardware and demonstrations would be better than nothing. I agree with clinicaltechmaster’s post.
I am surprised Apple hasn´t announced it is pulling out of the European market….
It´s marketing effort in Europe is a joke.
Apple Expo has been the biggest Apple trade show for many years, i think this is a huge mistake.
and, France is actually very special for Apple, something you would know if u ever left your country of xenophobic ignorants.
i’m not french, but i don’t appreciate some comments here, even if a few of them might be “jokes”
Bush did a lot to convince the american people that the french are assholes, because they were against the war in iraq, don’t u wish that Bush had listened to them ?
I think a corporate hands-on at shows is a good come-on, though I guess Apple Stores are now the chief venues for touch n feel.
Even so, an Apple Show without the big event is like vin rouge without the red –
– and Paree is such a great city that it’s a nice excuse for us Brits to jump on a Eurostar after breakfast and be there in time for lunch!
It only took 8 posts to get a dig in on George Bush!
…and only 2 to dig at the French.
America! Fvck yeah!
Perhaps this is because Apple’s planning a year-round Apple Expo Paris (of sorts):
“Paris Store Receives City Approvals (June 2nd, 2008)
Apple’s long-time plan to open a store in Paris is finally taking shape, after Paris planning officials approved the company’s proposal to locate in the underground Carousel de Louvre shopping mall. As first reported by LaTribune.fr and explained by MacGeneration.com and MacPlus.net, Apple will occupy about 7,770 square-feet formerly occupied by the Lalique and Résonnance stores, and just steps away from the entrance to the famous Louvre Museum. The mall hosts 9 million visitors a year, of which at least 40 percent are tourists. In an unusual move, the store was officially acknowledged by Jasmine Khounnala, Apple’s Paris-based public relations manager, who said, ”We are thrilled that our opening project of an Apple Store in the Carrousel du Louvre has been approuved by the (local planning commission).” She added that Apple is ‘delighted’ to offer Paris the experience of Apple retail stores, just as in other countries. This first Paris store could open in Spring 2009.”
(source: http://www.ifoapplestore.com/index.php)
“The growing popularity of the apple.com website permits us to directly touch over 100 million clients around the world in innovative ways.”
At the risk of being pedantic, it is impossible for a website to ‘directly touch’ anybody. If it were possible, the porn industry would be all over it…
“At the risk of being pedantic, it is impossible for a website to ‘directly touch’ anybody.”
But you haven’t seen the mac.com to touchme.com upgrade!
I’m mixed on the subject of trade-shows.
Back in the pre-internet days, they were sort of cool, because a lot of vendors were there and you could see lot’s of hardware or software in action.
Nowadays, you’re lucky if you get pretty booth-babies handing out glossy sheets of papers which contain no other information than is available from the company’s website.
If I want to see Apple products, I go to a dealer or an Apple-store.
Developer-conferences are a different thing. But “Shows”?
So, I can see why Apple would find this whole concept a bit of a waste of money.
That the French do not deserve the iPhone
I always thought trade shows were for um, the geeks and fanboys/girls. I agree with Rainer…who needs them when you have cool resellers and Apple shops popping up all over the place. I can’t wait for the Sydney Apple store to open. Then again I’ll probably stick with my Academy reseller as they’re pretty cool.
On a switcher note I’ve got a class of eight students on a Wednesday (Sydney time). One student already has a mac, one is planning to buy a mac and a third is currently going through the Windows’ blue screen of death. I just switched him today.
He asked whether he should buy a Macbook Air? I pushed him toward a Macbook or Macbook Pro. In a household the Air is the second computer not the main one and the reseller he was talking to said the same thing. Another fallen Window’s puppy. Yes!!
@ericdano
Pathetic! Your world is just closed… tiny little brain! It’s not because many are just like you that it means you are right! Really stupid!
The fact is, Apple’s presence is a big boon for these expos. If they try to charge Apple full price and they pull out, well . . . who need who?
The pace of change and rate of product advancement generally means most trade shows are irrelevant. Apple are far from alone in coming to this conclusion.
Anyway, I would much rather have a regular Apple Store 50 miles away than an annual trade show 300 miles away. Not much point at all in the latter.
They might be A$$holes but they are not stupid enough to get heavily dependent on foreign oil driving hummers and borrow more money than the value of their homes buying chinese products.
Ah, c’mon, French people aren’t really a-holes, no more than any other population that has to deal with hordes of tourists. Try living in Orlando, you’ll get a little snippy in no time. I always thought the “Ugly American” stereotype was a myth but I saw it first hand over there. Really embarrassing people acting like complete jackasses. Why do people talk LOUDER when they don’t speak the language? Anyway, make an effort to speak the language and it goes a long way with whoever you’re dealing with.
Frankly, the days of expos are dwindling. The internet and the ever growing number of Apple Stores provide the vast majority of people with every ounce of info they need to make a decision on a product.
@ Martin – You should read about the Oil For Food scandal, then read about where the Iraqi insurgents got their weapons and ask yourself if you really want to pursue your line of discussion. The government of France was dealing arms to and taking huge cash payoffs from Saddam Hussein, all explicitly against the UN Security Council resolutions. So was Russia, China and Germany. These countries were against the war in Iraq because it was in their financial interest, not because of any moral high ground.