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Macworld Expo Comes Back To Boston in 2004

Posted by pudge on from the beans-beans-the-wonderful-fruit dept.

analog_line writes "According to this article in Business Today, in 2004 the summer Macworld Expo will move from New York City and the Javits Center back to Boston, where it rightfully belongs! As a Boston area resident, I'm ecstatic! Can't tell you how much I look forward to not having to go to New York. ;-)" This was rumored a few months ago, and I am glad to see it happen.

16 of 38 comments (clear)

  1. Big Dig by ek_adam · · Score: 4, Offtopic

    I sure hope that they've finished the Big Dig (the I-90, I-93 construction project in Boston) by then. Otherwise everyone will be stuck in the potholes of South Boston before they ever get to the convention center. The Silver Line mass transit system is supposed to go to the convention center, but it's part of the Big Dig too.

    In 1996, the Big Dig scheduled completion date was 2000.

    In 2000, the Big Dig scheduled completion date was 2002.

    In 2002, the Big Dig scheduled completion date is 2004 or 2005.

    My person prediction has always been that they will finish the Big Dig when they have the contract signed for Big Dig II.

    1. Re:Big Dig by Reverberant · · Score: 2, Informative

      The Big Dig will probably be operational by summer or fall 2002, but the demolition of the old elevated artery won't be complete until 2005 so, so the project technically won't be "complete" by the time Macworld opens. Worst case only the northbound lanes would be open, but they're making pretty good progress.

      FYI, the Silver Line extension to the convention center is not part of the Big Dig. The FEIS just went out to bid a couple of months ago (my firm was on one of the loosing teams) so don't expect to see the Silver Line at the converntion center before 2006.

  2. It's good news but.. by catwh0re · · Score: 2, Interesting
    It's good news for Boston, but NY I feel is a more relevant venue, first Macs are commonplace in the DTP & Graphic design centres in NY. (It's definitely more than 5% Apple usage in NYC). Also post all the 9/11 stuff, you'd want NY to have a bit more popularity.

    And no one can go past the whole Apple in the Big Apple stigma.

    1. Re:It's good news but.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Please everyone shut up with the stinking 9-11 crap. We all felt for the victims and the city, and then we all got over it. NYC doesn't need exposure or popularity at all. It's arguably the most famous city in the world, or at least up there with Tokyo, London, Paris, Moscow, etc. Everything need not be a P.R. move for 'FDNY' or 'NYPD.'

      Other than that, you have a good point sir (I just had to vent).

    2. Re:It's good news but.. by Gropo · · Score: 5, Insightful
      (It's definitely more than 5% Apple usage in NYC)
      The same can be said for Boston, with a large seasonal university population, oodles of biotech firms, and a modest design industry. It's no coincidence that Apple chose to open 3 "GAPples" within 45 miles of Boston in the first year of deployment of its retail chains.

      The move to Boston will spell "more exhibitors" *cough*adobe*cough* in 2004, which in turn will draw more people from other states/countries...
      --
      I hate Grammar Nazi's
  3. no surprise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The last Mac expo in NYC was such a dis-appointment to all that went (public, developers, media) that it is not shocking that NYC didn't want it to come back. That, and the fact that the charges for JJC are going up, while Boston offered it up for free! 10's of millions of dollars is a huge overstatement of the effect of the expo, at least in terms of $ for the host city. Besides, the Boston metro area has far fewer people than NYC does. Expect the attendance to be down in comparison to expo's of the past in NYC.

    1. Re:no surprise by johnpaul191 · · Score: 4, Informative

      i don't think NYC "doesn't want it back", there was a good turnout of people, though vendors were lacking. people may not have been 100% happy with it, but they still came out. they still stayed in hotels, ate in resturants and shopped locally. there is a lot more to do in NYC after expo hours than Boston. the people that run the expo (not Apple) were offered a sweet deal to go back to Boston, while in Javits prices were going to go up. inflation makes prices go up... it happens. Boston has to promote this huge expensive new convention center so they are offering a good deal to IDG. as for the Big Dig, it's federally funded so Boston itself isn't paying for it anyway.... we all are.

      personally i prefer it in NYC because it's a hell of a lot closer to the regions of Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC etc... i would think a lot of the day trippers will be lost. it will be interesting to see what the turnout is like.

    2. Re:no surprise by Atzanteol · · Score: 3, Informative

      This may be off-topic, but you're wrong about the Big Dig being federally funded. There is *some* federal aid, but much of the burden is being placed on the Massachusetts tax payers.

      Let me know when tolls in your area are doubled to pay for the Big Dig, then we'll talk.

      --
      "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge"

      - Charles Darwin
    3. Re:no surprise by kalidasa · · Score: 5, Informative

      The Boston area is a hotbed for open source development, with the W3C, OSDN, O'Reilly, and a lot of other names you'd recognize. Maybe you could find as many in NYC, but I doubt the density is as high. Wonder what that will do for MacWorld attendence?

      Boston is only 190 miles from NY, on the Northeast Corridor, and easy to reach from Baltimore, DC, and Philly by plane (most flights are non-stop). Moving to Boston might cut down on the day trippers from Philly to NY, and the hour-trippers from NY, but that's about it.

    4. Re:no surprise by pudge · · Score: 2

      This may be off-topic, but you're wrong about the Big Dig being federally funded. There is *some* federal aid, but much of the burden is being placed on the Massachusetts tax payers.

      This may be off-topic, but federal aid == being federally funded. The U.S. government is paying billions for the Big Dig. At last check, the majority of the money came from the U.S. government, not the Massachusetts government. And technically, the original poster was sorta correct, because it is not Boston residents paying, it is MA residents paying, but more than that, it is U.S. residents paying.

  4. Tight timeline by shaping_innovation · · Score: 5, Interesting

    According to the Herald, Macworld is scheduled for two weeks after the opening of the convention center. Given Boston's track record with large state funded construction projects, what do you think the actual chances are that the center will be completed within two weeks of their deadline? :)

  5. Forget the Big Dig... by pelican317 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Being a resident of Boston (JP to be exact), worries over the Big Dig are too exaggerated. Even if the Big Dig is incomplete, I doubt this will matter much. As long as you aren't driving, which you would be crazy to do with or without the Dig, the T is easy to use and convenient. Additionally, most hotels in Boston are near the proposed convention center or within walking distance. Boston is easy to walk and is relatively small in terms of surface area. Even if you get lost or confused, the Big Dig and Boston's inherent quirky layout make it interesting and Bostonians love to talk about their city and are more than happy to guide the lost Mac user through the Big Dig. Granted, there may not be the penetration of Apple in Boston in the graphics community as was suggeted of NYC. However, Boston is an educational and research center, another large segment of Apple's user base. I think Boston is a great choice.

    1. Re:Forget the Big Dig... by ek_adam · · Score: 2

      The T will be convenient to the convention center when the Silver Line is finished, but the Silver Line is not finished yet. Hopefully, the branch to the convention center will be done on time (December 2003 estimate).

  6. My solution by BoomerSooner · · Score: 2, Funny

    Just have one more conference. SF in Jan, NYC in May and Boston in Sept. That way I can travel to all cities as a business write off (à la Kramer/Seinfeld).

    I'm looking forward to this Jan in SF. Maybe there will be some G5's? NOT!!!

  7. Not just DTP and Graphics... by KillerKane · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The entire Advertising/Marketing world runs mostly on Macs, and 99% of the big players are based in New York. As has been pointed out, the education market is huge, too.

    I've been to MW Boston, it was ok, but if you want to have some fun after looking at all the pretty hardware and icons, there's not much there. Boston is to New York what Staten Island is to Manhattan. I asked a friend to show me the infamous "combat zone". It was three or four joints on a single block. You could get into more trouble at a nursing home.

    --
    There is a thin line between genius and insanity. I have erased that line. -- Oscar Levant
    1. Re:Not just DTP and Graphics... by rob+colonna · · Score: 3

      Um, ok. There's really been a lot of anti-Beantown sentiment that's been stirred up as a result of the Macworld move. Not here so much as on other discussion sites/pages. It seems a little petty. This whole thing oughtn't be viewed as a slight against New York, or any other city--it boils down to this: Macworld used to be in Boston. It outgrew the facilities. Now there's a shiny new facility. Why not go back?

      That said, IIRC, the 'Combat Zone' has been aggressively re-zoned out of existence going back to the 80's. If that's the kind of entertainment you seek, there's not so much. On the other hand, if you like good Irish bars, you're in luck.