Being there: what it’s like at the Macworld keynote

If you never managed to make it to Macworld and one of the famous keynote speeches by Steve Jobs,  we’re sorry to say that you’ve missed your chance.

Not only will Apple marketing veep Phil Schiller take the place of His Jobsness at Macworld 2009, but this year marks Apple’s last official appearance the event, which has been a fixture of the IT calendar since 1985 (the event, which more correctly goes by the full name of Macworld Conference & Expo, is organised not by Apple but by tech magazine publisher IDG).

The withdrawal of Apple’s support, along with the no-show by Macworld stalwarts such as Adobe, Belkin and Seagate and even a downsizing of Google’s presence, makes it possible that this will be the last Macworld as we know it.

APC has been to plenty of Macworlds through the years, however – so for those never made it to the San Francisco love-fest, here’s how it all goes down.

For true fans the Macworld experience starts the night before the Tuesday keynote as they gather in ever-increasing numbers outside the Moscone Centre on Fourth Street, two long blocks south-east of Market Street which is the spine of San Francisco. As we noted in our pre-show report last year, a fun sense of community and togetherness pervades the chilly mid-winter air. Groups huddle around tureens of piping hot coffee, tuck into fresh-delivered pizzas, gossip and joke and share in this unique experience.



Just one block away, things have also kicked off for the Australian media. It’s become a tradition for Apple and the contingent of visiting Aussie journalists to enjoy a pre-Macworld dinner at Chevys Fresh Mex‎ over on Third & Howard Streets, before heading back to the hotel for a soft bed and a (relatively) early night.

And all through the night, Apple fans continue to gather even as the mercury drops. Early January in San Francisco is bitingly cold, with winds that whip down the wide streets and cut through to the bone, making it feel chillier than the 8 degrees that’s predicted for each night this week. The days climb to a pleasantly sunny 14 degrees, but you’ll want to keep a jacket handy all the same.

It’s still dark at 7am Tuesday when the Australian media, fuelled by Grande or Venti coffees from the Starbucks one block up, amble down Fourth Street to join the line which already stretches along the length of the Moscone Centre’s gleaming glass façade (although that line may be a little shorter this year, given the keynote’s Jobs-free status).



The media are eventually separated from the milling crowd and make their way up the two long snaking escalators to the auditorium at the top floor of the Moscone Centre so as to make their way to the block of media seating near the front of the room.


The seats closest to the stage are reserved for VIPs, ranging from key Apple executives (including co-founder Steve Wozniak and Al Gore, who sits on Apple’s Board of Directors) and product managers to musicians, movie and TV stars and straight-out celebrities who get the gold-lined invitation.



There’s not much else to do but sit, wait and enjoy the music while the rest of the crowd packs into the auditorium. You can forget about a little Web surfing, emailing or amusing your friends with a stream of Twitter updates, because Apple turns off the Wi-Fi network which usually blankets the auditorium. The company doesn’t want any ‘unofficial’ live coverage of the keynote, and no longer provides a live stream of the event – a recorded stream is usually posted on Apple’s Web site later that day.

Of course, this doesn’t prevent the keenest media from finding their own way to report. 3G cards are slid into notebooks (not ideal for Aussie journalists, unless someone else is paying your roaming bill!) while during last year’s show, Australian Macworld magazine editor Matthew Powell tapped out a live keynote blog on his BlackBerry... now that’s dedication!

There’s little indication that the keynote is about to begin (it kicks off at 9am, which is 4am Wednesday AEST) – the music fades and the lights dim as the crowd starts to cheer, whistle and applaud. There’s traditionally no special announcement to introduce Steve Jobs – the man who’s synonymous with all things Apple just saunters onto the stage in his trademark blue jeans and black mock turtleneck. That might just change this year, with Phil Schiller standing in for Jobs, although it’d be an amusing touch if Schiller was decked out in the same Jobs garb (he’s more of an open-necked polo shirt kinda guy).

None the less, less, for the next 90 so minutes, Schiller will have the full attention of Apple’s faithful, both in that room and around the world. He won’t have the stage to himself – like Jobs, he’ll be joined by a selection of walk-on guests from Apple and partner companies such as TV studios or game developers, along with a musical guest towards the end (John Mayer has fallen out of favour since he was signed up by RIM to spruik the BlackBerry, while last year’s guest spot by Randy Newman featured a rambling political rant set to music).



The announcement of new products probably won’t begin until at least 20 minutes through Schiller’s speech. The keynote usually begins with a recap of Apple’s successes through the previous year – impressive sales and market share stats, milestones such as X million iTunes tracks or iPhone apps sold, the opening of new Apple stores around the world, and a peppering of perennial quotes from pundits such as Walt Mossberg and David Pogue along with carefully selected business and computer publications.

At some point comes a segue into the first pieces of Apple’s shiny newness for 2009 (MacRumors has the best roundup of the very latest gadgety goss). 
That’s a parade which will roll on for the remainder of the keynote, punctuated by several demonstrations, until it’s clear from the clock, the language and the vibe that things are wrapping up.

It’s about now that you’ll start to hear whispers of “One more thing” from the audience – not just to presage the same words from the mouth of Jobs or Schiller, but almost as if wishing and sheer force of will could unleash one last amazing product, the product that these Mac whisperers want but have yet to see unveiled – an iPhone Nano, an Apple netbook or some other high-tech high-touch cherry to go atop the sundae.

Will there be one more thing this year? Or will it simply be Steve Jobs walking on stage to thank the faithful for the many Macworlds past and usher in the 25th anniversary of the Mac with the promise that the best is still ahead?

Either way, the keynote ends and the crowd files out to visit the Apple stand on the expo floor and play with all the latest shiny stuff. In some instances, if the coolest bits of keynote kit are already available, Apple fans will swarm out of Macworld and hot-foot it to the city’s Apple Store just a few minutes’ sprint away.


The non-US media usually aggregate in small country-specific groups outside the auditorium to be briefed by their Apple PR handlers on local pricing and availability of whatever’s been unveilled, with the finishing touches already being put on the localised press releases as they hit the wires.

Around the Moscone Centre hang banners promoting that gear – these have been unfurled during the keynote. Similar banners adorn the lamp-posts along the streets surrounding the Moscone Centre, having also sprouted during the previous 90 minutes.

It’s all part of Apple’s extraordinary marking campaign, conducted with military precision. It’s indeed a sight to see – and for anyone who’s ever been there, it’s a little sad to think we probably won’t see anything quite like this again.