Meet the mayor of Macworld

Mayor of Macworld: Big Apple transplant and self-taught programmer Paul Kent has developed one of the world’s premier computer conferences, transforming it into a hip event that attracts the geeky — and not-so-geeky — for the latest in gadgets and technology. (Bret Putnam/Special to The Examiner)

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SAN FRANCISCO — Whereas most technology conferences hearken back to the days of the school science fair, the Macworld Conference and Expo is more akin to the senior prom. Actually, it’s even bigger than that: Think your first U2 concert or the Super Bowl.

Sure, the show is built around the standard conference model, with vendors, exhibitor booths, demonstrations and a main show floor. But Macworld is still the Woodstock of conferences, an amazing intersection of art and technology that draws nearly 50,000 attendees from throughout the world, making it one of San Francisco’s largest conventions.

More than an exhibition hall packed with the latest and greatest products relating to all things Mac, the Macworld conference is a place of community. This reflects the belief shared by many  that Apple is more than just a company and its products, but also a credo of creative and innovative thinking.

“It’s this sense that people are a part of something ... that they belong to something,” said Paul Kent, general manager of IDG World Expo, the exhibition management company that puts on the event. “Even in an age when so much social networking is done online, we are kind of a place where people from around the world feel comfortable to come and do their face-to-face networking.”

Kent has been at the helm of the Macworld conference for the last 10 years as the conference chair. And it’s the same vibrancy felt at the conference that first brought Kent into the fold of the Apple industry 22 years ago.

Originally from New York, his dad moved the whole family in the mid-1970s, right about the time when the first wave of technology companies had found a mecca in Silicon Valley.

The self-taught computer programmer started getting his first gigs while still in college. During this time, he began to develop an interest in computer networking, and in 1984, when the first Mac computers started rolling out, Kent began traveling around the country, teaching large corporations about Apple’s networking schemes.

It was right around that time he started his own technology networking conference, Mactivity. The conference ran from 1991 to 1997 before getting rolled into Macworld, which is how it has existed ever since.

Beyond showcasing the latest advancements in Apple products and related services, Macworld presenters are the most highly regarded in the industry and often an interesting intersection of computer scientists and artists. For instance, this year, celebrated pop artist Peter Max and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak both sat on the judging panel for the works selected for the show’s digital-arts gallery.
Meanwhile, the opening-night party for attendees, better known as the Macworld Blast, has become a must-see event, largely because of its knack for pulling off surprise concerts. Two years ago, Cheap Trick took the stage, while last year everyone was blown away by Devo.

“I think all of the definition of this goes to as to what we refer to as the Mac community,” Kent said. “‘Never be dull’ is kind of the credo of Macworld. There is audience participation and spirited debates. ... It’s part education and part theater.”

Paul Kent on ...

His first Apple product: I had a [Macintosh] Plus. It was 1985. A single 9-inch black and white screen, 800K, 3½-inch floppy ... I loved that.

His favorite Apple product: The MacBook Pro is the best computer I have ever owned.

His least favorite: I had one of the original Apple “luggables,” one of the original Apple [Macintosh] Portables, and they were huge. They were like a sewing machine.

His credo: Work hard, play hard.

Whether he’s owned a PC: Sure. And gave it up really quickly.

His dream product: To have Macworld accommodate as many people from around the world who wanted to come.

Conference adjusts to Apple pullout

Macworld may be a world-class event, but the conference and exposition faces a new challenge after Apple announced it will no longer be taking part in the event after this year.

It has been a rough lead-up to this year’s Macworld Conference and Exposition with big-name exhibitors such as Adobe announcing they will not take part. Another blow was when Apple CEO Steve Jobs said he would not be giving the keynote speech at the conference, which is one of the biggest draws.

Paul Kent, Macworld’s longtime conference planner, said the show will go on.

“We are on track for a terrific show this year, with strong attendance and nearly 500 exhibitors showcasing their products at this January’s event,” he said in a press release. “Macworld Conference and Expo has thrived for 25 years due to the strong support of tens of thousands of people in the Mac community worldwide who use Macworld as a way to find great products, partake in professional development training and cultivate their personal and professional networks.”

The news that Apple will stop participating in the conference after Macworld 2009 is compounded by the need to draw attendees during the economic slowdown, though Kent says this is not always as hard as it seems.

“San Francisco is a great travel town,” he said. “To some people, it’s ‘Do I go to Disneyland this year or do I go to Macworld?’ San Francisco is Macworld’s home.”

Kent also said that Macworld hasn’t had to do anything to change its game plan for 2009. That’s largely due to an arduous planning process that takes all year to execute.

Roughly 51 weeks out of 52, Kent and his crew are planning for the next Macworld. Planning for the 2010 conference has already begun.

Not only that, but unlike other companies that are tanking on an almost daily basis, Apple continues to thrive.

“More people are coming to the Mac market every year,” he said. “We’re cautiously optimistic. By and large we haven’t changedanything.” — Tiffany Maleshefski

If You Go

Macworld 2009

Event Dates

Conference: Jan. 5-9

Expo: Jan. 6-9

Location

Moscone Center

800 Howard St., San Francisco

Phone: (415) 974-4000

Info: www.macworldexpo.com

Featured speakers include:

David Pogue, The New York Times

Leo LaPorte, host and producer, The Week in Tech on XM Satellite Radio

Philip Schiller, Apple senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, will give this year’s keynote address instead of Apple CEO Steve Jobs.