Boston, here we come. In 2004, that is.
After much speculation and negotiation, it’s seems the summer Macworld Conference & Expo will be returning to Boston, Massachusetts, in 2004 after a absence of five years. Business Today reports that, according to sources, IDG World Expo, the sponsors of the Macworld trade shows, will bring the show back to Boston, potentially pumping “tens of millions into the city’s hard-hit economy” and attract over 64,000 Mac fans.
The last Macworld expo was held there in 1998. The return to Boston coincides with the city’s launching of a US$800 million exhibition center. Business Today reports that the center has booked “only a handful of shows so far.” But the return of the big Mac event could mean over $42 million for local businesses, according to the article.
Charlie Greco, head of IDG World Expo and Macworld’s organizer, made the decision last week to bring the show back, sources told Business Today. The publication predicts an official announcement of the move on Oct. 17. Purportedly, New York officials have tried hard to keep the Mac event at the Jacob R. Javits convention center. Business Today said they even promised appearances by Broadway stars.
“But Boston, led by Mayor Thomas M. Menino and hotel and tourism industry guru Patrick Moscaritolo, countered with a few surprises of its own,” the article said. “The Hub’s [Boston’s] package included the use of the city-owned Parkman House on Beacon Hill and the courtyard of the Boston Public Library for private receptions for Macworld attendees. City Hall also threw in banner advertising touting the show in city lamp posts, while state convention officials offered free rent on the meeting hall under construction in South Boston.”
Apple representatives were not immediately available for comment on the news.
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