January’s Macworld Expo San Francisco will be a “real magnet” for artists, entertainers, and educators, according to Rob Scheschareg, vice president of events, IDG World Expo, the company producing the exposition. The event will offer a wide range of conference sessions, and special interest areas designed to appeal to attendees’ creativity and imagination, he adds.
“The Mac has long enabled the very best in creative and artistic expression so what better place to showcase Mac’s undisputed technical prowess in the arts than at the largest gathering of Mac enthusiasts in the country?” Scheschareg said.
A Music & Audio Showcase will present developers showing the latest Mac products and tools for music and audio creation, production, mastering and processing. The Music and Audio Theater will feature live concerts demonstrating the Mac’s musical and audio capabilities. Attendees will be not only entertained but also enlightened about the musical prowess of the Mac, said Scheschareg.
A Digital Art Gallery will display 30 award-winning Mac-enabled digital art portraits representing a variety of styles and techniques. A panel of judges from the digital art community selected the finalists from hundreds of submissions in student and non-student categories. A popular attraction for several years, the Digital Art Gallery and the Digital Art Contest serve to highlight this evolving medium, according to Scheschareg.
The Special Interest Boulevard will spotlight some of the emerging firms in the Mac community. Developers specializing in digital media, 3D, and edutainment will exhibit their new products, technologies, and applications. Filmmakers — amateurs and pros alike — will get the chance to learn from seasoned vets about optimizing the Mac’s filmmaking and editing capabilities, Scheschareg said.
The Macintosh Gaming Area will highlight the hottest new gaming products from top Mac publishers. And the Mac Game Theater will offer a place to sample the latest games — and buy ’em, if you’d like.
In theHack of the Year Contest, expo attendees will get to judge the most unique and creative software hack. And if workshops are your thing, you can choose from topics such as Desktop Moviemaking, QuickTime, Special Effects, Music and Soundtracks, Photojournalism, Digital Storytelling, and more.
“Technology is playing an increasingly central role in the arts community, and the Mac has a place of prominence as the computer of choice for graphic designers, composers, musicians, and filmmakers,” said Scheschareg. “People know that at Macworld Conference & Expo they can get hands-on demonstrations of new applications and offerings for the Mac, and network with people who have similar interests. They come to the show and the creative juices just start flowing.”
The 2001 Macworld Conference & Expo will be held Jan. 9-12 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA. Details are at the Macworld Conference & Expo Web site.