Next year will be the last year that Apple will make an appearance at the annual Macworld Expo, marking an end to the highly anticipated announcements that eventuate from the event each year. 
To add to the shock news, Steve Jobs will not be presenting his usual keynote speech at next year’s final Apple appearance, but instead has left that job to Phil Schiller, senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.
For those keen to hear Phil’s keynote, it will take place on Tuesday, January 6, 2009.
In a press release, Apple is instead "reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers.”
It continued, "The increasing popularity of Apple's Retail Stores, which more than 3.5 million people visit every week, and the Apple.com website enable Apple to directly reach more than a hundred million customers around the world in innovative new ways."
Apple has joined the ranks of companies pulling out of 2009 Macworld. Both Belkin and Adobe have also said they will not be exhibiting next year.
Source: Macworld