Say it ain’t so, Apple announced today that next month’s MacWorld in San Francisco will be Apple’s last. I always wanted to make it to the one in SF, but never had the chance. I love everything Apple, but like most people, find what I need online or at the local retail store.

It makes you think, Apple is always on the forefront of trends and this could mean that trade shows are in trouble. According to Apple, “Apple is 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. 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.”

I attended a trade show for trade show managers over the summer here in Philly. It was interesting how the keynote speaker, David Meerman Scott, spoke to the audience about how social media and the Internet is changing the game for marketers. You know it’s bad when the keynote at your trade show trade group is advocating other resources other than a booth at a trade show to market your wares. Has the Web and social media marketing changed the game?

What do you think, are trade shows a thing of the past and fading into obsurity?

Until next time, Tim