Arts and Entertainment in the Spotlight at Macworld Conference & Expo; Creative Innovations in Music, Video, Art and Gaming to be Exhibited.

Business/Technology Editors and Entertainment/Music Writers

Macworld San Francisco 2001

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 19, 2000

IDG World Expo, producers of innovative IT conferences and expositions, announced today that its upcoming Macworld Conference & Expo will present a dramatic array of innovative artistic and entertainment attractions. The event will be taking place January 9 - 12, 2001 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco.

"The Mac has long enabled the very best in creative and artistic expression," said Rob Scheschareg, vice president of events, IDG World Expo. "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? For four days in January, Macworld Conference & Expo will become a real magnet for artists, entertainers and educators," he said.

Wanted: Musicians, Digital Artists, Filmmakers, Gamers and Hackers

Macworld Conference & Expo will offer a wide range of events, conference sessions, and special interest areas designed to appeal to attendees' creativity and imagination.

Highlights include:
-        Music & Audio Showcase -- This special-interest area will
         present developers showing the latest Mac products and tools
         for music and audio creation, production, mastering and
         processing.
-        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.
-        Digital Art Contest -- A unique Digital Art Gallery will
         display 30 award-winning Mac-enabled digital art portraits
         representing a variety of styles and techniques. A panel of
         distinguished 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.
-        The Special Interest Boulevard - Will spotlight some of the
         hottest emerging firms in the Mac community. Developers
         specializing in Digital Media, 3D, and edutainment will
         exhibit the very latest products, technologies, and
         applications.
-        Lights, Camera, Mac-tion - Filmmakers, amateurs and
         professionals alike, will get the chance to learn from
         seasoned pros about optimizing the Mac's filmmaking and
         editing capabilities.
-        Gaming Anyone? -- The popular Macintosh Gaming Area will
         highlight the hottest new gaming products from top Mac
         publishers.
-        Mac Game Theater - A stimulating environment for sampling the
         latest games. Attendees will also be able to buy their
         favorite Mac games at a dedicated retail space.
-        Hack of the Year Contest -- Macworld Conference & Expo
         attendees will be asked to judge the most unique and creative
         software hack in what will certainly be a raucous
         competition.
-        Workshops -- Topics including Desktop Moviemaking, QuickTime,
         Special Effects, Music and Soundtracks, Photojournalism,
         Digital Storytelling and more will be taught by some of the
         nation's leading innovators in these fields.

"Technology is playing an increasingly central role in the arts community," said Scheschareg, "and the Mac has a place of prominence as the computer of choice for graphic designers, composers, musicians, and filmmakers. 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," he said.

About Macworld Conference & Expo

The world's most comprehensive Macintosh OS event, Macworld Conference & Expo is the showcase for products and services geared to professionals involved in media and creative content development for corporate and home applications, and consumers using the Mac at home. Macworld Conference & Expo brings together the loyal base of Mac OS audiences in creative services, education, application development, entertainment, small office/home office and Internet-based environments. Macworld Conference & Expo offers professionals and consumers alike the opportunity to discover the latest developments and hottest products these markets offer. Multiple conference programs cover beginning and advanced uses of the Mac. Macworld/Pro Conference sessions offer a technology-intensive professional development series for Macintosh design, management and networking professionals. The Macworld/Users Conference program covers beginning and advanced uses and techniques in areas such as Internet, design, integration with NT systems, education, content asset management, entertainment, and more. Macworld Conference & Expo is sponsored by Mac Publishing, LLC, publishers of Macworld Magazine, Macworld.com, MacWEEK.com and MacCentral.com. Mac Publishing is a joint venture between International Data Group and Ziff Davis Media. For more information on Macworld Conference & Expo visit the Web site at www.macworldexpo.com.

About IDG World Expo

IDG World Expo (www.idgworldexpo.com) produces world-class tradeshows, conferences, and events for emerging IT markets around the globe. As the leading IT event management company, IDG World Expo leverages its unsurpassed experience and knowledge of IT-focused events and conferences, enabling technology companies to capture the attention and loyalty of influential buyers. IDG World Expo's portfolio of conferences and events includes ASPWorld Conference & Expo, COMNET Conference & Expo, Internet Commerce Expo (ICe), LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, Macworld Conference & Expo and Internet Entertainment Expo (IEX). IDG World Expo is a subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the leading global provider of IT media, research, conferences and expositions.

About IDG

IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers and 4,000 book titles and offers online users the largest network of technology-specific sites around the world through IDG.net (http://www.idg.net), which comprises more than 270 targeted Web sites in 70 countries. IDG is also a leading producer of 168 computer-related expositions worldwide, and provides IT market analysis through 50 offices in 43 countries worldwide. Company information is available at www.idg.com.