Macworld Conference & Expo Abounds With Macintosh User Group Events; Final Cut Pro User Group Theater Makes Its West Coast Debut.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

Macworld San Francisco 2003

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 23, 2002

IDG World Expo, the leading producer of world-class tradeshows, conferences and events for IT markets around the globe, today announced interactive and educational opportunities hosted by regional and special interest Mac user groups at the upcoming Macworld Conference & Expo being held January 6-10, 2003 at San Francisco's Moscone Center. Making its first Macworld/San Francisco appearance, the Final Cut Pro User Group Film Theater will run compelling films contributed by various FCP User Groups and feature a Filmmaker Talk Series. The Apple User Group Advisory Board will also be on hand, hosting user groups and educational content from far and wide.

The Final Cut Pro User Group Film Theater will make its San Francisco debut on the Macworld show floor in booth #3740. Sponsored by Canon, Focal Press, Think Stock, Peachpit Press and Focus Enhancements, the theater will allow attendees to mingle with members of the San Francisco Cutters, Los Angeles Final Cut Pro User Group and others within the Final Cut Pro User Group network. The Boston Final Cut Pro User Group will host a program on filmmaking, short films and works created in Final Cut Pro.

In the theater, attendees can watch films contributed by the various user groups and meet with the filmmakers that created them through a Filmmaker Talk Series. Among the featured speakers will be Brian Meaney, the highly-noted product designer for film and video applications at Apple Computer. A complete schedule of speakers will be available on-site as well as on the Macworld Conference & Expo site.

"This is a terrific opportunity for consumer attendees to score tips on working with digital video on the Macintosh and editing with Final Cut Pro," added Dan Berube, who leads the Boston Final Cut Pro User Group. "We're excited to bring this to Macworld attendees on the West Coast and are certain they'll enjoy the experience."

The FCP User Group Theater is just one in a series of user group activities and events at Macworld Conference & Expo.

The Macintosh User Group (MUG) Lounge, located in Rooms 250 and 262, will host Mac luminaries for informal "fireside" chats. Scheduled guests include New York Times columnist and author David Pogue; Macworld contributing editor and author Chris Breen; Ted Landau, Macworld contributing editor and author; Shawn King, host of the Internet radio show Your Mac Life; Adam Engst, publisher of TidBITS and more. There will also be a variety of sessions on the operation, benefits and resources offered by Macintosh User Groups.

The MUG Booth (#2245), hosted by the North Coast Mac Users Group, will feature a rotating slate of user groups to help attendees learn what their organizations -- and the hundreds of groups around the globe -- offer Mac users of every experience level. Featured MUGs will represent community, specialty, online, campus and Final Cut Pro user groups.

Participating user groups include the Apple Student Core at Emory, Boston College Macintosh Users Group, Boston Final Cut Pro User Group, Champions of the Mac Proletariat (CHOMP), Colorado State Macintosh Users Group, University of Colorado Macintosh Users Group, Digital Design Group, Diablo Valley Macintosh Users Group, Apple Users Group Gravenstein, Maui Apple User Society, Mac Chico Users Group, MUGSIE (Macintosh Users Group Serving the Inland Empire), QMUG/LA, San Gabriel Valley Mac Users Group, Santa Clarita Valley MUG, Serious Macintosh User Group, Sonoma Valley Computer Group, and Stanford/Palo Alto Macintosh User Group.

"Macworld Conference & Expo San Francisco 2003 is going to be the biggest and best yet for Macintosh User Group events and activities," said Chuck Joiner, chairman of the Apple User Group Advisory Board and editor of The MUG Center. "From the opening of User Group University on Monday to the closing of the User Group Lounge at the final bell of the Expo, MUG members, leaders, and events are a vital current running throughout the show. Macworld Conference & Expo is the ideal setting for Macintosh users to connect with the MUG community, find out what they have to offer, make new friends and have more fun than ever before."

Volunteers from the Macintosh User Group community are once again providing guide services during Macworld Conference & Expo, including formal guided tours of the show floor each day starting at 2 PM. At all other times the guides will be available to personally assist individual attendees in locating specific exhibitors, products, services, and resources. The guides will be located in the South Hall of the Moscone Center, near the Internet Cafe.

Joiner will host the "Mega-Macintosh User Group Meeting" on Wednesday, January 8 at 6 p.m. in Gateway 102 in the Moscone Center's South Hall, where MUG enthusiasts from around the globe will gather to present information on their groups and why MUGs are one of the best, most essential and most fun resources for Mac users of all skill levels. The session will include members of the Apple User Group Advisory Board and Apple Regional Liaison Team and the Campus Group Advisory Board leading discussions on all facets of the user group experience.

"The value user groups deliver to the Mac community cannot be overstated," said Rob Scheschareg, IDG World Expo vice president of sales, marketing and product development. "We're sure that these user group activities will add even more energy to Macworld."

For more information on MUG events during Macworld Conference & Expo visit www.mugcenter.com/macworld/mwsf2003/.

Macworld Conference & Expo takes place January 6-10, 2003. For more information or to register for Macworld Conference & Expo, please visit www.macworldexpo.com.

About Macworld Conference & Expo

Owned and produced by Framingham Mass.-based IDG World Expo, Macworld Conference & Expo is the world's most comprehensive Macintosh OS event. Macworld Conference & Expo showcases products and services for professionals involved in media and creative content development for corporate and home applications, as well as 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. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.macworldexpo.com.

About IDG World Expo

IDG World Expo (www.idgworldexpo.com) produces IT-focused tradeshows, conferences and events for professionals seeking world-class education, peer-to-peer networking and one-stop comparison shopping. As the leading IT event management company, IDG World Expo leverages its 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 Macworld Conference & Expo, LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, Bio-ITWorld Conference & Expo, COMNET Conference & Expo, Integrated Security Conference & Expo and BiometricsWorld Conference & Expo. IDG World Expo is a business unit of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research and event company.

About IDG

IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers and offers online users the largest network of technology-specific sites around the world through IDG.net (www.idg.net), which comprises more than 330 targeted Web sites in 80 countries. IDG is also a leading producer of 168 computer-related events worldwide, and IDG's research company, IDC, provides global market intelligence and advice through 51 offices in 43 countries. Company information is available at www.idg.com.