Macworld 2009 Floor Plan: A Techie's Guide through Moscone Center Event

With so many exhibitors at the Macworld Conference and Expo 2009 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, even the techie with thousands of dollars and hours to spend will probably have a hard time finding their way through the maze of vendors. This guide outlines some of the major Macworld 2009 vendors in both north and south floor plans. The event will be held January 5 to 9. Full floor plans may be downloaded by visiting the Web site http://www.macworldexpo.com/SitePage.aspx?site=9&id=28d1d8d9-4b86-43a6-a42c-6f697aacf4d5

Best of Show, designed for products featured for the first time at Macworld 2009, will also be awarded to selected items. There are also dozens of opportunities for "First Looks," which are also geared toward the coolest brand-new techie gear and items launched at Macworld 2009. More than 40,000 attendees are expected this year, providing a perfect opportunity for businesses to promote both new and older merchandise.

What new products will debut at Macworld 2009 is a tightly guarded secret, but Internet buzz and previews can be located on vendor Web sites and hobbyist message boards.

North Hall

Macintosh enthusiasts will likely start their shopping and browsing journey in North Hall, with dozens of businesses present including IBM, Panasonic, Sprint, and Verizon Wireless.

South Hall

Even those only a bit partial to the world of the Mac will find a home in South Hall, filled with vendors such as HP, Canon, Quark, and Microsoft.

The drama of last year's Macworld, where vendors were in entirely different buildings, has been resolved and will not be the case again this year. Last year's floor plan layout caused Moscone West to be virtually empty, as the major companies were set up in Moscone South Hall. As a result, Macworld organizers returned to their traditional North and South hall layout. This makes life, and shopping, a lot easier for attendees pressed for time as the North and South halls are connected with an underground tunnel perfect for quick walking trips.

Noticeably absent this year is major software developer Adobe, designer of popular products such as Acrobat and Photoshop. According to information published by 'Net geeks on the Ars Technica message board, Adobe does plan to be there but sans exhibition booth.

For those hoping to get a bigger head start on planning their floor visits for the next Macworld Expo, floor plans are usually published on the conference site by mid-September, a little less than four months before the actual convention.