Some interesting news coming out of the Apple camp today. Apple announced that the upcoming January Macworld Expo would be the last year the company would exhibit at the expo. In addition (and this will surely fuel speculations about Job’s health), Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, would be giving the keynote speech – not Steve Jobs.

According to the press release, “Apple has been steadily scaling back on trade shows in recent years, including NAB, Macworld New York, Macworld Tokyo and Apple Expo in Paris.” Why? The claim is that Apple is reaching out to more people in more ways than ever before. Trade shows have become a small part of the marketing campaign for Apple.

Sure.. that’s fine and dandy.. but Steve Jobs not giving the keynote? According to Apple rep Steve Dowling via News.com, “Phil is giving the keynote because this will be Apple’s last year at the show… It doesn’t make sense for us to make a major investment in a trade show we will no longer be attending.”

Hmm.. BECAUSE it is the last keynote.. wouldn’t you WANT to have Steve be the presenter?

[Check it out via News.com]

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