Chise Mishima Apple Regional Liaison: Japan December 2003

iWeek Farewell Party Big Hit in Osaka

By Chise MISHIMA

After enjoying five successful years, organizers of the popular springtime, all-Mac iWeek Expo have decided to call it quits. But this was not a time to be sad. In fact, organizers of iWeek threw a party shortly after the announcement to thank the event's key players at an Osaka night club Friday night. While the decision may disappoint some, all who organized and volunteered over the past five years feel very good about the great success of the expo. And now with Apple Stores in Tokyo (and planned for Osaka in 2004), the need for such events have diminished.

The iWeek Expo started in 1999 and was largely organized and pulled off thanks to the contributions of the Apple user group community in Japan and the local sponsors and vendors. iWeek was a very popular user group event, and over the five years, over 100,000 people attended. This was the biggest Mac User Group event of its kind in the world.

The beginnings of the event were quite by accident, and show the power that the user group community can have. In 1998 Hirotaka UOI and Yuzo SUZUOKI started kicking around the idea of the event at a local PUGO (Palm User Group) meeting in Osaka. They scratched some ideas down in their Palms and then began to send their ideas out to the UG community in Japan over the internet an by networking face to face over several months. During this time many experienced professionals from the UG community (including vendors) stepped up to the plate and offered their services. Uoi-san and Suzukoi-san were the constant driving force behind the event, and many, many people volunteered their time and talents to keep the expo growing.

At the iWeek Farewell Party, attendees took to the stage to share their stories of iWeek. A local TV broadcaster also read the many messages and telegrams from VIPs who could not make it to the party. One of the messages was from Apple Japan President Mr. Eikoh HARADA who couldn't make it due to the opening of the first Apple Store Japan in Tokyo. (http://www.apple.com/retail/jp/ginza/gallery1.html ) The audience enjoyed many amusing stories and speeches from the stage. Former Apple UG program manager, Garr Reynolds, even gave a speech on the unique brand of passion that UG members in Japan are famous for. Near the end of the evening, the audience was getting particularly rambunctious as many Mac products were given away, including a new 15" PowerBook.

Although the iWeek Expo will no longer be held, the five-year event proved that the user group community is alive and well in Japan. User groups are now looking forward to working with the local Apple Stores in Tokyo and (soon to be) Osaka. Apple evangelism and passion is as strong as ever in the UG community, thanks in large part to the organizers behind the iWeek event.

Thank you to all the organizers and volunteers who sacrificed their iWeek vacations over the years to be a part of the Mac cause.