Apple yesterday announced that this year will be the last year that the brand will headline the IDG-produced Macworld Expo. The announcement came after the speculation—and subsequent confirmation—that ceo Steve Jobs would not be keynoting the January event, as he has every year since his return to Apple in 1997. This year, instead, the keynote will be delivered by Apple senior vp Philip Schiller.

In a press release, the brand positioned its exit from Macworld as a strategic move, citing the popularity of its retail stores and website as more effective ways to reach customers, and noting recent pullback from other shows including NAB, Macworld New York, Macworld Tokyo and Apple Expo in Paris.