Macworld Expo kicked off today and even though Merlin is not presented in a booth our CEO, Frank Blome, is very busy in San Francisco taking with PMs from all over the world and doing last minute preparations for the Merlin co-sponsored ‘Cirque du Mac’ party.

We have read Jeff Gamlet’s post at the Mac Observer about the importance or unimportance of Apple’s absence at the conference. The author points out that:

Macworld Expo is about interacting with your colleagues, friends, session instructors and the companies that make the products we buy.

So it is an Expo for consumers and a special event for everyone taking place.

That’s all very nice and cool, but what we find most interesting is  your opinion.

How important is Apple’s presence for you and how does it influence your decision whether to visit the expo or not?