Macworld/iWorld 2013 to Kicks Off in San Francisco Next Week with iFan Events, JOBS Movie Cast & More

IDG World Expo today announced that Macworld/iWorld 2013 (Twitter: @MacworldExpo; Event hashtag: #iFan13), the Ultimate iFan Event, will host two special Main Stage sessions with Ashton Kutcher and Josh Gad, stars of the yet-to-be-released "JOBS" movie, and will.i.am, entertainer and creative innovator, who will be joined by Brian David Johnson, a futurist at Intel Corporation. These just-announced talks are in addition to a full slate of content including: special events, such as iNDIE iNNOVATION, the iPhone Film Festival and iPhoneography; a full agenda of Tech Talks; and an expo hall boasting hundreds of companies showing off the latest app innovations, hardware and accessories. More than 25,000 people who use, create and love Apple and Apple-related products are expected in San Francisco to celebrate the convergence of technology, art, business and culture when Macworld/iWorld 2013 opens next week.

Macworld/iWorld 2013 event highlights include:

Main Stage
The Macworld/iWorld 2013 agenda boasts more than 60 new educational sessions, interactive panel discussions, practical "how-to" presentations and "tips and tricks" learning opportunities open to all iFan Pass attendees. Featured Main Stage sessions include:

• Just Announced: "Playing Steve & Woz in JOBS: A Conversation with Ashton Kutcher and Josh Gad." These two actors take the Macworld/iWorld Main Stage to share their experiences playing the technology industry's two most celebrated and influential personalities, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, respectively, in the upcoming feature film, JOBS. The new film is the story of Steve Jobs' ascension from college dropout to one of the most revered creative entrepreneurs of the 20th century.
• Just Announced: "Futurehunting with will.i.am & Brian David Johnson." Hear musician, entrepreneur and philanthropist will.i.am with Intel's futurist Brian David Johnson as they explore the future of technology, creativity and the gadgets we all love. What are the next apps and technologies that will change the world? Where are the next tech and entertainment hot spots? What are the global trends that will shape how and what we design tomorrow? Where has technology exploded the creative process? What kind of future will you create?
• "Q&A with Fred Armisen." Best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, co-creator and co-star of IFC's Portlandia, Armisen is also a technophile. Listen in as he chats with Macworld Senior Editor Chris Breen about how he uses Apple technology to empower his creativity and identifies the products he can't live without.
• "OUT THERE: Behind the Scenes of IFC's newest animated comedy." Hear from Emmy-winning Director and Producer Ryan Quincy and members of his creative team as they share the creative and technical secrets behind how their new animated series, OUT THERE, evolved from a kernel of an idea into a full 10-episode season. The show staff will share video outtakes and clips from the yet-to-air premier episode and discuss their behind-the-scenes creative process followed by live audience Q&A.
• iNDIE iNNOVATION: The Search for Tomorrow's Music Stars.Macworld/iWorld teamed up with Sonicbids to find the hottest up-and-coming bands in the country innovating with Apple technologies. The two finalists-Mister Loveless and Exist Elsewhere-will Square off live on Thursday, January 31 from 4:00pm - 5:00pm on the Main Stage. The winning band will perform as the opening act for one of the best live rock n' roll group ever, Little Feat, at the Macworld/iWorld BLAST party on Thursday, January 31, at Mezzanine SF. Tickets for BLAST are now available for just $40. Space is limited.
• The iPhone Film Festival. For the second year, Macworld/iWorld has teamed with the iPhone Film Festival to host filmmakers from around the world as they debut award-winning films and screen never-before-seen movies exclusively for Macworld/iWorld attendees. This year's line-up includes: announcement of the iPhone Film Festival 4 Grand Prize Winner and a chance to view footage from some of this year's top films; the world premier of Departure, a collaborative film shot on iPhones in three separate countries and brought together into one intertwining story.

"Nowhere else in the world and at no other time of the year will you find a larger concentration of Apple fans exploring all the latest products and celebrating all the ways that technology impacts, informs and inspires us," said Paul Kent, vice president and general manager of Macworld/iWorld. "From Technorati to consumers to Hollywood stars who use Apple technology in their personal and professional lives, Macworld/iWorld brings together enthusiasts from all walks of life. In our 29^th year of hosting the event, we have never been more excited about presenting all the ways that Apple and the world of innovative Apple-related products are changing the creative landscape-a phenomenon that will be on full display for four days next week."

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