Tonight I sit in stunned sadness and reflect on the impact Steve Jobs had on me personally. In the summer of 1998, I saw Steve present for my first time at Macworld Expo, New York. I was immediately drawn to his charismatic presentation of the first iMac. The energy and passion in his address was intoxicating – and how about the CEO of a large company wearing jeans on stage!
This guy was different. This guy was inspiring. This guy spoke to me.
Until that point, I had only used Apple computers on non-linear editing systems, which were still feeling the pangs of being relatively new and very expensive to get your hands on. Like much of the world, I was a PC owner wrestling with Windows daily...Macs were just NLE engines to me. Macworld Expo was also the first trade show I attended. Both experiences stirred something inside of me. I didn't know quite what it was at first, and it wouldn't even begin to manifest itself until years later.
I bought my first Mac six months later and it's still running today as a donated internet and MS Office machine. I've owned all things Apple and have introduced dozens of people to the Macintosh lifestyle over the years. Final Cut Pro brought those expensive NLE's into our laps and every device added a new, revolutionary, and fun way to communicate and work. Steve Jobs introduced innovative and awe-inspiring products year after year and I've never missed a Jobs Keynote address. To that end, I've admired his presentation skills even more than his creations. He has inspired me to take on amazing challenges such as leaving my state job to venture out on my own in business, founding Connecticut Final Cut Pro User Group/Digital CONNtent Creators, and other such endeavors as a community leader and activist leading the charge against the silly status quo of the establishment.
So here we are, a mere 55 days to go until ProductionCONN 2011. A trade show and expo that I hatched from a simple idea and have watched grow into the largest event of its kind to come to our little state. From that first trade show experience and introduction to a man who would become my business hero, to now hosting my very own trade show, I've come almost full circle with the death of a pioneer. In his spirit we know no bounds for what we can do here in Connecticut with ProductionCONN.
We entered an exciting partnership today, on the very day of his passing, which will be formally announced shortly. And we will continue to expand ProductionCONN until we just flat run out of time. I believe that much like many of Steve's ideas, the inspiration behind this show comes from the simple question, "why not?" So, I thank Steve Jobs for being the one man who took risks, believed he could change the world, stood tall in the face of adversity, and gave us all a new way of living.
ProductionCONN 2011 was born from Steve's very ideals, and I hope that you will all join us in honor of "Thinking Different" on November 30th and December 1st to celebrate technology and creativity on display at its finest. We are all in this business in part because of the contributions of Steven Paul Jobs.
- Keith
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