by Mike | Jan 25, 2026 | Macstock News, Macstock X
Back in December I promised a “major announcement…sometime around the middle of January”. Well, it seems the middle of January has come and gone without said announcement, and while this newsletter isn’t the announcement as such, it is the announcement of the live stream where we’ll make the announcement. Or something like that. (Anyone else feel dizzy?)
More importantly, thanks to the magic of Woodstock’s annual Groundhog Days festival (Woodstock being the town the movie Groundhog Day was filmed — if you’d not heard me mention that before *ahem*), I’ve enlisted the help of Woodstock’s own furry prognosticator, Woodstock Willie to see if he could lend a paw to help ensure the Macstock Live Stream still takes place within the month of January.
Now, you have to understand that groundhogs aren’t much for calendars, let alone the Gregorian calendar that we all follow around these parts. When it comes to his annual predictions, all Woodstock Willie knows is that he saw his shadow … or not. It’s up to us to interpret it.
However, in recent years, Willie has been looking for ways to expand his repertoire. So, naturally, when I asked for Willie’s help, he promptly chittered: “I got your back Mike!” and immediately declared that due to the absolutely frigid temps we’ve been experiencing (it was around 5°F when I began writing this) that we should all remain nestled deep within our burrows, and THEREFORE, the great prognosticator of prognosticators proclaimed, there shall be 6 More Days of January!
That means I can keep my promise to host the Macstock X Kickoff Live Stream (with the major announcement) in January!
Ain’t Marmot Magic wonderful? 😊
That means the first Macstock X Live Stream will take place on…January 36th, 2026!
(IMPORTANT NOTE for those who are far less inclined to believe in Groundhogian Calendar Magic than I am, that translates to February 5th, 2026)
Here are the details:
Come hang out with Macstock Organizer Mike Potter (that’s me) and his Surprise Special Guests for all the updates on Macstock X (and more) coming your way July 2026 for Macstock’s 10th Year!
Mike and his guests will talk Weekend Pass sales, give an update on the venue and speaker submissions (and let you know how to submit a talk yourself), answer your questions, PLUS we’ve got a major announcement planned for this live stream to share something that’s never been done at Macstock before — and I can’t wait to let you know all about it!
When?
February 5th, 1 PM Central Time (Currently UTC-6)
Check your time zone here: https://time.is/Chicago
Where?
Watch Live on YouTube February 5th!*
Click here to subscribe to the Channel and set a Reminder! 🔔
*Don’t worry if you can’t join us live. The recording will be available on Macstock’s YouTube Channel for your time-shifted viewing pleasure.
by Mike | Dec 10, 2025 | Macstock News, Macstock X
Macstock has always drawn from its community to bring fun & engaging talks to its stage, and 2026 will be no different! So I’m inviting you to step onto the stage at Macstock X to help bring everything full circle for Macstock’s 10th Anniversary!
I LOVE unique and hands-on topics of all kinds and ALL are encouraged to submit a speaking proposal. Even if you’ve never presented before, please know that Macstock is for everyone, so no matter your background or experience level, I want to hear your ideas!
Taking place July 10, 11, & 12, 2026, Macstock X’s theme is “Inspire!” and we’re looking for talks that can take hold of this year’s theme and run with it by offering Workshops and Standard Sessions designed to Inspire the audience to get the most from their Apple hardware & software no matter their skill level.
And while the Official Call is underway, I’d like to ask folks to please consider a 90 Minute Workshop-length talk. Workshops have gone over really well in recent years and continue to be requested!
Are you ready to send in your talk? Just visit https://macstockconferenceandexpo.com/speak-at-macstock/ and submit your talk idea today!
by Mike | Aug 31, 2025 | Macstock IX, Macstock News
As we look forward to Macstock X in 2026, I’d like to close out Macstock 9 with a simple word of thanks to everyone who helped make Macstock 9 one of the absolute highlights of my year.
We’ll need to start with Macstock’s presenters including (in the order they presented) Marty Jencius, Jeff Gamet, Mike Schmitz, Kirschen Seah, Jill McKinley, Katie Fawkes & Doc Rock, Dave Ginsburg, Allison Sheridan, Chris Cooke, Brittany Smith, Brett Terpstra, Mike Burke, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, and Will Jencius who all put so much time and effort into sharing their knowledge to make Macstock Weekend educational and fun for everyone.
And let’s not forget Dave Hamilton, Pilot Pete, and Adam Christianson as well as Chuck Joiner and the MacVoices Live panel for their Special Macstock Editions of Mac Geek Gab and MacVoices!
To our volunteers, Bob Potter, Cindy Rotz, Roger Harmon, Brian Henson, and of course, my wife Janet for the energy and enthusiasm they all put into another successful weekend. I literally couldn’t do it without each and every one of you!
Thank you to our wonderful sponsors beginning with Katie Fawkes & Doc Rock of Ecamm for their incredible support of Macstock all weekend long including Ecamm Studios, the Sweet Connections Mixer, and their Workshop Saturday morning. The team at Ecamm didn’t just sponsor Macstock, they actively embraced our Macstock community and became a part of it. Learn more about Ecamm and Ecamm Live at ecamm.com.
Thank you to Macstock Sponsor JOhn Rokos at OpenCase and the give-away sponsorship for Macstock 9 which included three fantastic prize packages that we awarded over the weekend to Macstock attendees John, Tim, and Mallory…congratulations to all 3 of you! Learn more about OpenCase and their versatile MagSafe Cases at theopencase.com.
And to YOU, the attendees and the greater Macstock Community. Whether you support from afar or you purchased a Weekend Pass or a Digital Pass to Macstock 9, you are part of my Macstock Family and you are the reason I do this and you are the reason we’re all here. If it was your first Macstock, your 3rd, or if you’ve been to every one, your love and support of Macstock means the world to me.
Thank you all!
MIke
by Mike | Aug 30, 2025 | Digital Pass News, Macstock IX, Macstock News
If you purchased a 2 or 3 Day Weekend Pass OR you purchased a Macstock IX Digital Pass outright, then you already have access to this year’s Digital Pass!
To access it, log in to the Macstock Digital Pass Dashboard (found under the site’s Conference menu) using the same account information used to purchase your ticket.
Once logged in, the Digital Passes you have access to will “unlock”, granting you entry to the talks for Macstock IX!
Watching the Talks
Navigating each day’s videos is pretty straight forward. Either click/tap the disclosure triangle to get a list of videos featured within that day’s playlist or click/tap the forward and back arrows to quickly skip to the next or previous video in the playlist!
Should you experience any difficulties accessing the videos or navigating the player, please let me know.
I’m Still Having Trouble!
Things happen. Usernames and passwords get lost. Or maybe you have multiple email addresses and don’t know which one you used to create an account!
If you’re having trouble logging in, resetting a password, or flat out don’t know what account you used to purchase your passes, Don’t Panic! Drop me a line to let me know what’s going on and I’ll get you taken care of!
Enjoy!
by Mike | Aug 30, 2025 | Macstock News, Macstock X
If you caught my closing comments at Macstock this summer, then you know I was thrilled to do something that I’ve not been able to do for several years now…announce next year’s dates!
That’s right! NEXT year’s Macstock, Macstock X!!, will be held July 10 – 12, 2026.
We’ve been building up to this, but now it’s here. 10 Years of Macstock!
As you can imagine, with 2026 being Macstock’s 10th Anniversary, I’ve got tons of ideas for how to make next year’s Macstock the celebration it deserves, so I’ll be rolling out more — much more — in the weeks ahead including next year’s Call for Presenters and ways for you, the Macstock Community, to help shape Macstock in 2026 and beyond.
Stay tuned!
by Mike | Jun 2, 2025 | Macstock IX, Macstock News
Come join Ecamm and your fellow Macstock Attendees Friday, July 11 @ 7:30pm for Sweet Connections!
Wind down after the first full day of sessions and come hang with the Ecamm Fam! Ecamm will be hosting an hour-long networking mixer for Macstock attendees with desserts and great conversation. Whether you’re a seasoned content creator or just getting started, this is your chance to connect, share ideas, and meet fellow attendees (and the Ecamm team!) in a relaxed, friendly setting. Don’t miss it! 🧁
If you caught my closing comments at Macstock this summer, then you know I was thrilled to do something that I’ve not been able to do for several years now…announce next year’s dates!