Apple Scheduling 'Secret' Retail Store Employee Meeting?

[MacRumors]

AppleInsider reports that Apple has requested that its retail store employees sign non-disclosure agreements in advance of an "all-hands" meeting that the report claims could come in advance of a media event.

People familiar with the company's retail plans revealed that Apple employees on Monday were asked to sign non-disclosure forms. Those who did not sign are said to be excluded from the next employee meeting, expected to be held in the next week.

Those privy to Apple's brick-and-mortar businesses indicated the meeting was originally scheduled for last week. But the meeting was apparently pushed back for one week, for reasons unknown.

Exactly what the meeting would be about seems to be in question, as the report seems to expect that the meeting would occur on Sunday night after store closing as has happened in the past, timing that would place it after the debut of new MacBook Pros widely expected for this Thursday.

The timing of the meeting could suggest that Apple plans to hold a media event to unveil new products, and could send out invitations to such an event as soon as this week. Lending support to this, Robert X. Cringely confidently began his latest column on Monday with: "Next week Apple will have a product event." Cringely presumes the event will be used to introduce new MacBook Pro models with Intel's high-speed Light Peak technology.

Today's report does not, however, appear to definitively state that the all-hands meeting will occur on Sunday, meaning that it could potentially occur within the next day or two and relate to preparations for Thursday's expected MacBook Pro launch.

But if the meeting truly isn't until Sunday and the MacBook Pros appear on Thursday as expected, AppleInsider suggests that the forthcoming media event could see the introduction of the second-generation iPad, a move would that would seem to require a product release in line with the majority of rumors that have been pinpointing a first quarter launch. It would also seemingly rule out recent claims that the next-generation iPad will not debut until June.

Apple has also just been rumored to be releasing updated iMacs sometime in the near future, although it is unclear why the company would host a media event to introduce only the iMacs and not the MacBook Pros if the company wanted to highlight its Mac lines with another event.

Article Link: Apple Scheduling 'Secret' Retail Store Employee Meeting?

 

[WiiDSmoker]

There's simply no way that retail employees will keep a tight lip even if signing a NDA.

 

[drumpat01]

the meeting on sunday is a regularly scheduled quarterly meeting. They did not have to sign anything. My husband works at a store and there was no NDA.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

the meeting on sunday is a regularly scheduled quarterly meeting. They did not have to sign anything. My husband works at a store and there was no NDA.

This is most likely it. Employees sign an all inclusive NDA when they are employed.

 

[Consultant]

Rumor: new product may or may not come soon.

 

[Hallivand]

These rumors just keep coming in hot and heavy.

If anything, it'd just be a giant Macbook Pro + Macbook + iMac + who knows refresh perhaps accompanied with a media event?

Or this could be just a load of rubbish stirred up by a trig......money happy customer who wants their iMachine NOW.

WAIT People. It's only a few days away

Patience = Discipline = Something else important

 

[paul4339]

There's simply no way that retail employees will keep a tight lip even if signing a NDA.

Keep in mind that having a 'secret' meeting adds to the apple image and is a good advertising tactic.

P.

 

[Messy]

the meeting on sunday is a regularly scheduled quarterly meeting. They did not have to sign anything. My husband works at a store and there was no NDA.

Maybe the NDA said not to disclose it to wives who post on rumour forums.

Maybe.

 

[macrumormonger]

So many rumors, so much happiness. This is like buying a Mega Millions lottery ticket and just waiting and waiting for the drawing to happen.

 

[mmcxiiad]

which apple store is pictured in this post?

 

[haruhiko]

Spreading rumors is a very useful way by Apple marketing

 

[notabadname]

Yeah, 19 year olds would never divulge enticing tidbits about new products.

 

[madmeatballs]

not a secret anymore

 

[kavika411]

I'm not a gossip-monger, but my money says the meeting is moved to late Friday, and it concerns Jobs' health, and that there will be a public announcement late Friday night. Hopefully, I'm wrong. But that's my bet.

 

[Bluefusion]

Ex-employee here. Product launches NEVER merit the entire team's presence unless, maybe, it's an entirely new product (but even then, the iPad briefing was day-of). It's either a quarterly meeting (which is by far the most likely) or it's a retail-initiative meeting-- some change to the way the stores operate. In my experience, product launches would be handled in the early morning of the day-of, or, if you're with BOH, late at night the night before. There's just no reason to draw everyone together for much of anything, unless it specifically relates to the store.

Edit: it could very well be about Steve's health, however. As well as how to "position" it.

 

[lamar0607]

which apple store is pictured in this post?

Chicago's new Lincoln Park store. Opened in q4 of 2010

 

[Mattsasa]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_6 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8E200 Safari/6533.18.5)

So media event next week for iPad2 and new iMacs? And lightpeak

 

[Mattsasa]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_6 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8E200 Safari/6533.18.5)

So media event next week for iPad2 and new iMacs? And lightpeak

 

[ciTiger]

New stuff but only after the MBP's ?

 

[dethmaShine]

Maybe the NDA said not to disclose it to wives who post on rumour forums.

Maybe.

lol

NDA is just stupid.

Anyway at the release, I think this is going to be huge. I guess I'm swaying both ways.

1. No refresh : Why before WWDC?
2. Refresh: They need great products so they can get people to the mac; draw more attention; with Mac OS X 10.7, highlight it even more and make it big.

Also, its a market check; but nonetheless, I feel this is huge and major refresh rather than a spec bump. Apple, prove me right.

 

[kavika411]

Ex-employee here. Product launches NEVER merit the entire team's presence unless... Edit: it could very well be about Steve's health, however. As well as how to "position" it.

Exactly. Assuming - and, again, I hope I'm wrong - that they are to announce his retirement, it makes sense that they would want to instill goodwill with the employees by giving them an initial heads up before it hits the world media. As I mentioned above, I do think such a meeting would occur on a Friday, because that is when "bad news" is announced by smart corporations.

 

[GadgetAddict]

With all these rumors piling up I don't see the MacBook Pros being introduced this Thursday. It seems there will be a media event next week that will introduce iPad 2 and MacBook Pros. Just my feeling.

 

[DotComName]

!!!!

This meeting/possible event has iPad 2 written all over it!

 

[ConnorTurnbull]

To debunk this (in my opinion): if it were on Sunday, it would not be about new Macs as they are said to launch on Thursday. It wouldn't be iPad 2 either because employees wouldn't get shown (or just told about) new products prior to an official announcement.

I agree with one of the comments above about it being a quarterly meeting or some sort of retail theory meeting. Nothing to do with products.

 

[dagamer34]

I can't remember the last time Apple launched a product with same day availability. Maybe same week, but not same day.