Macworld 2012 will be organized around four major components, general manager Paul Kent told by phone: the Main Stage, Out-of-the-Box Events, Macworld RapidFire, and Workshops. While each has its own particular format, the focus in all of them is to expand the idea of what a Macworld session can be.

Main Stage will feature the most impactful, interesting people from around the Apple marketplace, Kent said. The 20- or 40-minute sessions will vary in content, featuring everything from how-to presentations to performances, artistic creations, debates, and more. But all of them will deal with how Apple technology can be harnessed and used for interesting purposes.

"It's really about the things that are best brought to life in a face-to-face environment," said Kent. "How Apple tools can be used to one's greatest satisfaction, enjoyment, and productivity."

The Main Stage is intended to attract the best of the best in the Apple sphere, but it's also about broadening the types of session content beyond just training and how-to. "We're calling it a Call for Genius, because we want to cast a much wider net and open up the presenting process to a lot of new people," said Kent.

Just in case that's not welcoming enough, Macworld 2012 will also feature Out-of-the-Box Events, an opportunity for presenters to let their imagination and creativity run wild. Macworld's "open to all ideas," Kent said. Things like game shows, challenges, fashion shows--virtually any format is fair game, as long as it's in some way connected to the world of Apple. The sessions will run 45 or 90 minutes long.