Novell cancels trade show

Novell Inc., the Linux software vendor in Waltham, has cancelled its annual BrainShare trade show, which was set for March 2009.

BrainShare, which has been held in Salt Lake City, Utah, for more than 20 years, generally attracts between 4,000 and 6,000 attendees from nearly 60 countries.

In a note published yesterday on Novell's website, chief marketing officer John Dragoon said Novell's customers had expressed reservations about the expense of attending the conference, because of the current economic downturn.

Novell spokesman Ian Bruce said that the company wants to resume BrainShare at some point. He also said that Novell plans a series of Internet-based conferences and regional meetings as a substitute for the trade show.
(By Hiawatha Bray, Globe staff)