Although Apple has yet to send invitations, a new report claims that the iPad 2 will be officially announced at a media event held in San Francisco on Wednesday, March 2, just a bit more than a week away.

All Things Digital is reporting that Apple has finalized plans for a special media event next Wednesday, March 2 where they will pull back the curtain on the much-anticipated iPad 2. According to BoomTown reporter Kara Swisher, the event will be held somewhere in San Francisco, with the traditional Yerba Buena Center for the Arts pegged as a likely candidate.

“Apple will hold its much-anticipated event on March 2, where the tech giant seems poised to unveil a new version of its hugely successful iPad,” claims Swisher in her BoomTown blog on Tuesday. “According to several sources close to the situation, the Wednesday date in a little more than a week is firm and will take place in San Francisco, the scene of many such Apple events.”

Of course, nothing is truly official until Apple sends the requisite invitations, which would have to go out this week in order to give the media time to make travel plans for such an event. (Note that the image above from Swisher’s blog post is from an earlier Apple event and not the one rumored for next week.)

Adding some credence to Swisher’s exclusive are a number of reports claiming that Apple will be holding an “all hand on deck” meeting with employees at stores nationwide on Sunday night to prep them for a major product launch -- which the iPad 2 is certainly expected to be, after Apple announced last quarter that the tablet has sold almost 15 million units since it started shipping last April.

Assuming next Wednesday’s event is indeed real, the next logical question for BoomTown is, will CEO Steve Jobs be on hand to unveil the iPad sequel? Let the speculation commence…

Check out our 25 Awesome Features We Want From iPad 2

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