Penton Media Announces Partnership With The NanoBusiness Alliance To Produce Conferences and Industry Events Focused On Emerging Nanotechnology

(Darien, CT, November 19, 2001) — Penton Media (NYSE: PME, http://www.penton.com), producers of Internet World events, today announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with The NanoBusiness Alliance (www.nanobusiness.org) to produce a series of conferences, trade shows, and venture capital events focused on the emerging nanotechnology industry, as well as other small technologies. The first event under this partnership, NanoBusiness Spring (http://www.nanobusiness-spring.com), will be held at The Roosevelt Hotel, New York City, May 19-21, 2002. Future events include a venture capital summit, slated for third quarter 2002.

Although nanotechnology has not yet attracted widespread attention from the venture community, over $1 billion in annual venture capital is expected to be invested in the field in the next two years. The National Science Foundation predicts that the global market for nanotechnology products and services will conservatively reach $1 trillion by 2015. And next year, the US government's National Nanotechnology Initiative has proposed over $500 million to nanotechnology research and development.

In addition, many major US corporations such at Hewlett Packard, IBM, Xerox, Cargill, Ford, Westinghouse, Alcoa, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, John Deere, Microsoft, Corning, Monsanto, DuPont, Dow, Lucent, and United Technologies are aggressively pursuing nanotechnology research and development programs and investments.

It is within this landscape that Penton Media and The NanoBusiness Alliance will produce events designed to educate financial and business leaders, and develop opportunities for nanobusiness professionals to interact and network. The events will provide attendees with all the tools and information required to push research and application development toward commercialization, as well as showcase the ongoing integration of small tech products into the global economy.

"There are many exciting developments being made in the area of nanotechnology," stated Error! Bookmark not defined., Senior Vice President, Penton Media. "Much like the changes we've witnessed with the growth of the Internet, nanotechnology has the potential to make significant contributions to business and society in the areas of medicine, IT, energy, consumer products, electronics and more. But even in this nascent stage, much of the information finding its way to the business community is being over-hyped, and it's our mission to separate the fact from the science-fiction, and in doing so, help companies see real opportunities that will enable the development of sound business and investment strategies."

In fact, one of the core components of NanoBusiness Spring will be a full-day "bootcamp for entrepreneurs," a dedicated set of panels, workshops and presentations for entrepreneurs and academics looking for help in finding funding, developing business plans, and otherwise entering the marketplace. Entrepreneurs will also have the opportunity to present their ideas to venture capitalists and other investors.

NanoBusiness Spring's major feature will be three session tracks: Nanobusiness, with panels covering such topics as investment, public policy and international perspectives; Emerging Markets, with panels covering advances in applications and commercialization of nano and small technologies; and Technological Issues, with panels considering the problems and promise of working at the micro and nano level.

NanoBusiness Spring will also include keynote addresses from some of today's most important names in small tech business and research.

"Nanotechnology is no longer a sci-fi dream," said Nathan Tinker, Executive Vice President, The NanoBusiness Alliance. "Companies large and small are already bringing nanotech, MEMS, NEMS and other small technology products to the marketplace, creating revenues, jobs and opportunities for investment at a global level. We're excited about our partnership with Penton Media and are confident that by working together, we will create the industry's leading trade events, and bring business, academia, and government together to promote and enhance the small technologies industries. This partnership is yet another step forward in achieving our goals to provide educational and networking opportunities to the nanotechnology community, and also goes a long way toward raising public awareness."

The NanoBusiness Alliance's mission is to create a collective voice for the advancing nanotechnology industry and develop a range of initiatives to support the nanotechnology business community. Among the NanoBusiness Alliance's goals are the development of research and education programs, public policy and lobbying initiatives, public awareness campaigns, and industry support networks. The NanoBusiness Alliance is located in New York, NY and soon will be opening an additional office in Washington, DC. For additional information, please visit http://www.nanobusiness.org.

Penton Media (NYSE: PME) is a leading, global business-to-business media company that produces market-focused magazines, trade shows and conferences, and Web sites. Penton's integrated media portfolio serves the following industries: Internet/broadband; information technology; electronics; natural products; food/retail; manufacturing; design/engineering; supply chain; aviation; government/compliance; mechanical systems/construction; and leisure/hospitality. For more information, visit www.penton.com.