2005 News Releases

United Business Media acquires three highly complementary online and events businesses for a total of $56.5m

18 August

United Business Media ("UBM") today announced that it has acquired three businesses in line with its strategy of adding bolt-on complementary multimedia assets to its existing industry verticals.

The businesses acquired (for cash consideration) are:

• Light Reading Inc, an integrated business media company combining online publishing, live events and research/analysis for the communications industry, which has been acquired for $27m
• Informex, an important US chemicals events business, which has been acquired for $24m
• TechOnLine, an online electronics business media platform in the US, which has been acquired for $5.5m

CEO of UBM, David Levin, said:

"These acquisitions will strengthen UBM in three industry verticals within which we already have a significant presence. Each acquisition will deepen and enrich the offering we are able to provide our customers."

Light Reading
Light Reading provides a wide range of high value information products and services to professionals responsible for building, deploying, managing and financing communications and enterprise networks.

Its business comprises five market leading online web sites (including lightreading.com, the world's largest online telecommunications publication, with more than 400,000 unique users), a wide range of web-based seminars, a series of live events and other related products. In 2004, Light Reading generated revenues of $10.1m and EBITDA of $2.6m.

Light Reading represents a good opportunity for CMP to continue the expansion of its online business, increasing both CMP's non-print business and expanding the market coverage of CMP's enterprise products. With the converging telecommunications and IT markets, CMP and Light Reading have overlapping advertiser bases and user audiences.

In addition to the initial consideration, today's transaction includes a potential maximum earnout of up to $8m, subject to performance criteria over the next 2 years.

CEO of CMP Media, Gary Marshall, said:

"The acquisition of Light Reading represents an important expansion of CMP's online business. Light Reading is a successful, fast growing and profitable online and event platform in an important vertical market within the technology sector. It is a platform that CMP Media will look, where possible and where viable, to replicate or use as a model for a number of its other vertical markets in the technology sector."

Informex
Informex is the leading specialty and custom chemical trade show and exhibition in the United States and is being acquired from the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association ("SOCMA"). The acquisition of this US based business builds on CMPi's existing strong chemicals and pharmaceutical ingredients operations in Europe and Asia. Today's move makes CMPi the world leader in chemicals industry events.

CMPi holds its existing strong position in European and Asian based chemicals events through CPhI - a chemical and pharmaceutical ingredients business that attracts over 20,000 industry professionals and over 1,500 exhibiting companies. Informex brings with it over 4,000 delegates and around 500 exhibitors.

In 2005 (the event takes place in February), Informex generated $4.6m of revenue and an EBITDA of $2.3m.

CEO of CMP Information, Bernard Gray, said:

"Informex is the leading broad fine chemicals show in the US and is a "must attend" event in the industry. This acquisition will extend CMPi's chemicals business into North America providing a strong US platform for growth. CMPi will also be able to serve its customers better by expanding Informex's broader chemical market presence into Europe and Asia where CMPi's CPhI business unit has a market leading position in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Ingredients events. We look forward to continuing to work closely with SOCMA as we grow the business."

TechOnLine
TechOnLine has created a worldwide online community of more than 335,000 electronics engineering professionals by providing in-depth information, product services and training materials to the electronics technology industry. TechOnLine's business comprises three separate units:

Marketing & Promotional Services (encompassing online webcasting, sponsorship programs and email marketing), E-Training and VirtuaLab, an online electronics evaluation tool.

The combination of CMP Media Electronics Group's more than 14 marketleading media properties such as EE Times, DesignLines and Embedded Systems Conferences with TechOnLine's leading online services will create the most comprehensive set of news, information and education resources available to the electronics industry.

TechOnLine's key business is its Marketing & Promotional Services unit. In the 12 months to June 2005, this business generated revenues of $3.0m and EBITDA of $0.8m. We are only attributing nominal values to the two other embryonic business units, which are currently unprofitable.

In addition to the initial consideration, today's transaction includes a potential maximum earnout of up to $2.5m, subject to performance criteria.

CEO of CMP Media, Gary Marshall, said:

"The acquisition of TechOnLine creates a unique and powerful online resource for our customers in the Electronics industry. By adding TechOnLine's offerings to our existing industry leading media and event properties, we will be extending our online presence and enhancing our ability to serve the demanding daily needs of our electronics industry audience."

For further information, please contact:

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

About Light Reading (http://www.lightreading.com/)
Established in February 2000, Light Reading's focus on producing highquality independent content has allowed the company to attract a global audience of more than 400,000 to its network of sites, as well as an active customer base of 370 companies, including every leading public and private firm in the telecommunications industry.

Light Reading has been built around the lightreading.com website. However, the business also has four other online sites: byteandswitch.com (storage), unstrung.com (wireless), nextgendata.com (data centre management) and heavyreading.com (market research repository). The company has also diversified and produces a wide range of events serving the communications industry.

Light Reading leads all telecom media in terms of traffic, content, and reputation, and reaches every level of the telecommunications pyramid: service providers, equipment manufacturers, and the business/financial community.

With its monthly audience in excess of 400,000 unique visitors, Light Reading is easily the largest online telecommunications publication in the world. Its monthly readership is greater than the audited circulation of its all its print competitors combined.

UBM is acquiring Light Reading Inc from its shareholders.

Related Websites:

http://www.byteandswitch.com
http://www.heavyreading.com
http://www.unstrung.com
http://www.nextgendata.com

About CMP Media (http://www.cmp.com)
CMP Media is the leading integrated media solutions company providing "broad and deep" access to the entire technology spectrum - the builders, sellers and buyers of technology worldwide. The company's comprehensive database of technology decision makers enables marketers to reach targeted audiences throughout the purchase process with publications, web offerings, face-to-face events, consulting and other marketing services that deliver actionable results.

About Informex (http://www.informex.com/)
For over 21 years, INFORMEX® has been the premier US venue for connecting the chemical industry to the latest technological advances and the newest developments in custom manufacturing, with nearly 480 exhibiting companies and over 4,000 specialty and fine chemical professionals in attendance.

About SOCMA
The Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association (SOCMA) is the leading trade association serving the specialty-batch and custom chemical industry since 1921. Its 300 member companies have more than 2,000 manufacturing sites and 100,000 employees. SOCMA members encompass every segment of the industry-from small specialty producers to large multinational corporations-and manufacture 50,000 products annually valued at $60 billion dollars.

About CPhI (http://www.cphi.com)
CPhI started in 1990 as an international convention on chemical and pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates. The first CPhI in 1990 attracted 250 visitors for 16 companies, while nowadays 20,000 industry professionals visit some 1,500 exhibiting companies from over 110 countries in the world. CPhI is the leading exhibition on pharmaceutical ingredients and allied industries. Every year the exhibition becomes larger with exhibitors and visitors doing business at CPhI. It is the perfect opportunity to develop new business contacts and to maintain existing relationships. The next CPhI show will be held in Madrid on November 1st - 3rd 2005.

About CMP Information (http://www.cmpinformation.com)
CMP Information is the UK-headquartered professional media division of United Business Media plc. Operating in the UK and Europe, CMPi provides creative professional media solutions to around 20 industry sectors. Its products, including magazines, exhibitions, conferences, awards, directories and websites, are targeted at business professionals across a range of professional markets; these include Building & Property, Medical, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Ingredients, Travel, Agriculture and Print.

About TechOnLine (http://www.techonline.com/)
TechOnLine enjoys a leading position in connecting Electronic Original Equipment Manufacturers (EOEM) with electronics design engineers through its online program offerings and web communities. The EOEM marketplace is a sizeable $200 billion market.

TechOnLine works with the world's top electronic component manufacturers, in addition to almost 400,000 registered users who rely on its websites and program offerings to gain valuable design information throughout the design and manufacturing process.

TechOnLine has built an enviable customer list that includes Intel, Freescale (Motorola), Renesas (Mitsubishi/Hitachi), Texas Instruments, Agilent and many other top tier electronics manufacturers. Part of the success of the company to date has been that TechOnLine's web-based relationship marketing programs provide high and measurable ROI for these customers.

UBM is acquiring the assets of the TechOnLine business from TechOnLine Inc.

About CMP Media's Electronics Group
CMP Media's Electronics Group is the premier technology and business media brand serving the information needs of the creators of technology worldwide through print, online and conferences.

As the most comprehensive and integrated source of electronics technology information, CMP's Electronics Group offers a full suite of products and services to reach the largest number of electronics systems design professionals throughout the world. With its combination of media properties, CMP Media's Electronics Group focuses on delivering a targeted audience and actionable information to marketers in the electronics technology community.

Each month, CMP Media Electronics Group delivers more than 1 million copies of its publications in five languages to subscribers in 55 countries, and online visitors from more than 100 countries view more than 7.5 million pages on its Web sites in six different languages. Each year, more than 35,000 decision makers from 48 countries attend CMP Electronics Group conferences in North America, China, Taiwan and Europe.

CMP Media's Electronics Group properties include:

• Print: EE Times, Embedded Systems Programming, Electronics Supply & Manufacturing
• Online: EE Times Online, DesignLines, PlanetAnalog.com, Embedded.com, my-esm.com, CommsDesign.com, and SupplyLines
• Conferences: Embedded Systems Conferences, Embedded Connect and Design Seminars

United Business Media plc (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com) is a leading provider of business information services to the technology, healthcare, media, automotive, financial services and property industries. UBM offers services in news distribution, publishing and events to customers across the globe. Its brands include PR Newswire, the world's leading corporate news distribution service; and CMP, the media and exhibition group serving the Professional and Enthusiast in the high tech, healthcare, property, entertainment, jewellery & fashion markets in the US, UK, Asia and Europe.

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