NEW YORK COMIC-CON EXHIBIT SALES SURPASS EXPECTATIONS

Industry Leading Companies Continue to Sign up � More than Half of Convention Space is Sold

Convention Officials Seek Value Options

Norwalk, CT, September 5, 2005: New York Comic-Con, a new trade as well as consumer event for comics, games, anime and other related industries, is signing up new exhibitors at a pace considerably ahead of company projections when plans for the new show were announced little more than two months ago. At the same time, officials are implementing programs to keep costs down for both exhibitors and attendees. New York Comic-Con, which is managed by Reed Exhibitions, will focus on all matters relating to comics and associated fields including graphic novels, manga, anime, games, film, television, toys, videogames, and licensing rights. The show will occupy 90,000 square feet and to date more than half the exhibit space has been spoken for. The convention will take place in New York City at the Jacob K. Javits Center and will be open to the trade only on February 24th, 2006 and to the trade and the public on February 25th and 26th, 2006.

"I am enormously encouraged by the commitments we've received from some of the industry's leading companies," notes Greg Topalian, Group Vice President in charge of Launch Pad for Reed Exhibitions. "We are well ahead of where we planned to be at this point and I'm confident that this trend will continue right up until show time in February."

Some of the companies who have recently signed up for New York Comic-Con include TOKYOPOP, Simon & Schuster, VIZ Media, Pantheon, Del Rey, Wizards of the Coast, and DreamWorks. Other leading companies are expected to sign up soon and organizers note that special events and guest appearances at the convention will also be announced in the near future. Among some of the features already in development include an Opening Night MoCCA (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art) exhibit (www.moccany.org).

The New York City location is a key attraction for the event, not just because it is a media center and will provide attention for exhibitors and other participants, but also because of its easy access. "New York is certainly a draw for all participants who seek to take advantage of the restaurants, hotels, and other tourist spots that the city has to offer," notes Topalian. "Having said this, we are aware that some customers are concerned about the high cost of doing business in New York and we want to address these concerns and clear up any misconceptions about the Javits Center. We are currently preparing a document that will list various ways to save money. We think that our participants will see that it is possible to take advantage of all that New York has to offer and still remain within their budget." Organizers note that some of the value options they are providing include a shuttle service from nearby parking lots where convention-goers can park for as low as $8.00 per day, a fraction of the cost compared to garages right at the facility, and hotel room rates for as low as $93.00 per night. The travel link for making travel arrangements is now live at www.nycomiccon.com.

"We will be sure to make all our cost-saving measures known to our constituents as we put them in place," Topalian concludes. "We also look forward to informing our attendees about the exciting entertainment and special events that we will be providing at the show. We are energized by the terrific response we've been getting from industry insiders, and we're looking forward to a complete sell out for our debut in February."

Since convention floor space is going fast and since New York Comic-Con will be restricted to Level 1 of the Javits Convention Center, convention organizers encourage all potential exhibitors to sign up quickly to insure their participation in the event.

New York Comic-Con is managed by Reed Exhibitions (RX), a division of Reed Elsevier plc. Reed Exhibitions, the world's largest organizer of business-to-business events. Each year Reed events assemble over 90,000 suppliers and over 5 million buyers from around the world. Today, Reed events are held in over 30 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia/Pacific, and are organized by 26 fully staffed offices. Reed's portfolio of events serves 49 industries in 12 key sectors. BEA is one many Reed Elsevier properties within the Reed Global Book Publishing Network, whose trade events include the Asia International Book Fair, London International Book Fair, Salon du Livre: Paris Book Fair, Tokyo International Book Fair and BookExpo Canada, and whose Reed Business Information (RBI) properties include Publishers Weekly, Variety Magazine, Playthings, Video Business, Library Journal, and School Library Journal. As a member of the Reed Elsevier plc group, a world-leading business and information provider, Reed offers integrated market access programs covering exhibitions, trade publications, direct marketing and the Internet over a database of more than 9 million. (NYSE: RUK/ENL).