VNU Business Media & VNU Expositions Online Learning 2002 Conference & Expo Earns Official Endorsement of U.S. Department of Commerce

Business Wire, July 10, 2001

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 10, 2001

- The world's largest e-learning event is one of 28 U.S. trade

shows selected to join the prestigious International Buyer Program -

OnLine Learning 2002 Conference and Expo, to be held from September 23 to 25, 2002 in Ahaheim, CA, was recently accepted into the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Buyer Program (IBP).

The IBP helps U.S. companies and qualified international buyers, representatives and distributors meet and form business relationships with one another at select U.S. trade shows.

"The International Buyer Program of the U.S. Department of Commerce is delighted at the opportunity to work with the organizers of OnLine Learning Conference and Expo," said IBP Manager Jim Boney. "This event is at the front edge of educational technology and offers immense potential for expanding the reach of educational programs beyond the bounds of a classroom or across national boundaries. Our program will help exhibitors to find partners abroad to help expand this technology and this dynamic services sector."

In addition to promoting the event through its global network of embassies, consulates and commercial centers, the U.S. Department of Commerce will offer on-site exporting assistance to U.S. companies exhibiting at OnLine Learning 2002 who are interested in selling their products and services abroad.

Such services will include, among others, export counseling, market analyses and computerized matchmaking assistance.

For international visitors, a discounted registration fee will be granted to those who attend the OnLine Learning 2002 Conference and Expo through their local U.S. consulate or embassy.

The Department of Commerce also will host an international business center where multilingual professionals will provide technical consultation and import and export advice to international visitors. In addition, qualified international visitors will receive an "Export Interest Directory" of export-ready U.S. companies exhibiting at the event.

While the IBP program will not officially become part of the OnLine Learning Conference and Expo until 2002, a portion of the IBP's computerized matchmaking services will debut at this year's event: OnLine Learning 2001, scheduled for September 30 to October 3, 2001 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA.

For more information regarding both the 2001 and 2002 shows, visit www.vnulearning.com.

OnLine Learning Conference and Expo is co-produced by VNU Business Media and VNU Expositions Inc. Both are subsidiaries of VNU Inc., publisher of such business-to-business publications as Online Learning Magazine, Training magazine and Presentations magazine; OnLine Learning News, Online Learning Reviews and TDF e-Net e-newsletters; and Creative Training Techniques newsletter.

VNU Inc. is a subsidiary of Netherlands-based VNU, N.V., one of the world's leading media and information companies. VNU has major market positions in business-to-business publications; trade shows, seminars and conferences; e-media applications; marketing information; and media information.

VNU is active in more than 100 countries worldwide. The company employs more than 35,000 people and has annual revenues of approximately $3.5 billion.

VNU Business Media and VNU Expositions also co-produce the co-located Training and Presentations Conferences and Expos, scheduled for February 18 to 20, 2002 in Atlanta, GA; OnLine Learning Latin America, OnLine Learning Europe and OnLine Learning Asia, to be held November 7-9, 2001, March 5-6, 2002 and May 14-16, 2002, respectively; and the Training Directors' Forum conference.

For additional information on these events, visit www.vnulearning.com.