2005 National Hardware Show the Source for Home Improvement Industry Trends and Statistics; HIRI to Again Unveil New Study -- ``Selecting the Retailer in Home Improvement'' -- at Annual Las Vegas Event.

LAS VEGAS -- The National Hardware Show(R) in Las Vegas, through its Industry Conferences for the Home Marketplace(SM) and unique partnerships with key industry players, has become a leading resource for home improvement industry trend information.

"In creating the Industry Conferences for the 2004 show, we knew we had to offer our attendees compelling content from recognized experts -- content they could act on immediately to build their businesses," said Rob Cappiello, industry vice president of the National Hardware Show(R). "Once again, we're proud of the industry expertise and information we'll be able to discuss at the 2005 show."

A popular event at the 2004 show was the introduction of brand new research from the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI), one of the nation's foremost authorities on trends and economic forecasting for the home improvement industry. The 2005 National Hardware Show(R) will once again play host to HIRI's new research.

"Creating timely, targeted research for unveiling at the National Hardware Show(R) is a very positive move for us and for the industry," said Fred Miller, managing director of HIRI. "HIRI research has a direct impact on the product development and marketing activities of the industry, and the National Hardware Show(R) is an exceptionally natural setting in which to introduce the latest trends and statistics."

New HIRI studies are normally only available to members of the organization, but registered exhibitors and attendees at the 2005 National Hardware Show(R) in Las Vegas will have access to the findings of the study. The 2005 study, "Selecting the Retailer in Home Improvement," will provide valuable insights on why certain types of retailers are selected for specific product categories. The study will be conducted in March 2005 and will include 3,000 recent purchasers of home improvement products. This ground-breaking research will be valuable to manufacturers, distributors and retailers as they build their marketing programs and customize them by product category.

Beyond the HIRI study, the National Hardware Show(R) is unparalleled in the variety and depth of information offered through the Industry Conferences for the Home Marketplace. With partners like the Lawn & Garden Performance Group, Nursery Retailer, HomeWorld Business and Retail Merchandiser magazines, experts from around the industry will provide advice, guidance, trends and other pertinent information to help manufacturers and retailers more effectively target their customers.

For more information on the National Hardware Show(R) in Las Vegas, visit www.nationalhardwareshow.com.

Reed Exhibitions, which manages more than 420 events worldwide, is a member of the Reed Elsevier Group plc, a world-leading provider of information-driven services and solutions. Reed Exhibitions offers integrated market access programs covering exhibitions, trade publications, direct marketing and the Internet to a database of 3.5 million in North America. Reed has North American offices in Norwalk, Conn., Newton, Mass., Palm Beach, Fla., Las Vegas and Toronto, and sales and operations offices worldwide. (NYSE:RUK)((NYSE:ENL).