COMDEX Chicago and Key3Media Group to Host First International Security and Biometrics Summit.

Business/Technology Editors

COMDEX Chicago 2002

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 9, 2002

Key3Media Group, Inc. (NYSE: KME) announced today that COMDEX Chicago 2002 will host the first International Security and Biometrics Summit on March 6, 2002 at Chicago's McCormick Place. Rear Admiral Cathal L. Flynn, USN (Retired), former Associate Administrator for Civil Aviation Security in the Federal Aviation Administration, was appointed Chairman of the Summit and will preside over its activities.

The International Security and Biometrics Summit at COMDEX Chicago is designed to provide a forum for senior administration and public sector officials, top legislative leaders, aviation executives and technology suppliers to clarify and lead the agenda for technology's role in securing public infrastructure. The latest biometrics products, authentication solutions and encryption technologies will be showcased at COMDEX Chicago in the Biometropolis -an area developed in collaboration with New York-based International Biometric Group.

"Aviation security is a major concern for governments and corporations around the world," said Cathal Flynn. "In the near future, the largest security and biometrics customers will include the U.S. and other governments as they seek to build public infrastructure to secure citizens at home and abroad. We believe that the International Security and Biometrics Summit will become the definitive communication platform to facilitate the rapid development and deployment of critical technologies."

COMDEX Chicago will also offer an Infosecurity University and a Contingency Management Conference that will complement the International Security and Biometrics Summit. The Infosecurity University is a program focused on data security and presented in partnership with the Infosecurity Institute, a leading firm focused on training IT professionals in the key skills necessary to protect valuable IT assets. The Contingency Management Conference is designed to share best practices with managers and technologists that have acquired an expertise in imagining the unthinkable and in developing contingency plans for these eventualities.

"According to a survey of attendees at COMDEX Fall 2001 in November, more than 83 percent of COMDEX customers identified security as a top priority. In answer to this overwhelming demand, COMDEX Chicago is hosting a first class and comprehensive event entirely dedicated to security and biometrics with a special focus on aviation security," said Bob Bierman, vice president and general manager, COMDEX Chicago. "We are pleased to have a renowned aviation security expert in Cathal `Irish' Flynn as our program chairman to lead these critical discussions."

The International Summit on Security and Biometrics will take place during COMDEX Chicago, which runs March 4 - 7, 2002. With more than 50,000 attendees and 400 members of the media in attendance, COMDEX Chicago is among the most influential information technology events in North America. Leading security software and hardware vendors and consultants, including Checkpoint Software, Computer Associates, Digital Trust, DynamicNode Authentication, International Biometric Group, Black and Veatch, and top IT suppliers, including Hewlett Packard and Sun Microsystems are scheduled to participate at COMDEX Chicago. As the marketplace for buyers and sellers of business technology, COMDEX provides an overview of the critical issues, trends and technologies driving the IT Marketplace. Each year at COMDEX, certain trends emerge that demonstrate the potential to change the entire IT landscape. COMDEX is the IT marketplace where buyers and sellers meet, learn and make business technology decisions. For more information visit www.comdex.com.

For more information on the International Security and Biometrics Summit, please visit, www.comdex.com/chicago. To interview COMDEX Chicago and International Security and Biometrics Summit Executives, contact Eric Grodziski at [e-mail].

Rear Admiral Cathal L. Flynn Biographical Information

Cathal Flynn was graduated from the University of Dublin, Trinity College, in 1959. In 1960, he began 30 years active service in the U.S. Navy, predominantly in naval special warfare, joint special operations, measures to combat terrorism, and international security affairs. Promoted to Rear Admiral in 1985, he served successively as Commander, Naval Security and Investigative Command (and concurrently as Assistant Director of Naval Intelligence for Counterintelligence and Anti-terrorism), Director of Plans and Policy, US Special Operations Command, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations. Following his retirement from the Navy in 1990, RADM Flynn joined Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). While with SAIC, he served on committees of the National Research Council and the Defense Science Board. From 1993 to 2000, RADM Flynn was the Associate Administrator for Civil Aviation Security in the Federal Aviation Administration.

About Key3Media...

COMDEX Chicago is a Key3Media event. Key3Media Group, Inc., is the world's leading producer of information technology tradeshows and conferences, serving more than 6,000 exhibiting companies and 1.5 million attendees through 60 events in 18 countries. Key3Media's products range from the IT industry's largest exhibitions such as COMDEX and NetWorld+Interop to highly focused events featuring renowned educational programs, custom seminars and specialized vendor marketing programs. For more information about Key3Media, visit www.key3media.com.

Certain matters discussed in this release are "forward-looking statements," including statements about Key3Media's future results, plans and goals and other events which have not yet occurred. These statements are intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can find many (but not all) of these statements by looking for words like "will", "may", "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "plans" and "estimates" and for similar expressions. Because forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are many factors that could cause Key3Media's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in this release. These include, but are not limited to, economic conditions generally and in the information technology industry in particular; the timing of Key3Media's events and their popularity with exhibitors, sponsors and attendees; technological changes and developments; intellectual property rights; competition; capital expenditures; and factors impacting Key3Media's international operations. In addition, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 have adversely affected the economy generally and significantly decreased air travel in particular. These developments have and will continue to adversely affect participation and attendance at Key3Media's events, although the Company is not able to quantify or reliably estimate the future impact that these matters may have on its businesses, results of operations or financial condition. The section entitled "Risk Factors" in the exhibits to the Form 8-K filed by Key3Media with the SEC on November 28, 2001, the section entitled "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Recent Developments" in the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2001 filed by Key3Media with the SEC, and the section entitled "Item 1.Business - Certain Factors That May Affect our Business" in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000 filed by Key3Media with the SEC contain important cautionary statements and a discussion of many of the factors that could materially affect the accuracy of Key3Media's forward-looking statements and/or adversely affect its business, results of operations and financial position. These statements and discussions are incorporated herein by reference. Key3Media does not plan to update any forward-looking statements.

Key3Media, COMDEX, NetWorld+Interop, Interop and associated design marks and logos are trademarks owned or used under license by Key3Media Events, Inc., and may be registered in the United States and other countries. NetWorld is a service mark of Novell, Inc., and is registered in certain jurisdictions. Other names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners.