CORPORATE BARTER COUNCIL LAUNCHES COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM AND CHANGES NAME TO FOSTER GREATER RECOGNITION FOR $7.6 BILLION BARTER INDUSTRY.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 27, 1996--The Corporate Barter Council (CBC) of the International Reciprocal Trade Association (IRTA), is launching a national communications program designed to foster greater awareness of corporate barter as an effective financial tool for solving various corporate financial problems, it was announced today by Arthur Wagner, president. At the same time, the organization voted to change its name from "Corporate Trade Council" to "Corporate Barter Council," to better communicate, to potential clients, the industry it represents.

Wagner explained the decision behind the name change, "When this industry was in its infancy, the word 'barter' conjured up images of individuals swapping goods and services with each other, not the huge corporate deals that our member companies put together. Now that the industry has matured and corporate barter has become a sophisticated and respected financial tool, we feel the word 'barter' should be part of our name. It instantly conveys the concept of using 'alternate capital' -- something besides hard cash -- to purchase other goods and services needed in the ordinary course of business, which is the essence of what the members of the Corporate Barter Council do.

"At a time when there are whole nations who have virtually no hard currency at their disposal, corporate barter has become a fact of life -- and, a valuable financial tool for many major companies all over the world. Last year, we estimate that corporate barter in North America totalled $7.6 billion, with corporate barter companies accounting for $6.5 billion."

Founded in 1990, the Corporate Barter Council is the trade association for the corporate barter industry, serving as its watchdog by requiring its members to adhere to a strict code of ethics, and to be subject to a peer review system of self regulation. One purpose of its new advertising and public relations program is to make companies aware of the many ways corporate barter can be used to increase their competitive edge in our increasingly global economy.

Some of the notable member companies of the Corporate Barter Council who are supporting the new marketing campaign include: ABS Worldwide (Los Angeles), Active International (Pearl River, NY), CSI International (NY), GMR: Global Marketing Resources (NY), Icon International (NY), INTRAC Group (NY), ITEX U.S.A. (Great Falls, Va.), Media Barter Associates (NY), MRI: Media Resources International (NY), Tradewell (NY) and Warner Media (NY).

The CBC is part of the International Reciprocal Trade Association (IRTA), a Washington D.C.-based trade association. IRTA was founded in 1979 to foster the interests of the commercial barter industry in the U.S. and worldwide, and to uphold high standards of ethical business practice. It maintains an information clearinghouse and actively represents its members before government agencies.

CONTACT: Bea Lund/Mike Bruneau

212/949-1562

FOR: Corporate Barter Council/

International Reciprocal

Trade Association (IRTA)

P.O. Box 8555

Falls Church VA 22041

703/916-0222