Internet World Magazine Editors Reveal "Industry Award" Winners At Spring Internet World 2000; New Categories Including "Best Name Change" Unveiled.

Business/Technology Editors

Spring Internet World 2000

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 5, 2000

The editors of Internet World, a Penton Media (NYSE:PME) publication and "The Voice of E-Business and Internet Technology," announced today at Spring Internet World 2000 the winners of the "Industry Awards." This year the awards feature new categories including "Best Name Change by an Internet Company in 1999."

"The technological innovation on the Internet and the new business models continue to evolve at a breakneck pace," said Internet World editor-in-chief Robert Hertzberg. "These annual awards represent an opportunity for the industry to pause for a moment and recognize the people and the companies that have led the way over the past year. This year we have created entirely new award categories in an effort to better reflect the unique and dynamic trends that shape the way we conduct business on the Internet."

The breakdown of new categories and winners in each follows:

Most Innovative Technology from a Startup in 1999 Award goes to NAPSTER (www.napster.com), for its system of allowing consumers to share MP3 music files. The Napster service is the subject of several lawsuits involving copyright violations, but the awards judging team said it would be "a mistake to dismiss Napster as just a pirate tool," and suggested that Napster "reasserts the power of the Internet as a many-to-many experience."

Most Innovative Business Model from a Startup in 1999 Award goes to SNAPFISH (www.snapfish.com), one of many digital photography sites, which develop and then display consumers' photos online. This is the first major site to accept an old-fashioned roll of film-taken with a regular camera. The Internet World judging team noted this difference means that Snapfish, a site whose revenues come from sponsors, has access "to the vast majority of picture-takers today, who will also presumably be the digital camera wielders of tomorrow."

Best Entry into the Internet by a Brick-and-Mortar Company in 1999 Award goes to WILLIAMS-SONOMA (www.williamssonoma.com) which, though late to the online commerce party, joined it in a way few brick and mortars do: with a product--gift registries--that fit its offline demographic perfectly. The company's development of a gift registry, with its attendant many-to-many focus, "demonstrates a real understanding of the Web opportunity," the judges noted.

Best Redesign of a Site in 1999

Award goes to Northwest Airlines (www.nwa.com), for a utilitarian redesign that puts handy information--flight schedules, gate status-front and center on the home page, that packs alot of useful information about Northwest's various divisions into a very small space. "Multiple Northwest divisions and departments maintain a presence on the main page, playing together nicely to help, not detract from, the user experience," said Internet World's judges. "This may sound simple," the judges added, "but it's not."

Best Dot-com Television Commercial of 1999 Award goes to Ameritrade (www.ameritrade.com), for its quietly effective campaign in support of its online financial services. At a time when dot-com advertisements have outdone each other for over-the-top outrageousness, the Internet World judging team saw in the Ameritrade ad (of a father talking about his investment approach while he washes his antique car and greets his daughter and neighbors) a refreshingly straightforward appeal. The Internet World judges said Ameritrade seemed to have made "a calculated--and on-the-money--bet that consumers would respond to its simple value proposition--$8-a-trade commissions on stock."

Best Name Change by an Internet Company in 1999 Award goes to About.com (www.about.com), formerly The Mining Co., which created an unusually high level of anticipation and mystery with a campaign that preceded its name change. "Hello, is anybody out there?" the company started asking in billboard ads two weeks before changing its name. The early advertising made About.com's actual name change into an event that got the attention of all of the company's most important constituencies--the media, Wall Street, and of course, About.com's own members.

Those making the selections for the 2000 Internet World Industry awards were: Robert Hertzberg, Editor-in-Chief, Internet World Magazine David Carr, Technology Editor, Internet World Magazine Whit Andrews, Senior Editor, Internet World Magazine Jon Hill, Senior Editor, Internet World Magazine Jim Luh, Associate Editor, Internet World Magazine Louis Rosenfeld, President, Argus Associations (in best site-redesign category)

About Internet World

Internet World is the business-to-business trade publication of the Internet industry. The magazine covers the intersection of business strategy and Internet technology, delivering decision-support information to business and technical executives and managers who drive their companies e-business initiatives. In addition to the U.S. edition with a controlled circulation of 175,000 Internet professionals, Internet World has eight international editions, which are read by Internet professionals in 20 countries, on five continents. Internet World is a BPA-audited and Intelliquest-measured publication.

About Penton Media

Internet-related Penton properties include Internet World magazine and Internet World events worldwide, ISPCON, Boardwatch and CLEC magazines. Penton Media, Inc. (NYSE: PME) is a leading diversified business media company that publishes magazines and electronic information products, produces trade shows and conferences, and provides marketing and business development products and services, including direct mail lists, research and custom publishing. Penton serves the Internet/IT; design/engineering; electronics; food/retail; government/compliance; leisure/hospitality; management; manufacturing; mechanical systems/construction; and supply chain/aviation markets.

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