Canon Communications Opens South's Largest Design and Manufacturing Supershow in Charlotte on March 19

CHARLOTTE, NC--(Marketwire - March 11, 2008) - Canon Communications, the leading publisher, trade show producer, and digital media company for the world's $3 trillion advanced, technology-based manufacturing industry, today announced that more than 550 exhibitors will be featured at its annual co-located supershow of seven major trade shows, including the South's first Green Manufacturing Expo, to be held March 19-20 in the Charlotte Convention Center.

"Canon Communications produces the largest design and manufacturing events in every major region," said Kevin O'Keefe, Senior Vice-President for Canon's Events Division, "and Charlotte is an ideal location for serving the South's advanced design and manufacturing markets. Through Canon's unique co-location strategy, the more than 15,000 attendees expected at this supershow will have access to the latest developments in design software and rapid prototyping, assembly and automation equipment, electronic components, production and processing machinery, plastics processing, packaging, enterprise software, automation and controls, and a full range of support and contract services for every manufacturing sector and industry application."

Canon's co-located strategy allows exhibitors to take advantage of an expanded audience by placing several different shows at the same venue. In addition to the Green Manufacturing Expo -- which Canon introduced as an industry first in 2008 -- Canon's other co-located shows are the Design & Manufacturing South, AM Expo (Advanced Manufacturing), ATX South (Automation Technology), SouthPack, Plastec South, and Powder & Bulk Solids Expo South.

"This supershow provides a major, comprehensive, annual event to meet the demands of the South's nearly 40,000 manufacturers," O'Keefe said. "In just North Carolina alone, for example, there are 11,000 manufacturing facilities annually producing $160 billion in output, requiring the purchase -- every year -- of $70 billion in materials and $4.4 billion on capital equipment."

About Canon Communications

Canon Communications LLC, a portfolio company of Apprise Media LLC, is the leading publisher, trade show producer, and digital media company for the world's $3 trillion advanced, technology-based manufacturing industry, including medical device, packaging, design engineering, process technology, automated assembly, electronics, quality control, and plastics processing.

The company produces tradeshows and conferences for U.S., European, and Asian markets, including: Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M), MEDTEC, MediPart, and BIOMEDevice; PharmaMed Marketing & Media, Drug Development Summit, and Pharmapack; WestPack, EastPack, SouthPack, and MidPak; Atlantic Design & Manufacturing, Pacific Design & Manufacturing, Design & Manufacturing South, and Green Manufacturing Expo (GMX); Quality Expo and Quality Expo Detroit; Powder & Bulk Solids, PTX (Process Technology Expo), ChemProcess, PharmaProcess, and ProcessPack; Assembly New England, Assembly Technology Expo, and Automation Technology Expo (ATX); National Manufacturing Week, Advanced Manufacturing Exposition (AM Expo), and OEM New England; PLASTEC; NEPCON, Electronics Assembly Show (EAS), Electronics West, INTERPART, and SURFACTS; IPOT, MTEC, Practical Vacuum, and Machine Building, Drives & Automation.

Canon's powerful assets include a qualified database of 200,000 advanced manufacturing professionals and 5,700 active exhibitors. Together, they are the engine which drives Canon's annual 170,000 net meters of exhibition space around the world.

The company's expanding array of magazine titles includes MD&DI (Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry), Medical Product Manufacturing News, Medical Electronics Manufacturing, European Medical Device Manufacturer, Medical Device Technology (UK), China Medical Device Manufacturer, IVD Technology, MX, Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News, Med Ad News, R&D Directions, Nutritional Outlook, Cosmetic/Personal Care Packaging, Injection Molding Magazine, Modern Plastics Worldwide, Powder/Bulk Solids and Appliance. Digital media include the medical device design and engineering portal, Medical Device Link; the online magazine, Advanced Design & Manufacturing (AD&M); and 50 branded e-newsletters and e-publications.

Further information about Canon's business-to-business publications, trade shows, and digital media is available at www.cancom.com.

About Apprise Media

Established in 2004 by Charles G. McCurdy, Apprise Media LLC is a leading private equity investor with an exclusive focus on niche media and information companies. Apprise currently operates two strategic platforms: Canon Communications LLC, the leading provider of events, publications, and online media for the world's $3 trillion advanced, technology-based manufacturing industry, and Apprise Enthusiast Media LLC, which serves a variety of attractive consumer niche markets through Beckett Media LP (www.beckett.com) and APG Media (www.apg-media.com). For more information, please go to www.apprisemedia.com.

Contact Information: Editorial Contact: Dan Cutrone Tel: 310.445.4200