BiometricsWorld Conference & Expo will offer a tradeshow and symposium series of unprecedented magnitude serving vertical industries touched by biometric technologies as well as the entire spectrum of biometric vendors and service providers. The events will include a forum for top level executives in the security and biometrics industries to interface, develop best practices, and propel the growth of these industries which are gaining increasingly focused attention from both private and public sector organizations. By offering a consistent brand across the globe, BiometricsWorld Conference & Expo will allow biometric vendors and partners a unique opportunity to be exposed to new buyers and marketplaces in countries with a growing interest in biometrics.

The biometrics market is projected to become a 1.5 billion dollar market by the year 2004 and several acts of legislation including The Aviation and Transportation Security Act, The Patriot Act, and The Visa Enhancement Act will drive market growth in coming years. The Visa Enhancement Act, for example, states that the U.S. and all Visa Waiver countries must include a biometric identifier on all passports beginning in 2004.

After its first few events in the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom, International Biometrics Group and IDG World Expo will launch additional BiometricsWorld events throughout Europe, Asia and North America, with plans being developed for Australia, South America and Africa. Some BiometricsWorld events will be stand-alone while others will be combined with IDG World Expo's existing portfolio of successful tradeshows.

"Everyone at both IBG and at IDG World Expo has great expectations for this events series. The biometric industry has been rapidly growing over the past several years and there has been no event of this scope that addresses so comprehensively the needs of the industry and those that will be adopting biometric solutions," said IBG Partner Raj Nanavati.

"We believe we both bring experience to the table to help make BiometricsWorld a successful series," said IDG World Expo President and CEO Charlie Greco. "IDG World Expo offers expertise gained from launching events in related areas, such as BioITWorld Conference & Expo, and IBG brings a wealth of knowledge and a great network to help ensure we have the right educational content and mix of exhibitors for each event location."

About International Biometric Group

International Biometric Group is the leading biometric integration and consulting firm, addressing the identification and authentication needs of mid to large size organizations. IBG works on behalf of both private and government clients to evaluate, design, and integrate biometric solutions for Internet applications, public sector programs, network security, point of sale applications, physical access and time and attendance systems. Learn more at www.biometricgroup.com.

About IDG World Expo

IDG World Expo (www.idgworldexpo.com) produces IT-focused tradeshows, conferences and events for professionals seeking world-class education, peer-to-peer networking and one-stop comparison shopping. As the leading IT event management company, IDG World Expo leverages its experience and knowledge of IT-focused events and conferences, enabling technology companies to capture the attention and loyalty of influential buyers. IDG World Expo's portfolio of conferences and events includes Macworld Conference & Expo, LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, BioITWorld Conference & Expo, COMNET Conference & Expo and Integrated Security Conference & Expo. IDG World Expo is a business unit of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research and event company.

About IDG

IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers and offers online users the largest network of technology-specific sites around the world through IDG.net (www.idg.net), which comprises more than 300 targeted Web sites in 70 countries. IDG is also a leading producer of 168 computer-related events worldwide, and provides IT market analysis through 51 offices in 43 countries worldwide. Company information is available at www.idg.com.

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Contact:

     IDG World Expo
     Brooke Selby, 508/424-4808
     brooke_selby@idg.com
     www.idgworldexpo.com
     or
     International Biometric Group
     Jacqueline Lucas, 212/809-9491
     jlucas@biometricgroup.com
     www.biometricgroup.com