SOFTBANK Expos Expands ComputerMania Event Schedule and Launches a Fourteen
City National Tour

NEW ONLINE PLANS ANNOUNCED IN RESPONSE TO STRONG COMMUNITY INTEREST

FOSTER CITY, CA (APRIL 2, 1996) - SOFTBANK Expos today announced that its
popular consumer technology event, ComputerMania, will hit the road with a
national tour in the fourth quarter of 1996 reaching fourteen cities in as
many weeks, beginning in September. In addition, SOFTBANK Expos announced
its intention to launch ComputerMania Online - a destination website for
the growing virtual community of ComputerMania loyalists.

Recent unprecedented enthusiasm among educators, community leaders and
attendees for ComputerMania's Outreach program prompted SOFTBANK Expos to
expand existing event plans and to add a strong online component to the
ComputerMania offering.

"Community leaders are calling to request ComputerMania events in their
cities. It has become clear that we must adjust our model to meet changing
market needs," said William Lohse, President of SOFTBANK Expos. "The
combination of ComputerMania's National Tour and ComputerMania Online
gives families in more communities access to the ComputerMania experience.
The combination also gives exhibitors new ways to reach consumers without
increasing exhibitor costs, which in today's market is an important
combination."

The tour will more than triple the number of communities reached with
ComputerMania events in 1996, while the web-based online program will
connect families everywhere to the growing ComputerMania virtual
community.

COMPUTERMANIA ONLINE

"As the Internet revolution captures the attention of families everywhere,
we have a real opportunity to bring them into a rich virtual community
with ComputerMania Online," said Nancy Fuller, General Manager of
ComputerMania. When the National Tour begins in September, SOFTBANK will
launch a world-class website for ComputerManiacs.

As with the local events, the online component of ComputerMania will
provide a place where technology buyers and sellers meet. "ComputerMania
Online will draw participants, not just visitors," said Jim Stafford, Vice
President of SOFTBANK's new Interactive Division. "Our site will give
Computermaniacs a place to interact, entertain and learn. The ability to
find, test-drive and purchase home computing products from our site will
be just one of its value propositions."

COMPUTERMANIA NATIONAL TOUR

The fourteen city/fourteen week tour commences in early September and
replaces the existing 1996 ComputerMania event schedule. The tour format
will offer attendees a focused, hands-on experience with home computing
products. During a five-day stay in each city, ComputerMania will host
Student Field Trips on weekdays, Parent Field Trips in the evening and
community-wide activities throughout the weekend to assure an exciting
cross-section of attendees.

"We've learned through experience that our working relationships with the
schools and community groups are key," said Fuller. "To craft effective
programs in each ComputerMania city, we will draw heavily on the strong
community relationships we have already established."

THE COMPUTERMANIA ATTENDEES

ComputerMania is an event for kids and their parents. Only "constructive
computing" applications that improve the way families learn, work, play
and grow will be featured at events and on the website. "This brand is
about all the good things computing can bring to our personal lives,"
commented Lohse. "ComputerMania can help to spread the wonders of
technology and expose people to the constructive and entertaining role
that computing and the Internet can play in their lives."

THE COMPUTERMANIA EXHIBITORS

The expanded ComputerMania program will be offered to existing and new
exhibitors whose products qualify in the "constructive computing" and
related categories. The ComputerMania Tour/ComputerMania Online
combination will offer exhibitors a first-of-its-kind opportunity for
hands-on local exposure and product sales, supported by ongoing exposure
to the virtual community via the Internet.

Exhibitor meetings will be held over the next eight weeks to detail the
sponsorship and exhibit opportunities associated with the ComputerMania
National Tour and ComputerMania Online. To request a meeting, please
contact Nancy Fuller at nfuller@sbexpos.com or 415-372-7928.

SOFTBANK Expos, the world's largest Internet conference & trade show
company, presents 21st century technology events. Its shows and
conferences include NetWorld+Interop, Interop DotCom, JavaOne, Seybold
Seminars, Windows Solutions, ComputerMania, Interactive 96, Support
Services and Computer Training & Support. The events begin with the best
available educational conferences which attract the brightest
professionals in the technology community. The interactive trade show
floor is a professionally enriching experience for the qualified attendees
who visit the exhibitors year-round with on-line events and a collection
of focused newsletters.

SOFTBANK Expos, 303 Vintage Park Drive, Foster City, CA 94404
1-800-4-SBEXPOS, 415-578-6900, http://www.sbexpos.com
 
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