<PAGE>
 
    As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 1, 1999.
                                               Registration No. 333-
                                                                                

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C.  20549

                                   FORM S-8
                            REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     Under
                          The Securities Act of 1933

                              PENTON MEDIA, INC.
            (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

DELAWARE                                                     36-2875386
(State or Other Jurisdiction                              (I.R.S. Employer
of Incorporation or  Organization)                       Identification No.)


                 1100 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio  44114
          (Address of Principal Executive Offices Including Zip Code)

                        1998 DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION PLAN
                           (Full Title of the Plans)

                                Preston L. Vice
                             Senior Vice President
                              Penton Media, Inc.
                             1100 Superior Avenue
                            Cleveland, Ohio  44114
                    (Name and Address of Agent For Service)

                           Telephone: (216) 696-7000
         (Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
                                        
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

=======================================================================================================
Title of                                  Proposed Maxi-           Proposed Maxi-         Amount of
Securities to          Amount to be       mum Offering             mum Aggregate          Registration
be Registered          Registered (1)     Price Per Share (2)      Offering Price (2)     Fee
=======================================================================================================
=======================================================================================================
<S>                    <C>                <C>                       <C>                   <C>
Common Stock, $0.01      100,000            $21.53125                $2,153,125             $598.57
par value per share
=======================================================================================================
</TABLE>

(1)  Pursuant to Rule 416(c) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities
     Act"), this Registration Statement also covers such additional Common
     Stock, $0.01 par value per share (the "Common Stock") as may become
     issuable pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of the Penton Media, Inc.
     1998 Director Stock Option Plan (the "Plan").

(2)  Estimated solely for calculating the amount of the registration fee,
     pursuant to paragraphs (c) and (h) of Rule 457 of the General Rules and
     Regulations under the Securities Act, on the basis of the average of the
     high and low sale prices of such securities on the New York Stock Exchange
     on March 26, 1999, within five business days prior to filing.

<PAGE>
                                    PART I

             INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

     The documents containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8
will be sent or given to participating employees as specified by Rule 428(b)(1)
of the Securities Act.  These documents and the documents incorporated by
reference into this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this
Registration Statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the
requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

                                    Part II

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference
         ---------------------------------------

         The following documents previously filed by Penton Media, Inc. (the
"Registrant") with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") are
incorporated herein by reference:

         (a)  the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year 
              ended December 31, 1998; and

         (b)  the description of the Common Stock of the Registrant contained 
              in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A/A, as filed with the
              Commission on March 30, 1999, pursuant to the Securities Exchange
              Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") for purposes of registering such
              securities thereunder, as such Registration Statement may have
              been and may be amended from time to time.

         All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-
effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been sold
or which de-registers all securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be
incorporated herein by reference and to be part hereof from the date of filing
of such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities
         -------------------------

         Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
         --------------------------------------

         Not Applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers
         -----------------------------------------

         Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the "DGCL") 
contains provisions permitting (and, in some situations, requiring) Delaware
corporations such as the Registrant to provide indemnification to their officers
and directors for losses and litigation expense incurred in connection with,
among other things, their service to the corporation in those capacities. The
Certificate of Incorporation contains provisions requiring indemnification by
the Registrant of its directors, officers and employees to the fullest extent
permitted by law. Among other things, these provisions provide that the
Registrant is required to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is
threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action,
suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative
(including any action by or in the right of the Registrant) (a "Proceeding") by
reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer or employee of the
Registrant, or is or was serving at the request of the Registrant as a director,
officer or employee of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or
other enterprise (including service with respect to any employee benefit plan)
against expenses (including 

<PAGE>
 
attorneys' fees), judgments, fines, excise taxes under the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, penalties and amounts paid in
settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such
Proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as the same exists or
may be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that
such amendment permits the Registrant to provide broader indemnification rights
than such law permitted the Registrant to provide prior to such amendment).
These provisions also provide for the advance payment of fees and expenses
reasonably incurred by the director, officer or employee in defense of any such
Proceeding, subject to reimbursement by the director, officer or employee if it
is ultimately determined that such director, officer or employee is not entitled
to be indemnified by the Registrant. The Registrant has entered into agreements
with its directors providing contractually for indemnification consistent with
the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. In addition, the Certificate of
Incorporation authorizes the Registrant to purchase insurance for its directors,
officers and employees insuring them against certain risks as to which the
Registrant may be unable lawfully to indemnify them. The Registrant has obtained
this insurance coverage for its directors, officers and employees as well as
insurance coverage to reimburse the Registrant for potential costs of its
corporate indemnification of directors, officers and employees.


Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claims
         ----------------------------------

         Not Applicable.


Item 8.  Exhibits
         --------

         4.1       Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant 
                   (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant's Registration
                   Statement No. 333-56877 on Form S-1, dated August 5, 1998,
                   and incorporated herein by reference ).

         4.2       Amended and Restated By-laws of the Registrant (filed as 
                   Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant's Registration Statement No.
                   333-56877 on Form S-1, dated August 5, 1998, and incorporated
                   herein by reference).

         4.3       Penton Media, Inc. 1998 Director Stock Option Plan.

         5         Opinion of Counsel.

         23.1      Consent of Independent Accountants.

         23.2      Consent of Counsel -- See Exhibit 5.

         24        Power of Attorney.


Item 9.  Undertakings
         ------------

         (a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

             (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
                 made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration 
                 Statement:

                 (i)    To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) 
                        of the Securities Act;

                 (ii)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
                        after the effective date of the Registration Statement
                        (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof)
                        which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a

<PAGE>
 
                        fundamental change in the information set forth in the
                        Registration Statement;

                 (iii)  To include any material information with respect to the
                        plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the
                        Registration Statement or any material change to such 
                        information in the Registration Statement;

             provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not
             -----------------                                                 
             apply if the information required to be included in a post-
             effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic
             reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section
             15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the
             Registration Statement.

             (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
                 Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be
                 deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
                 securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
                 at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide
                 offering thereof.

             (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective 
                 amendment any of the securities being registered which remain
                 unsold at the termination of the offering.

         (b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
             determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of
             the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section
             15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an
             employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of
             the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the
             Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new Registration
             Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
             offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be in
             the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
             Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and
             controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing
             provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in
             the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against
             public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore,
             unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
             against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant
             of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
             person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action,
             suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or
             controlling person in connection with the securities being
             registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its
             counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
             submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of
             whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as
             expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication
             of such issue.

<PAGE>
                                  SIGNATURES


         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the 
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Cleveland, State of Ohio, on April 1, 1999.

                                    PENTON MEDIA, INC.


                              By:        /s/ PRESTON L. VICE
                                      -------------------------------
                              Name:          Preston L. Vice
                              Title:         Senior Vice President

<PAGE>
 
         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on the 1st day of April, 1999.


Signature                                Title
---------                                -----

        *                          Chief Executive Officer and Director
------------------------------     (Principal Executive Officer)
 Thomas L. Kemp

        *                          Chief Financial Officer
------------------------------     (Principal Financial Officer)
 Joseph NeCastro

        *                          Vice President/Controller
------------------------------     (Controller or Principal Accounting Officer)
 Charles T. Griesemer

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 William C. Donohue

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 Anthony Downs

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 William J. Friend

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 Joan W. Harris

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 King Harris

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 John J. Meehan
 
        *                          Director
------------------------------
 Daniel J. Ramella

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 Edward J. Schwartz

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 Don E. Schultz

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 Richard B. Swank

         *This Registration Statement has been signed on behalf of the above
officers and directors by Preston L. Vice, as attorney-in-fact pursuant to a
power of attorney filed as Exhibit 24 to this Registration Statement.

DATED: April 1, 1999                    By:     /s/ PRESTON L. VICE
                                              ----------------------
                                                    Preston L. Vice
                                                    Attorney-in-Fact

<PAGE>
 
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX
                                 -------------

          4.1       Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant
                    (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant's Registration
                    Statement No. 333-56877 on Form S-1, dated August 5, 1998,
                    and incorporated herein by reference).

          4.2       Amended and Restated By-laws of the Registrant (filed as
                    Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant's Registration Statement No.
                    333-56877 on Form S-1, dated August 5, 1998, and
                    incorporated herein by reference).

          4.3       Penton Media, Inc. 1998 Director Stock Option Plan.

          5         Opinion of Counsel.

          23.1      Consent of Independent Accountants.

          23.2      Consent of Counsel -- See Exhibit 5.

          24        Power of Attorney.
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "1998 DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION PLAN PLAN", "secsgml_size_bytes": 17664}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "PENTON MEDIA INC", "cik": "0001062441", "assigned-sic": "2721", "irs-number": "362875386", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-75459", "film-number": "99585096"}, "business-address": {"street1": "1100 SUPERIOR AVENUE", "city": "CLEVELAND", "state": "OH", "zip": "44114", "phone": "2166967000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "1100 SUPERIOR AVENUE", "city": "CLEVELAND", "state": "OH", "zip": "44114"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 1, 1999.
                                               Registration No. 333-
                                                                                

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C.  20549

                                   FORM S-8
                            REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     Under
                          The Securities Act of 1933

                              PENTON MEDIA, INC.
            (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

DELAWARE                                                     36-2875386
(State or Other Jurisdiction                              (I.R.S. Employer
of Incorporation or  Organization)                       Identification No.)

                 1100 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio  44114
          (Address of Principal Executive Offices Including Zip Code)

                        1998 DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION PLAN
                           (Full Title of the Plans)

                                Preston L. Vice
                             Senior Vice President
                              Penton Media, Inc.
                             1100 Superior Avenue
                            Cleveland, Ohio  44114
                    (Name and Address of Agent For Service)

                           Telephone: (216) 696-7000
         (Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
=======================================================================================================
Title of                                  Proposed Maxi-           Proposed Maxi-         Amount of
Securities to          Amount to be       mum Offering             mum Aggregate          Registration
be Registered          Registered (1)     Price Per Share (2)      Offering Price (2)     Fee
=======================================================================================================
=======================================================================================================
Common Stock, $0.01      100,000            $21.53125                $2,153,125             $598.57
par value per share
=======================================================================================================
(1)  Pursuant to Rule 416(c) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities
     Act"), this Registration Statement also covers such additional Common
     Stock, $0.01 par value per share (the "Common Stock") as may become
     issuable pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of the Penton Media, Inc.
     1998 Director Stock Option Plan (the "Plan").

(2)  Estimated solely for calculating the amount of the registration fee,
     pursuant to paragraphs (c) and (h) of Rule 457 of the General Rules and
     Regulations under the Securities Act, on the basis of the average of the
     high and low sale prices of such securities on the New York Stock Exchange
     on March 26, 1999, within five business days prior to filing.
PART I

             INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

     The documents containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8
will be sent or given to participating employees as specified by Rule 428(b)(1)
of the Securities Act.  These documents and the documents incorporated by
reference into this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this
Registration Statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the
requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

                                    Part II

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference
         ---------------------------------------

         The following documents previously filed by Penton Media, Inc. (the
"Registrant") with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") are
incorporated herein by reference:

         (a)  the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year 
              ended December 31, 1998; and

         (b)  the description of the Common Stock of the Registrant contained 
              in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A/A, as filed with the
              Commission on March 30, 1999, pursuant to the Securities Exchange
              Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") for purposes of registering such
              securities thereunder, as such Registration Statement may have
              been and may be amended from time to time.

         All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-
effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been sold
or which de-registers all securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be
incorporated herein by reference and to be part hereof from the date of filing
of such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities
         -------------------------

         Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
         --------------------------------------

         Not Applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers
         -----------------------------------------

         Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the "DGCL") 
contains provisions permitting (and, in some situations, requiring) Delaware
corporations such as the Registrant to provide indemnification to their officers
and directors for losses and litigation expense incurred in connection with,
among other things, their service to the corporation in those capacities. The
Certificate of Incorporation contains provisions requiring indemnification by
the Registrant of its directors, officers and employees to the fullest extent
permitted by law. Among other things, these provisions provide that the
Registrant is required to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is
threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action,
suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative
(including any action by or in the right of the Registrant) (a "Proceeding") by
reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer or employee of the
Registrant, or is or was serving at the request of the Registrant as a director,
officer or employee of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or
other enterprise (including service with respect to any employee benefit plan)
against expenses (including
attorneys' fees), judgments, fines, excise taxes under the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, penalties and amounts paid in
settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such
Proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as the same exists or
may be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that
such amendment permits the Registrant to provide broader indemnification rights
than such law permitted the Registrant to provide prior to such amendment).
These provisions also provide for the advance payment of fees and expenses
reasonably incurred by the director, officer or employee in defense of any such
Proceeding, subject to reimbursement by the director, officer or employee if it
is ultimately determined that such director, officer or employee is not entitled
to be indemnified by the Registrant. The Registrant has entered into agreements
with its directors providing contractually for indemnification consistent with
the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. In addition, the Certificate of
Incorporation authorizes the Registrant to purchase insurance for its directors,
officers and employees insuring them against certain risks as to which the
Registrant may be unable lawfully to indemnify them. The Registrant has obtained
this insurance coverage for its directors, officers and employees as well as
insurance coverage to reimburse the Registrant for potential costs of its
corporate indemnification of directors, officers and employees.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claims
         ----------------------------------

         Not Applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits
         --------

         4.1       Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant 
                   (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant's Registration
                   Statement No. 333-56877 on Form S-1, dated August 5, 1998,
                   and incorporated herein by reference ).

         4.2       Amended and Restated By-laws of the Registrant (filed as 
                   Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant's Registration Statement No.
                   333-56877 on Form S-1, dated August 5, 1998, and incorporated
                   herein by reference).

         4.3       Penton Media, Inc. 1998 Director Stock Option Plan.

         5         Opinion of Counsel.

         23.1      Consent of Independent Accountants.

         23.2      Consent of Counsel -- See Exhibit 5.

         24        Power of Attorney.

Item 9.  Undertakings
         ------------

         (a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

             (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
                 made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration 
                 Statement:

                 (i)    To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) 
                        of the Securities Act;

                 (ii)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
                        after the effective date of the Registration Statement
                        (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof)
                        which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a
fundamental change in the information set forth in the
                        Registration Statement;

                 (iii)  To include any material information with respect to the
                        plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the
                        Registration Statement or any material change to such 
                        information in the Registration Statement;

             provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not
             -----------------                                                 
             apply if the information required to be included in a post-
             effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic
             reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section
             15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the
             Registration Statement.

             (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
                 Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be
                 deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
                 securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
                 at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide
                 offering thereof.

             (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective 
                 amendment any of the securities being registered which remain
                 unsold at the termination of the offering.

         (b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
             determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of
             the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section
             15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an
             employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of
             the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the
             Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new Registration
             Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
             offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be in
             the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
             Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and
             controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing
             provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in
             the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against
             public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore,
             unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
             against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant
             of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
             person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action,
             suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or
             controlling person in connection with the securities being
             registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its
             counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
             submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of
             whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as
             expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication
             of such issue.
SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the 
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Cleveland, State of Ohio, on April 1, 1999.

                                    PENTON MEDIA, INC.

                              By:        /s/ PRESTON L. VICE
                                      -------------------------------
                              Name:          Preston L. Vice
                              Title:         Senior Vice President
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on the 1st day of April, 1999.

Signature                                Title
---------                                -----

        *                          Chief Executive Officer and Director
------------------------------     (Principal Executive Officer)
 Thomas L. Kemp

        *                          Chief Financial Officer
------------------------------     (Principal Financial Officer)
 Joseph NeCastro

        *                          Vice President/Controller
------------------------------     (Controller or Principal Accounting Officer)
 Charles T. Griesemer

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 William C. Donohue

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 Anthony Downs

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 William J. Friend

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 Joan W. Harris

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 King Harris

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 John J. Meehan
 
        *                          Director
------------------------------
 Daniel J. Ramella

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 Edward J. Schwartz

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 Don E. Schultz

        *                          Director
------------------------------
 Richard B. Swank

         *This Registration Statement has been signed on behalf of the above
officers and directors by Preston L. Vice, as attorney-in-fact pursuant to a
power of attorney filed as Exhibit 24 to this Registration Statement.

DATED: April 1, 1999                    By:     /s/ PRESTON L. VICE
                                              ----------------------
                                                    Preston L. Vice
                                                    Attorney-in-Fact
EXHIBIT INDEX
                                 -------------

          4.1       Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant
                    (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant's Registration
                    Statement No. 333-56877 on Form S-1, dated August 5, 1998,
                    and incorporated herein by reference).

          4.2       Amended and Restated By-laws of the Registrant (filed as
                    Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant's Registration Statement No.
                    333-56877 on Form S-1, dated August 5, 1998, and
                    incorporated herein by reference).

          4.3       Penton Media, Inc. 1998 Director Stock Option Plan.

          5         Opinion of Counsel.

          23.1      Consent of Independent Accountants.

          23.2      Consent of Counsel -- See Exhibit 5.

          24        Power of Attorney.