Exhibit 23.1 CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated March 19, 2002 relating to the financial statements and financial statement schedule, which appears in Penton Media, Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001. /s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Cleveland, Ohio May 2, 2002