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                                                                      Exhibit 24

                               PENTON MEDIA, INC.
                       REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-8
                                POWER OF ATTORNEY
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The undersigned officer and/or director of Penton Media, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the "Company"), does hereby make, constitute and appoint
each of Thomas L. Kemp, Daniel J. Ramella and Preston L. Vice, with full power
of substitution and resubstitution, as attorney of the undersigned, to execute
and file (i) a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Form S-8 Registration
Statement") with respect to the registration under the Securities Act, of shares
of Common Stock of the Company issuable in connection with the Company's
Retirement Savings Plan, (ii) any and all amendments, including post-effective
amendments, and exhibits to the Form S-8 Registration Statement and (iii) any
and all applications or other documents to be filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission or any state securities commission or other regulatory
authority with respect to the securities covered by the Form S-8 Registration
Statement, with full power and authority to do and perform any and all acts and
things whatsoever necessary, appropriate or desirable to be done in the
premises, or in the name, place and stead of the said director and/or officer,
hereby ratifying and approving the acts of said attorneys and any of them and
any such substitute.







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        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have subscribed these presents as of
the 27th day of August, 1998.



    SIGNATURE                                     TITLE
                                               
         /s/   THOMAS L. KEMP                     Chief Executive Officer and Director
- ----------------------------------------          (Principal Executive Officer)
               Thomas L. Kemp 


         /s/   JOSEPH NECASTRO                    Chief Financial Officer
- ----------------------------------------          (Principal Financial Officer)
               Joseph NeCastro 


         /s/   CHARLES T. GRIESEMER               Vice President/Controller
- ----------------------------------------          (Controller or Principal Accounting Officer)
               Charles T. Griesemer 

                                                  
         /s/   WILLIAM C. DONOHUE                 Director
- ---------------------------------------     
               William C. Donohue

         /s/   ANTHONY DOWNS                      Director
- ---------------------------------------     
               Anthony Downs

         /s/   WILLIAM J. FRIEND                  Director
- ---------------------------------------     
               William J. Friend

         /s/   JOAN W. HARRIS                     Director
- ---------------------------------------     
               Joan W. Harris

         /s/   KING HARRIS                        Director
- ---------------------------------------     
               King Harris

                                                  Director
- ---------------------------------------     
               John J. Meehan

         /s/   DANIEL J. RAMELLA                  Director
- ---------------------------------------     
               Daniel J. Ramella

         /s/   EDWARD J. SCHWARTZ                 Director
- ---------------------------------------     
               Edward J. Schwartz

         /s/   DON E. SCHULTZ                     Director
- ---------------------------------------     
               Don E. Schultz

         /s/   RICHARD B. SWANK                   Director
- ---------------------------------------     
               Richard B. Swank