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<FILENAME>l87136bex10-18.txt

<DESCRIPTION>EXHIBIT 10.18

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                             EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT





         This EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT ("Agreement") is made as of October 15, 2000

(the "Effective Date"), between Penton Media, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the

"Company"), and Darrell Denny ("Executive").



         In consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other

good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby

acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:



         1. Employment. The Company shall employ Executive, and Executive

accepts continued employment with the Company as of the Effective Date, upon the

terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement for the period beginning on the

Effective Date and ending as provided in paragraph 5 hereof (the "Employment

Period").



         2. Position and Duties.



         (a) During the Employment Period, Executive shall serve as an Executive

Vice President of the Company and as the President of the Lifestyle Media

division of the Company, which will include the New Hope Natural Media division

and Healthwell.com Inc. (the "Division"), and shall have the normal duties,

responsibilities and authority of an executive serving in such position, subject

to the power of the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board") or the Chief

Executive Officer of the Company to expand or limit such duties,

responsibilities and authority, either generally or in specific instances.



         (b) Executive shall report to the Chief Executive Officer or the

President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company.



         (c) During the Employment Period, Executive shall devote his best

efforts and his full business time and attention (except for permitted vacation

periods, reasonable periods of illness or other incapacity, and, provided such

activities do not have more than a de minimis effect on Executive's performance

of his duties under this Agreement, participation in charitable and civic

endeavors and management of Executive's personal investments and business

interests) to the business and affairs of the Company and the Division.

Executive shall perform his duties and responsibilities to the best of his

abilities in a diligent, trustworthy, businesslike and efficient manner.



         (d) Initially, Executive shall perform his duties and responsibilities

hereunder principally from the Laguna Beach, California area. In the event the

Company and the Executive agree at any time that the Executive should relocate,

the Company will reimburse all the normal costs of an executive relocation.







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         3. Compensation and Benefits.



         (a) Salary. The Company agrees to pay Executive a salary during the

Employment Period, in semi-monthly installments. Executive's initial salary

shall be $325,000 per year. The Compensation Committee of the Board (or, if

there is no such Committee, the Board) shall review Executive's salary from time

to time and may, in its sole discretion, increase it.



         (b) Bonus(es).



         (i)   Signing Bonus. Executive shall receive a signing bonus of

               $100,000 payable, at the Executive's election, in either (A) cash

               (less applicable withholding taxes) upon the Effective Date, (B)

               such number of shares of the Company's Common Stock as is

               determined by dividing $100,000 by the average closing price per

               share of the Company's Common Stock on the New York Stock

               Exchange for the five trading days preceding the Effective Date,

               to be delivered to Executive on the first anniversary of the

               Effective Date, or (C) any combination thereof, provided that

               Executive shall make appropriate tax withholding arrangements if

               he elects payment in shares of the Company's Common Stock

               pursuant to the foregoing (B) or (C).



         (ii)  Annual Bonus. Subject to approval by the Compensation Committee

               of the Board (or if there is no such Committee, the Board),

               beginning in the 2001 calendar year, Executive shall be eligible

               for an annual bonus based on the achievement of specified

               Division and Company goals. For example, the Division goals may

               in part be based on the Division's budgeted 2001 contribution

               profit. "Contribution profit" shall mean an amount equal to the

               direct revenues of the Division less direct operating expenses

               before any allocation of corporate overheads as calculated by the

               Company. The Company goals may in part be based on the Company's

               budgeted 2001 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and

               amortization ("EBITDA"). The targeted bonus opportunity for 2001

               at budget is $175,000. Executive shall have the opportunity to

               earn additional annual bonus based on exceeding targeted goals

               established for calendar year 2001. Annual bonus opportunities

               for subsequent years shall be based on principles similar to the

               foregoing and shall be comparable to bonus opportunities for

               similarly situated Executives of the Company. Such annual bonus

               shall be paid in cash, shares of the Company's Common Stock or a

               combination of cash and shares of the Company's Common Stock, to

               be determined in the sole discretion of the Compensation

               Committee of the Board (or if there is no such Committee, the

               Board).



         (c) Long Term Incentive. Subsequent to approval by the Compensation

Committee of the Board (or, if there is no such Committee, the Board), and

subject to and upon the terms, conditions, and restrictions set forth in this

agreement and in the Company's 1998 Equity and Performance Incentive Plan (the

"Plan"), Executive will be granted, as of the



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Effective Date, the rights to receive 15,000 shares of Common Stock (the

"Performance Shares") based on the achievement of organic growth of the

Division's revenues and EBITDA and set forth in the form of Performance Shares

Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A.



          (d)  Stock Options.



          (i)  The Company has adopted a plan (the "1998 Stock Option Plan")

               pursuant to which options to purchase shares of the Company's

               Common Stock, and other equity-based incentive compensation

               awards, may be granted to Executive and other officers of the

               Company. Under the terms of the 1998 Stock Option Plan, the

               Compensation Committee of the Board (or, if there is no such

               Committee, the Board) has the right to amend the 1998 Stock

               Option Plan.



          (ii) As soon as reasonably practicable after the Effective Date,

               subject to approval by the Compensation Committee of the Board

               (or if there is no such Committee, the Board), the Executive

               shall be granted an option to purchase, at an exercise price

               equal to the fair market value of the Company's Common Stock at

               the date of grant, 20,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock.



         (iii) Executive shall be eligible to receive grants of options and

               other awards under the 1998 Stock Option Plan, at the discretion

               of the Compensation Committee of the Board (or, if there is no

               such Committee, the Board).



          (iv) If, at the time of the grant of any option pursuant to this

               paragraph (d), the issuance of shares upon exercise thereof has

               not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,

               it shall be a condition to such grant that Executive execute and

               deliver to the Company a certificate confirming that Executive is

               an accredited investor (as such term is used in Regulation D

               under such Act) and including transfer restrictions and other

               provisions customary in connection with grants under such

               circumstances.



          (v)  Each option to be granted as set forth above shall be

               substantially in the form of Exhibit B attached to this

               Agreement, except that it is understood that reference to any

               then existing registration statement or related plan information

               document in Exhibit B, or its equivalent, shall be included if

               and only if the same exists at the time of grant and is relevant

               to such option.



         (e) The Company agrees to extend the making of a loan or loans to

Executive, from time to time for a period of time not to exceed six (6) months

following the Effective Date, up to the aggregate amount of $1.0 million for a

term of up to five years at a fixed rate of interest on each such loan, and on

such other terms and conditions specified in the form of Promissory Note,

attached hereto as Exhibit C. The making of such loan or loans is for the

purpose of facilitating Executive's purchase of shares of the Company's Common

Stock, and Executive acknowledges that the proceeds of the loan or loans may be

used only to purchase shares of the Company's Common Stock.





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         (f) Expense Reimbursement. The Company shall reimburse Executive for

all reasonable expenses incurred by him during the Employment Period in the

course of performing his duties under this Agreement that are consistent with

the Company's policies in effect from time to time with respect to travel,

entertainment and other business expenses, subject to the Company's requirements

applicable generally with respect to reporting and documentation of such

expenses. Executive acknowledges that under the Company's current air travel

reimbursement policy, reimbursement is limited to coach fare (plus Executive's

cost of any upgrade certificates used to upgrade to first class) on travel

within the United States and is limited to business class fare on travel to and

from foreign cities.



         (g) Standard Executive Benefits Package. In addition to the salary,

bonus(es), stock options and expense reimbursements payable to Executive

pursuant to this paragraph 3, Executive shall be entitled during the Employment

Period to participate, on the same basis as other executives of the Company, in

the Company's Standard Executive Benefits Package. The Company's "Standard

Executive Benefits Package" means those benefits (including insurance, vacation,

Company car or car allowance, equity-based benefits, and other benefits) for

which substantially all of the executives of the Company are from time to time

generally eligible, as determined from time to time by the Board.



         (h) Additional Benefits. In addition to participation in the Company's

Standard Executive Benefits Package pursuant to this paragraph, Executive shall

be entitled to:



          (i)  additional term life insurance coverage in an amount equal to

               Executive's annual salary, but only if and so long as such

               additional coverage is available at standard rates from the

               insurer providing term life insurance coverage under the Standard

               Executive Benefits Package or from a comparable insurer

               acceptable to the Company; and



          (ii) supplementary long-term disability coverage in an amount that

               will include maximum covered annual compensation of $330,000 and

               maximum monthly payments of $18,333, but only if and so long as

               such supplementary coverage is available at standard rates from

               the insurer providing long-term disability coverage under the

               Standard Executive Benefits Package or a comparable insurer

               acceptable to the Company.



         (iii) pursuant to authorization by the Compensation Committee of the

               Board (or, if there is no such Committee, the Board),

               participation in the Penton Media, Inc. Supplemental Executive

               Retirement Plan (the "SERP"), effective August 7, 1998, as

               currently in effect, except that (A) the beginning date for

               accrual of a benefit shall be the date on which Executive's

               employment with the Company begins and (B) no benefit shall be

               payable thereunder unless the Employment Period shall end five

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