Publications and Internet Portfolio Acquired

Informa Group PLC
8 November 1999

INFORMA  BUYS PUBLICATIONS AND INTERNET PORTFOLIO IN £28 MILLION
DEAL

Informa   Group  plc  has  acquired  a  portfolio  of   business
information  products from EMAP plc.  The consideration  is  £28
million payable in cash.  In the year to 31 March 1999,  the  20
products  made  operating profits before an allocation  of  EMAP
overheads of £2.8 million on revenues of £12.5 million.

The products are established brands in the fields of finance and
insurance, maritime trade and transport and commercial  fishing.
They  include  the weekly publications International  Freighting
Weekly   and  Fishing  News;  the  monthly  business   magazines
Insurance Age and Containerisation International and a number of
related exhibitions and events.

In  addition, the portfolio contains the electronic  information
service   Liner   Shipping  Network.   This   internet-delivered
subscription  product  provides time  critical  news,  data  and
analysis to the international shipping and freight industries.

PETER RIGBY, CHAIRMAN OF INFORMA GROUP PLC COMMENTED:

'We  are  delighted to have acquired these leading niche  titles
which  will add considerably to Informa's existing strengths  in
some  of  our  major  markets.  They will  complement  Informa's
existing brands and allow us to reinforce the service we provide
to our customer base.

The  Liner Shipping Network will accelerate further our progress
in  providing  e-commerce solutions to the maritime,  trade  and
transport  markets.   The  commercial fishing  publications  and
related  exhibitions, under the respected Heighway  brand,  will
extend  Informa's  product  offerings  to  the  world  commodity
markets.

We  are  pleased to be bringing the experience and expertise  of
100  staff associated with these products to Informa and we look
forward  to working with them to develop this portfolio  further
and  to exploiting the significant synergies with Informa's  own
titles and events.

This  earnings enhancing acquisition comes towards  the  end  of
what  has been a very successful first twelve months for Informa
and will provide us with a still stronger platform for growth in
2000 and beyond.'

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Peter Rigby (Chairman)
David Gilbertson (Chief Executive)
Jim Wilkinson (Finance Director)
INFORMA GROUP PLC
0171 453 2222

William Clutterbuck
Charlotte Hamilton
THE MAITLAND CONSULTANCY
0171 379 5151


NOTES TO EDITORS

Informa  Group  plc was formed in 1998 from the  merger  of  LLP
Group  plc and IBC Group plc.  Informa is a business information
group  focused  on six global market sectors: IT  and  Telecoms;
Maritime,   Trade   and   Transport;  Finance   and   Insurance;
Commodities and Energy; Biomedical and Pharmaceutical;  and  Law
and Tax.  Informa has sales in more than 180 countries with over
50  offices world-wide.  It derives the majority of its revenues
from   the   delivery  of  'must  have'  and  topical   business
information  across  a  broad range of media  formats  and  wide
geographical base.