Canon Communications Launches plasticstoday.com, a Powerful, Web 2.0-Based Community Site

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - October 1, 2008) - The plastics processing industry now has a new information resource and web community called plasticstoday.com, announced by Canon Communications LLC's Plastics & Processing Group during the gathering of plastics professionals at the PLASTEC / Plastics USA 2008 trade show on September 23 - 25, 2008.

"Plasticstoday.com is a component of Canon's strategic initiative to invest up to $1 million in Emedia in 2008," said Charles McCurdy, CEO of Canon Communications. "With our dominant positions in several key advanced manufacturing markets, we're addressing the growing demand for compelling Emedia content and online marketing services for our plastics marketplace," continued McCurdy. The launch of this online plastics community is one of several initiatives Canon has undertaken in 2008 as a result of the significant expansion of its Emedia department.

Extending from the two top magazines, Injection Molding Magazine (IMM) and Modern Plastics Worldwide (MPW), and their related Web sites, plasticstoday.com provides a global online community for plastics professionals that fosters solutions through interactivity. Patrick Lundy, senior group publisher of IMM and MPW, said, "Plastics professionals now have a single place to find information and solutions related to their specific specialty or concern. Plasticstoday.com will enhance the user experience, create conversation, and boost knowledge within the plastics industry."

Jason Brown, Canon's vice president of Emedia, added, "Plasticstoday.com utilizes the Drupal open-source platform, allowing Canon to continually build and implement new Web 2.0 functionality modules providing continuously new content. Visitors can now read, share, and comment on our feature stories, daily news feeds, and blogs, and participate in our forums." Additional community-based functionality including user-submitted video and blogging tools is planned for 2009.

With Omniture and DoubleClick as plasticstoday.com's analytical and ad-serving technology providers, plasticstoday.com charter sponsors, The Conair Group, D-M-E, RJG Inc, Rapid Granulator Inc. and Victrex PLC, will benefit from the verifiable audience numbers plasticstoday.com will deliver.

About Canon Communications

Canon Communications LLC, a portfolio company of Apprise Media LLC, is the leading publisher, trade show producer, and digital media company for the world's leading $3 trillion advanced, technology-based manufacturing industry, including plastics processing, medical device, packaging, design engineering, process technology, automated assembly, electronics, and quality control. Further information about Canon's business-to-business publications, trade shows, and digital media is available at www.cancom.com.

Contact Information: Contact: Patrice Aylward 440-239-4986