PENTON MEDIA INC
S-3/A, EX-5.1, 2000-09-22
PERIODICALS: PUBLISHING OR PUBLISHING & PRINTING
Previous: PENTON MEDIA INC, S-3/A, EX-1.1, 2000-09-22
Next: PENTON MEDIA INC, S-3/A, EX-23.1, 2000-09-22



<PAGE>   1
                                                                     Exhibit 5.1


                           JONES, DAY, REAVIS & POGUE
                                   North Point
                               901 Lakeside Avenue
                              Cleveland, Ohio 44114

                               September 22, 2000

Penton Media, Inc.
1100 Superior Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio  44114

         Re:      Public Offering of up to 4,184,068 shares of Common Stock,
                  $0.01 par value per share, of Penton Media, Inc.
                  ----------------------------------------------------------

Gentlemen:

         We have acted as counsel for Penton Media, Inc., a Delaware corporation
(the "Company), in connection with the filing by the Company with the Securities
and Exchange Commission of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Reg. No.
333-44582) (the "Registration Statement"), for the purpose of registering under
the Securities Act of 1933, (the "Act"), the following securities:

         (1) 3,638,320 shares (the "Selling Stockholders' Shares") of the
Company's common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Common Stock"), to be
offered to the public (the "Public Offering") for the account of certain selling
stockholders (the "Selling Stockholders") in accordance with the terms and
conditions of an Underwriting Agreement (the "Underwriting Agreement") to be
entered into by and among the Company, the Selling Stockholders, Donaldson,
Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated, Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation, Salomon Smith Barney Inc.
and DLJdirect Inc., as representatives of the underwriters (the "Underwriters");

         (2) an additional 445,748 shares of the Common Stock (the "Selling
Stockholders' Option Shares"), which will be sold in the Public Offering for the
account of the Selling Stockholders in the event the Underwriters of the Public
Offering elect to exercise an over-allotment option granted to them pursuant to
the Underwriting Agreement; and

         (3) an additional 100,000 shares of the authorized but unissued shares
of the Common Stock (the "Company's Option Shares"), which will be sold in the
Public Offering for the account of the Company in the event the Underwriters of
the Public Offering elect to exercise an over-allotment option granted to them
pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement.

         We have examined such documents, records and matters of law as we have
deemed necessary for purposes of this opinion, and based thereupon we are of the
opinion that:


<PAGE>   2

         1. The Company's Option Shares have been duly authorized and, subject
to the due approval of the specific terms of the sale of the Company's Option
Shares by the Pricing Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company, when
issued and delivered by the Company to the Underwriters pursuant to the
Underwriting Agreement against payment of the consideration as provided therein
(and provided the consideration received by the Company is at least equal to the
par value of such shares), will be legally issued, fully paid and
non-assessable.

         2. The Selling Stockholders' Shares and the Selling Stockholders'
Option Shares are legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

         We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the
Registration Statement filed by the Company to effect registration of the
aforementioned securities under the Act, and to the reference to us under the
caption "Legal Matters" in the prospectus constituting a part of such
Registration Statement.

                                                  Very truly yours,

                                                  Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue


© 2022 IncJournal is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission