• by Joe Mandese , August 4, 2009

The U.S. business press is being hit by a double whammy, as both traditional advertising sales, and trade show and event revenues continue to decline, according to new data released Monday by trade association American Business Media.

According to data from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, trade show revenues from B-to-B publishers declined 18.6% during the first half of 2009, though the rate of erosion appears to be moderating slightly: Trade show revenues were down 20.1% during the first quarter; and down 16.9% during the second quarter.

B-t-B magazine ad pages plummeted 31.6% and advertising revenues fell 26.1% in May vs. the same month a year ago, and the most recent month for which data is available. Through the first five months of 2009, B-to-B ad pages are off 30.3%, while revenues are down 26.3%, according to the ABM's Business Information Network.

The ABM noted that two of the 21 categories it tracks actually experienced revenue growth during 2009.