New York, NY – February 1, 2010 - Lane Merrifield, Executive Vice President, Disney Online Studios, and Co-Founder and General Manager, Club Penguin, will deliver a keynote address at Engage! Expo® taking place February 16-17, 2010, at the Javits Convention Center in New York City.

Engage! ®, operated by Engage Digital Media, runs concurrently with American International Toy Fair (February 14-17, 2010) and provides companies the critical information they need to engage and monetize kids and youth online. The two events will bring together more than 25,000 attendees and 1,000 members of the media.

Merrifield's place in the history of virtual worlds is legendary. He was one of three co-founders of Club Penguin, helped develop and launch the site in 2005, and has played an integral role in its phenomenal growth and success. The company's commitment to creating a safe and ad-free online playground helped propel Club Penguin to international acclaim and a partnership with The Walt Disney Company, which acquired Club Penguin in August 2007. Club Penguin remains one of the world's most popular and fastest-growing virtual worlds for children.

As a creator who has long nurtured a passion for using technology to connect people in new ways, Merrifield is now in charge of all virtual worlds for Disney and is applying the lessons learned from Club Penguin to the company's full suite of virtual world projects, most notably, the forthcoming World of Cars Online, based on the hit Disney•Pixar animated feature.

"The entertainment industry knows there is no one better qualified to evolve virtual worlds as places where kids can take ownership and add their own creativity, and where community and an online social experience empowers kids to use their imagination to expand their playground in exciting new ways," Christopher Sherman, Founder and CEO of Engage Digital Media said. "Having Lane Merrifield present at Engage! Expo during Toy Fair will provide an unparalleled opportunity for toy industry professionals to hear first-hand the possibilities that lie ahead for creators of interactive content."

Lane will deliver his keynote on February 16, 2010, the first day of the conference.

About Disney Online

Disney Online (www.Disney.com or text MOBILE to DISNEY), a unit of Disney Interactive Media Group, produces the No. 1 ranked community-family and parenting destination on the World Wide Web. Launched in 1996, Disney.com is the online and now mobile web gateway to all of the company's Disney-branded entertainment initiatives, providing comprehensive access to, and information about Disney movies, travel, television, games, music, shopping and live events.

In addition, Disney Online develops and publishes a range of online products and services including Disney Club Penguin, Disney Fairies Pixie Hollow, Disney's Toontown Online, and
Pirates of the Caribbean Online.

Disney Interactive Media Group (DIMG) is an affiliate of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS).

About the Engage! Expo Conference Program

Kid, tween and teen entertainment play patterns are changing as they become more digital and move away from traditional toys and media. It's imperative that toy companies and youth entertainment companies learn how to integrate digital technologies into their product lines. Engage! offers both a full conference program and an exhibit hall, providing an environment that offers critical education on the evolution of this marketplace and networking opportunities between technology companies and owners of youth-oriented brands.

The Engage! conference of panels, presentations, and interviews provides unparalleled exposure to best practices, current trends, and effective strategies behind engaging kids and youth online. The program delivers key insight into new monetization strategies, proven ways to strengthen customer relationships, and essential marketing solutions to maximize reach. The conference includes three major tracks: Monetization and Revenue, Strategy and Implementation and Creative and Development and provides excellent peer networking opportunities.

About the Engage! Expo

The Engage! Expo exhibit hall places leading technology solution providers in front of the biggest names in the toy industry and children's entertainment business, who need to evolve and establish "digital play" and engaging development and product expertise. The Engage! Expo exhibit hall provides key demonstrations of the latest tools, technologies and services being used to build and monetize social games, virtual worlds, web-connected and wireless-connected toys, mobile applications, youth web sites, and interactive entertainment. Engage! allows companies to test drive new technologies in an efficient way -- rather than spending weeks and months on conference calls and meeting with vendors. Through a partnership between Engage! and Toy Fair, the full 25,000 attendees registered for either show will have full access to both show expo floors.

Registration Information

Super Early Registration at www.EngageExpo.com is now open. The conference registration price is only $595 until October 31st. After that time online registration is $695. Onsite registration at the event is $1,295. Expo-Only passes, good for both Engage! Expo and Toy Fair, are available for $100.

About Engage Digital Media

Engage! Expo is owned and operated by Engage Digital Media, a leading producer of trade events and media that focus on user engagement, virtual worlds and games. Events include Engage! Expo, Digital Law Conference, Virtual Goods Conference, and 3D Training Learning and Collaboration (3DTLC) Conference. The company also publishes timely market research and leading industry news blogs www.VirtualWorldsNews.com and www.VirtualGoodsNews.com. Engage! and Engage! Expo are trademarks of Engage Digital Media. More information can be found at www.EngageDigitalMedia.com.


Contact:

Tim Williams
Vice President, Sales and Marketing
tim @ engagedigital.com
512-289-8687

Dana Henry
Disney Online
Dana.henry@disney.com
818-623-3420