**Exhibit 12.1**

 

**Advanstar Communications Inc.**

 

**Computationof Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges/Deficiency**

**In theCoverage of Fixed Charges by Earnings Before Fixed Charges**

 
| ** **                                                                                       | ** ** | **December 31,**      | ** ** |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------|----------------------------|------------|
| ** **                                                                                       | ** ** | **2001**                   | ** ** | **2002** | ** ** | **2003** | ** ** | **2004** | ** ** | **2005** | ** ** |
| ** **                                                                                       | ** ** | **(unaudited)**            | ** ** |
| ** **                                                                                       | ** ** | **(dollars in thousands)** | ** ** |
| ** **                                                                                       | ** ** | ** **                 | ** ** |
| Earnings  before fixed charges:                                                                  |       |                       |       |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                             |       |                       |       |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Loss from  continuing operations before income taxes and cumulative effect of accounting  change |       | $                          | (86,307    | ) | $ | (93,428 | ) | $ | (59,906 | ) | $ | (41,799 | ) | $ | (37,311 | ) |
| Portion of  rents representative of interest factor                                              |       | 2,411                      |       | 2,334 |   | 2,420 |   | 3,021 |   | 2,348 |   |
| Interest on  indebtedness                                                                        |       | 58,171                     |       | 53,147 |   | 59,086 |   | 70,974 |   | 61,582 |   |
| (Loss)  earnings before fixed charges                                                            |       | (25,725                    | )          | (37,947 | ) | 1,600 |   | 32,196 |   | 26,619 |   |
|                                                                                             |       |                       |       |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Fixed charges:                                                                                   |       |                       |       |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                             |       |                       |       |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Portion of  rents representative of interest factor                                              |       | 2,411                      |       | 2,334 |   | 2,420 |   | 3,021 |   | 2,348 |   |
| Interest on  indebtedness                                                                        |       | 58,171                     |       | 53,147 |   | 59,086 |   | 70,974 |   | 61,582 |   |
| Total fixed  charges                                                                             |       | 60,582                     |       | 55,481 |   | 61,506 |   | 73,995 |   | 63,930 |   |
|                                                                                             |       |                       |       |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Ratio of  earnings to fixed charges                                                              |       | —                     |       | — |   | — |   | — |   | — |   |
|                                                                                             |       |                       |       |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Deficiency  in the coverage of fixed charges by earnings before fixed charges                    |       | $                          | (86,307    | ) | $ | (93,428 | ) | $ | (59,906 | ) | $ | (41,799 | ) | $ | (37,311 | ) |

 

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