iEXPLORE SECURES VENTURE CAPITAL FOR ADVENTURE TRAVEL WEB SITE

November 2, 1999 (CHICAGO) - iExplore, Inc., a start-up Internet company developing the first one-stop online resource for researching, purchasing and equipping adventure and experiential travel, announced today that it has received first-round funding from Tribune Ventures, the strategic investment unit of Tribune Company, and Bear Ventures, a Silicon Alley-based investment fund.

iExplore, when launched by the end of first quarter 2000, will offer adventure and experiential vacations in 140 countries, with activities ranging from birding, cultural/historical tours, expedition cruises, ecotours and safaris to more active adventure pursuits such as cycling, hiking, mountaineering, scuba diving and whitewater rafting. iExplore will be the only one-stop resource where customers can research destinations and activities; not only book tours, but also airline tickets, rental cars and hotels; and purchase adventure-related gear, books and merchandise. The site will also contain a strong community element, including trip-by-trip customer reviews and ratings to help others in their trip planning.

Recognizing the importance that consumers place on human interaction and customer service, iExplore will offer a customer support center staffed seven days a week by "adventure experts," men and women who have lived and worked in the international destinations offered by the company and who are certified as instructors in a wide range of adventure activities.

"iExplore is laser focused on meeting the needs of their partners and customers and is driving the business to give top-notch service to both," said Andrew J. Oleszczuk, president of Tribune Ventures. "Tribune is the leading provider of information on leisure activities in our local markets and we understand the importance of this rapidly growing market. iExplore has assembled an A-plus team and the right vision to own the adventure and experiential travel category."

The Only One-Stop Adventure Travel Resource
According to the Travel Industry Association of America, 98 million Americans participate in adventure travel and 42 million Americans use the Internet for travel planning and reservations. These two rapidly growing markets create a natural demand for an online adventure travel resource.

While adventure travel represents the fastest growing segment of the travel industry, it is also highly fragmented. In the U.S. alone there are 10,000 adventure tour operators, dozens of related tour book and magazine publishers, and dozens more apparel and equipment manufacturers.

"The Internet lends itself perfectly to consolidating such disparate information into one easy-to-use resource, and we will take advantage of the medium to give adventure enthusiasts all the tools they need to simplify the adventure planning process," said George Deeb, founder and CEO of iExplore. "We are entering a $40 billion-plus industry and aim to become the 'niche killer' as we fill a big void that exists in the travel industry today."

Key components of the company's site will include:

Adventure Tour Directory To date, iExplore has partnered with more than 70 of the most respected and recognized adventure operators, including Abercrombie & Kent, Backroads, Mountain Travel-Sobek and Special Expeditions, giving iExplore an inventory of 3,000 trips worldwide.

Travel Arrangements and Merchandise Through the site travelers can not only purchase the tour of their choice, but also book flights, rental cars and hotel rooms; and buy travel insurance, adventure gear, apparel and books.

Adventure Content An extensive library of research information will be available on the site, including destination guides, magazine articles, national park resources, videos, music clips, travel warnings, health advisories, weather, history, news and maps.

Community of Adventure Enthusiasts iExplore will provide a forum for adventure travelers to communicate directly with each other through customer feedback, bulletin boards, moderated chat, e-postcards, loyalty programs and other personalization tools.

The Paradigm Shift
"iExplore is more than two kids in a garage building a cool web site. It's a leader of the new revolution in dot-com start-ups," explains Deeb. "We've done extensive market and consumer research, developed a long-term business strategy, and recruited a seasoned management team to achieve an immediate market-leadership position."

iExplore is being led by an experienced team of "Fortune 500" executives recruited from the top companies in the travel technology, financial and consumer products industries to take the company to the forefront of the adventure travel market.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer George Deeb was previously a vice president in the investment banking department of Credit Suisse First Boston, where he was a specialist in consumer retailing. Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer Dave Tobiasz joined iExplore from Galileo International, one of the world's largest computer reservation systems, where he served as vice president-finance. Chief Technology Officer Lawrence Yamron previously was a technology strategist with International Consultants Consortium, where he most recently functioned as chief information officer for Qwest Communications and consulted Carlson Wagonlit Travel on the development of their customer information system for 100,000 travel agents and the re-engineering of their call centers. Chief Marketing Officer Peter Peterson brings 20 years of brand-building and image-marketing experience to iExplore from Kellogg Company, Canadian Tire, Johnson Controls, Inc. and S.C. Johnson & Son.

Other key officers in the company include the former head of training for Abercrombie & Kent, the world's largest adventure travel company; the former managing editor of Outside Magazine, the nation's leading adventure publication; and executives from Global Vacation Group, Conservation International, Allegro Resorts, The Chicago Tribune, Classified Ventures and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The Investors
Tribune (NYSE: TRB) is a leading media company with operations in television and radio broadcasting, publishing, education and interactive ventures. Tribune Ventures was formed in 1995 to invest in and partner with new-media and technology businesses. These partnerships build knowledge and experience that support Tribune's interactive businesses. Tribune's other equity partnerships include America Online, Excite, Food.com, iOwn, iVillage, Lightspan, Peapod, Pseudo Programs, Replay Networks and SuperMarkets Online. More information on Tribune Ventures is available at www.tribune.com/ventures.

Bear Ventures is a Silicon Alley-based private equity investment fund focusing on growth and Internet related investments. Considered Venture Architects (SM), Bear provides companies with the leadership, strategy and capital necessary to build a successful business. Started by entrepreneurs and backed by one of the largest private banks in the U.S., Bear is an operationally focused fund that provides value beyond capital to all of its portfolio companies.

iExplore, Inc., formerly known as The Adventure Experts.com, is focused on becoming the world's first one-stop brand resource for researching, purchasing and equipping the adventure and experiential travel market. Through an equally balanced offering of adventure-related content, community and commerce, the company is building the leading portal for off-the-beaten-path travelers. The company's website can be found at www.iExplore.com.