Trade publisher Penton Media awarded MeritDirect management of its databases effective April 1. The previous manager was Walter Karl.
The files contains subscribers to Penton's business-to-business magazines and Web sites and attendees, as well as registrants to its trade shows. These include a 5.5 million-universe postal database, a 2.1 million-universe e-mail database and a 4.1 million-universe telemarketing database.
Penton emerged from bankruptcy protection last week. It filed for Chapter 11 on February 9.
The company owns the Direct, Supermarket News and Promo titles, among others.