ADVANTAGE OCTAGON: GROUP COMPLETES MERGER OF TWO COMPANIES

          Sports marketing & entertainment group Octagon
     announced it will merge two of its companies, Washington,
     DC-based Advantage Int'l and London-based The API Group. 
     Octagon, which bought Advantage and 60% of API in May '97,
     acquired the remaining 40% of API to facilitate the merger
     of the two companies.  The new company, which will have over
     500 staff members in 21 offices covering five continents,
     will be led by Advantage co-Founder & Chair Lee Fentress. 
     API Chair Alan Pascoe will leave the company after 15 years.
     It was also announced that API CEO Matthew Wheeler will take
     a Senior Management role with Octagon in London (Octagon).