The Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest Set for Another Season in the Minor Leagues

Four years. Two hundred ball parks. More than 1.2 million fans. The Principal Financial Group® and its title sponsorship of the Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest have made an indelible mark on the world of minor league baseball with the world’s largest traveling celebration of baseball, set to enter its fifth year in 2008. The 2008 tour will launch in March at Florida Spring Training sites, and continue throughout the season with 50 total appearances. For a full list of 2008 tour dates, visit www.principal.com/funfest. The Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest is created and produced by Entertainment and Sports International. "The Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest is the most ambitious event ever orchestrated on the national level in support of minor league baseball, and we couldn’t be more excited about its success,” said Steve Whitty, vice president of corporate marketing for the Principal Financial Group. "The event reaches our target market of growing businesses and the employees who work for them in a way that is truly unique and valuable. To be able to offer free, family-oriented entertainment to communities across the country – where our employees, customers and business partners live – is a unique opportunity that The Principal is proud to share.” Midway, Museum and More … Open three hours before the game and set up right outside the stadium gates, the Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest is free to all fans as it travels to more than 50 cities each year. The event features more than 20 baseball themed attractions, including: a midway with batting cages, giant slides, bounce houses, carnival games, bungee runs and a special "Rookie Zone” for younger fans a minor league baseball museum with exclusive video from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum a state of the art Xbox 360 Home Run Derby Video Game Trailer with the latest baseball and family games free souvenir personalized baseball cards and magazine covers "The minor leagues offer fans a great baseball experience,” said Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, minor league team owner and national spokesperson for the Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest. "From exceptional value to a safe, family environment, fans get to see competitive professional baseball with non-stop entertainment. The Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest extends that excitement before the game with an event truly unique to minor league ballparks.” Pitch In For Baseball Added to 2008 Season The Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest will give fans the opportunity to share the game of baseball with kids around the world through "Pitch In For Baseball,” a national non-profit organization with a mission to collect new and used baseball and softball equipment for young people in underserved communities. Anyone donating new or used equipment to the special collection tent will receive valuable coupons from Xbox 360 and Best Buy, and an exclusive home team ticket offer. "Playing baseball may not solve all of the world’s problems, but it can certainly help,” said baseball superstar Reggie Jackson. "Every child should have a chance to experience all the great things about baseball, from learning teamwork and sportsmanship, to the fun of being outdoors with friends and slugging your first home run. I hope baseball fans everywhere will join me in applauding the Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest, Xbox 360 and Best Buy in supporting the efforts of ‘Pitch In for Baseball.’” Strikeouts and Savings – The Principal Makes the Connection In 2005, the Principal Financial Group added the 401-K Challenge Cup and sweepstakes to the Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest, which challenges teams along the tour route to be the first to record 401 strikeouts at home. The winning team receives the prestigious 401-K Challenge Cup and gives one fan who voted for the team a $5,000 sweepstakes grand prize. Each participating team presents a winning local fan with a Best Buy gift card and membership to the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The Huntsville Stars are the reigning champs. "As the nation’s 401(k) leader, The Principal is having fun highlighting the importance of saving for retirement through the 401-K Challenge Cup while creating a little good-natured competition with the ball clubs,” noted Whitty. "While it’s not a requirement, the $5,000 grand prize could be a step in the right direction to help the winners secure their financial futures.” About the Principal Financial Group The Principal Financial Group® (The Principal ®)1 is a leader in offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement and investment services, life and health insurance, and banking through its diverse family of financial services companies. A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $306 billion in assets under management2 and serves some 18.3 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com. About Entertainment & Sports International Entertainment & Sports International (ESI) is a partnership of two experienced sports and entertainment executives who have worked with some of the best-known entertainment brands of the past two decades. From offices in New York and West Palm Beach, Fla., the company creates and produces distinctive and proprietary sports and entertainment properties and events. For more information, visit www.esimarketing.com. 2008 Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest Tour Stops (as of 1/17/08) (a) New teams All dates and teams subject to change. 3/1-31   (a)Florida MLB Spring Training 3/1 (a)Florida Marlins (Jupiter) 3/2 (a)St. Louis Cardinals (Jupiter) 3/8 (a)Toronto Blue Jays (Dunedin) 3/9 (a)Philadelphia Phillies (Clearwater) 3/15 (a)New York Mets (Port St. Lucie) 3/22 (a)Washington Nationals (Viera) 3/23 (a)Detroit Tigers (Lakeland) 4/25 Birmingham Barons (Alabama) (AA) 4/27 Huntsville Stars (Alabama) (AA) 5/2 Charleston RiverDogs (South Carolina) (A) 5/4 Augusta GreenJackets (Georgia) (A) 5/6 Asheville Tourists (North Carolina) (A) 5/9 Winston-Salem Warthogs (North Carolina) (A+) 5/11 Charlotte Knights (North Carolina) (AAA) 5/15 Salem Avalanche (Virginia) (A+) 5/16 Frederick Keys (Maryland) (A+) 5/18 Harrisburg Senators (Pennsylvania) (AA) 5/20 Wilmington Blue Rocks (Delaware) (A+) 5/24 (a)Portland Sea Dogs (Maine) (AA) 5/26 Pawtucket Red Sox (Rhode Island) (AAA) 5/27 New Britain Rock Cats (Connecticut) (AA) 5/30 Syracuse Chiefs (New York) (AAA) 6/1 Rochester Red Wings (New York) (AAA) 6/4 South Bend Silver Hawks (Indiana) (A) 6/6 Cedar Rapids Kernels (Iowa) (A) 6/8 Peoria Chiefs (Illinois) (A) 6/12 Schaumburg Flyers (Illinois) (Ind) 6/14 Rockford Riverhawks (Illinois) (Ind) 6/18 Lincoln Saltdogs (Nebraska) (Ind) 6/20 Iowa Cubs (Des Moines) (AAA) 6/22 Kansas City T-Bones (Missouri) (Ind) 6/25 St. Paul Saints (Minnesota) (Ind) 6/28 Omaha Royals (Nebraska) (AAA) 7/1 Springfield Cardinals (Missouri) (AA) 7/3, 4 Tulsa Drillers (Oklahoma) (AA) 7/6 Oklahoma City RedHawks (Oklahoma) (AAA) 7/10 Arkansas Travelers (North Little Rock) (AA) 7/13 Round Rock Express (Texas) (AAA) 7/18 Fort Worth Cats (Texas) (Ind) 7/21 Corpus Christi Hooks (Texas) (AA) 7/25 Tucson Sidewinders (Arizona) (AAA) 7/29 Modesto Nuts (California) (A+) 7/30 Sacramento RiverCats (California) (AAA) 8/5 Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (California) (A+) 8/8 Las Vegas 51s (Nevada) (AAA) 8/11 Salt Lake Bees (Utah) (AAA) 8/16 River City Rascals (Missouri) (Ind) 8/19 Evansville Otters (Indiana) (Ind) 8/23 Fort Wayne Wizards (Indiana) (A) 8/27 Akron Aeros (Ohio) (AA) 8/29 Lakewood BlueClaws (New Jersey) (A) 1 "The Principal Financial Group" and "The Principal” are registered service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group. 2 As of September 30, 2007