As the Nielsen Company awaits word from the Securities and Exchange Commission on its registration for an Initial Public Offering, the company today in its first half earnings report said cost reductions helped operating income for its Expositions segment more than double to $26 million through the first six months, compared to $10 million during the same period in 2009.

The reported profit jump comes as the segment’s revenues slipped 13.4 percent to $87 million, versus $101 million during the first half last year. During a conference call regarding the earnings report, Nielsen attributed the revenue decline to a reduction in vendor attendance, especially in the building and construction sectors.

Nielsen did not expand on what specific cost cutting measures helped boost operating income for the Expositions group.

For the second quarter, Expositions reported an operating income of $8 million, up from a $4 million loss during the same three-month period in 2009.

Nielsen annually produces roughly 40 tradeshows across 20 industries. It says its Expositions group has contributed to only 3 percent of the company’s overall revenue so far in 2010. Nielsen also operates businesses in media audience measurement and analytics, as well as consumer purchasing measurement and analytics.