Autobytel Inc. Title Sponsor of Tenth Annual 2005 Economic Forecast Conference

Seven Hundred California Business Leaders to Attend Conference on Growth Prospects and Emerging Issues in O.C.; Second-Year Title Sponsor Autobytel Celebrates 10 Years of Orange County Success by Hosting 10th Annual Conference

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 20 -- What will be the key issues for the Orange County business community in 2005? How will the national elections and geopolitical instability impact our regional economy? Seven hundred business and academic leaders from across the region are expected to converge at the 2005 Economic Forecast Conference (EFC) to tackle these and other critical questions about the economic future of our state and local economies. This 10th annual joint conference between Cal State Fullerton's College of Business and Economics and the Orange County Business Council (OCBC) is being presented by second-year Title Sponsor Autobytel Inc., which is also celebrating 10 years as a leader in the Orange County business community.

From humble beginnings in a small office above a fireplace store in Corona Del Mar, California, Irvine-based Autobytel has grown into a multi-million dollar company with more than 400 employees, five car-buying and research web sites, 35 automaker clients and 35,000 dealer relationships. "Our success is, in no small part, due to Orange County's robust business and innovation climate and its extraordinary pool of talent," said Autobytel Inc. President and CEO Jeffery Schwartz. "We view our sponsorship of this very important event as an opportunity to give back to the business and the education communities that have been so instrumental in our success."

This year's EFC topic will be Growth Prospects and Emerging Issues for The O.C. -- Now and in the Future and will feature keynote speaker Dr. Anil Puri, dean of Cal State Fullerton's College of Business and Economics and co-director of the university's Institute for Economic and Environmental Studies. In addition, Puri will participate in a panel discussion with Paul Folino, chairman and CEO of Emulex, and Larry Ainsworth, president and CEO of St. Joseph-Orange about the outlook of the health and technology industries.

The Economic Forecast Conference attracts more than 700 attendees and numerous corporate sponsors each year. All attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Dr. Puri's Economic Report.

   2005 Economic Forecast Conference

   Where:     Hyatt Regency Irvine
              17900 Jamboree Road
              Irvine, California 92614

   When:      Tuesday, October 26th, 2004
              7:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Breakfast & Program

   Contact:   Marissa Espino at mespino@ocbc.org or 949/794-7225 to obtain a
              press Pass or visit the OCBC web site at www.ocbc.org.

  About Autobytel Inc.

Autobytel Inc., a leading Internet automotive marketing services company, helps retailers sell cars and manufacturers build brands through marketing, advertising, data and CRM (customer relationship management) products and programs. The Company owns and operates the automotive websites Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, Car.com, Carsmart.com, and AutoSite.com, as well as AIC (Automotive Information Center), a trusted industry source of automotive marketing data and technology for over 20 years. Autobytel is also a leader in dealership lead management and CRM solutions and owns and operates AVV, Inc., a top provider of dealership CRM and sales management products, and Retention Performance Marketing, Inc. (RPM(R)), which powers dealerships with cutting-edge customer loyalty and retention marketing programs. As the Internet's largest new car buying service, Autobytel generates over a billion dollars a month in car sales for dealers through its services and was the most visited new car buying and research destination in 2003, reaching millions of car shoppers as they made their vehicle buying decisions. Autobytel's car- selling sites and lead management products are used by more of the nation's top-100 e-dealers than any other program.