LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. — This morning, DealerTrack announced the co-sponsors of its second annual Innovation Conference scheduled for Sept. 17 to 18 in Las Vegas.

According to officials, the headline sponsor, Manheim, will be presenting on The Future of Online Auctions.

Mike Lang, Manheim's chief marketing officer, said, "Manheim is proud to partner with DealerTrack as the headline sponsor of the Innovation Conference, one of the premier events in the auto retail industry.

"We are honored to be part of an event that brings together dealers, lenders and other partners in this educational forum, which benefits the entire auto retailing industry," he added.

Meanwhile, gold sponsors, including The Cobalt Group, Microsoft Corp., Autobase and AIMData, will participate in panel discussions on topics, such as Driving More Leads to Increase Profit and Unit Sales, The Open Dealer Management System and more, the company announced.

In addition, seven other leading technology providers will be exhibiting at the conference. These silver sponsors include: AmazingMail, DealerSocket, eOriginal, First Advantage CREDCO, KEYper Systems, NADA Analytical Services Group and SIRIUS Satellite Radio.

All participating companies will be available to answer questions after their sessions, executives noted.

DealerTrack officials went on to announce that Dave Schembri, president of smart USA, will be on hand at the event to share marketing plans and other key information about his company's innovative technology.

"The smart car is remarkably compact and provides ecological benefits through extremely high fuel economy," executives pointed out.

More specifically, Mark O'Neil, chairman and chief executive officer of DealerTrack, added, "We would like to thank in advance the co-sponsors of our second Innovation Conference. The joining of these leading technology companies has enhanced the value of the conference.

"We are excited to bring together these pioneers from the auto retailing world to facilitate discussions on emerging technologies and innovative ideas that will shape the industry and take it to the next level," he continued.

The Innovation Conference will be held at the Paris Hotel & Casino. It will feature golf and poker networking opportunities Sept. 17, with the educational sessions beginning the following day.

The educational sessions will include keynote presentations by Matthew May and Josh "Chop" Towbin, as well as interactive breakout sessions.

For more information on conference rates, registration and accommodations, visit www.dt-innovationconference.com.