Here are trade show booth idea starters to get the event's energy and momentum flowing at your space. The suggestions below are intended to spark your own brainstorming session. Even on a modest budget, there are things you can do to build recognition for your business, attract targeted visitors, and communicate your product's benefits.

Designing your exhibit was the first step. Once you're at the show, maintaining a good energy flowing through your booth will attract attention and bring results. Keeping in mind your goals for the event, your targeted customer, your product's benefits and features, and your unique selling point, consider these suggestions as a springboard to your own unique boothmanship.

Here are ten trade show booth ideas even the smallest budget can incorporate. You can even use some of these at speaking engagements and other presentations.

1. Have a visual point at your booth -- like a PowerPoint show or a television with a video playing. Put together a workshop video, even if it isn't professional quality. People will usually not look at it more than three minutes before they feel conspicuous and will approach you.

2. Have a photo album with success stories and pictures. This is especially great for independent professionals selling an intangible product. Pictures of workshop attendees having fun and doing various projects or a celebration in your office with your clients is very connecting and attractive. People like to belong to things that they perceive as "successful."

3. Have a drawing for something that is valuable and attractive to your customers. Don't give away something lying around your office or something that has your ego attached; this is very unattractive.

4. Candy bowl. One they have to reach deep into. Don't fill it up - let it look like there isn't much left. That's even more attractive. They want to reach in before it's all gone.

5. Hire an intelligent model with a marketing background to assist you. Someone "very attractive" will draw visitors in, and their intelligent presentation will convert many visitors to customers.

6. Do what grocery stores do - demonstrate how to use your product. Wear a headset microphone and have a small speaker attached.

7. Wear clothes with your logo. Name tags are great for participants but displaying your logo or name is important for building your brand, even when you're away from your booth. If you can't afford to have logo t-shirts or other clothing professionally done, create your own using inkjet transfers and your computer printer.

8. Don't just stand behind the booth. Get in front of it and mix and mingle.

9. Stand up in your booth and smile. If you get tired go somewhere else to rest, and have someone else with an attractive, approachable energy take over for a while. A good rule of thumb is to rotate the energy every 30 to 60 minutes.

10. Display your web site name big and bold in the background. Make the name a different color than the "www" and the ".com".

Start your own trade show booth idea file. Whenever you come across articles or photos that inspire you for things you'd like to try, add them to your file. At trade shows, take the opportunity to walk through and take notes on other exhibits and presentations.

It's helpful to know what you don't like as well as what you do like. Also, if you can define reasons for why you do or don't like what other businesses do at their booths, it will help you evolve your own display and presentation into an exhibit that resonates with you and with your customers.

And whenever you sign up for a trade show, go through your trade show booth idea file and find new things to add to your display or try in your