Unpredictable. Unfocused. Just like life.

I've worked pretty much every technology trade show there is. I've worked with companies with the largest booth at CES and Comdex, and I've worked with companies with the smallest booths too. And if you're a small company trying to get noticed, you can really get drowned in the noise.

As the New York Times notes, a small company can spend a lot of money just to attend a show like CES.And after blowing all that cash, they may not even be noticed.

I've had loud multimedia demos. I've had tasteful models as booth theater ushers. I've even had a surfboard in my booth back in the early days of the web. While it is always important to have a good product, at a show like CES it is often the glitzy stuff and the big, showy booths that attract attendees.

But it is a great place to meet people, and the best way to make use of the show is as an opportunity to meet potential customers and partners face to face.