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Because I’ve participated in more trade shows than I can remember (since shortly after college when I was a brand-new entrepreneur), it’s tough to even recall my very first experience. But there are definitely some rookie mistakes that I remember from those early years!

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Whether or not you’re using Twitter in your trade show marketing strategy, you probably know what it is — a site that allows people to share thoughts in 140 characters or less.

Understanding this principle will also serve you well in your booth. It’s always smart to spend 80 percent of time listening to attendees’ needs, wants and frustrations, with only 20 percent of your time spent talking. But to do that, you need to understand the concept of speaking in sound bites (or tweets).

If you’re planning to go “big” at your next trade show, then be sure that you’re consistent about it.

At a show I attended recently, I noticed some exhibitor inconsistencies. There was one company with a high profile in the industry who was one of the show’s sponsors, yet only had a 10×10′ space. While that alone was surprising, what was more curious was the way the staff treated attendees. There was no greeting, and when an attendee expressed interest in the product, only a short and aloof answer was given. No offer to demonstrate the product, no questions about what the attendee wanted, nothing. Needless to say, attendees weren’t lingering at that booth.

While there are a lot of things worth copying about the success of the Consumer Electronics Show, there’s one area where they lag far behind other expos.

It seems that among the hundreds of media mentions at last week’s event, there were several (including Inc. Magazine and the Huffington Post) who zeroed in on the fact that a number of CES exhibits still feature what’s commonly known as “booth babes.” This antiquated practice started decades ago in male-dominated industries as a way to draw men into the exhibit. But there are a number of problems with this strategy today, as pointed out in a video by the BBC.

Whether or not you’re a fan of Lady Gaga, chances are you’ve heard about some of her wild and crazy antics. (Remember the meat dress?) But regardless of your feelings for her or her music, if you pay attention you can learn some great marketing lessons.

Lesson #1: No matter how big you are, act small.

In about three years, Lady Gaga went from a total unknown to having over 42 million Facebook fans and 13 million Twitter followers. But she still maintains a two-way dialogue and even engages fans in real-time by tweeting at her shows.