All he wants to do is dance with his Aqua Caddy.

Not that John Yakopcic is fond of romantically swaying with golf merchandise, but dancing is the last chapter of his elaborate daydream of PGA Merchandise Show success.

Yakopcic, a general contractor from McMurray, Pa., will have no plasma TVs or models at his 10-foot-by-10-foot booth during the Thursday-Saturday annual event at the Orange County Convention Center. All he has is a sign, his brother from New Jersey and a patent on his product.

If his daydream plays out accurately today, crowds will flock to his demonstration just to gloat over the Aqua Caddy, a $19.99 golf-bag attachment that cleans clubs.

"And then I'll dance, because that means we won the award for best of show" he said. "Whatever dances they do in Florida, that's what I'll be doing. And I believe we can because I can envision all this in my head."

Those crowds will not include any people likely to buy and use the product. Only golf retailers, PGA members, members of the media and special guests have access to the show.

Over 55 years, the Merchandise Show has evolved from trunks of cars to tents to a hub for today's $62-billion industry, as announced by the PGA at last year's show.

But stories of start-up exhibitors like Yakopcic still embody much of the show's essence.

Whether you wear a three-piece suit or a $3-dollar tie, whether you have a 100-square-foot booth or an 8,000-square-foot extravaganza like Callaway or Nike, it's still about whether the product is quality.

Everyone is chasing after the same bait -- the estimated $1,000-a-year budget today's avid golfer spends on equipment and apparel, according to Golf Datatech.

Yakopcic is certainly not alone in believing his product is good. The 391 other start-up exhibitors might say something along those same lines, which can give the 23rd version of the Orlando show a stock-market feel of competitiveness.

"If it's a beehive, the bees will swarm to your booth," said John Krzynowek, a co-founder of Golf Datatech. "The buzz can fill the room, and you can tell immediately, sometimes in minutes, who's going to be successful. It can be a dogfight out there."

The PGA Show has become a walking collage of more than 1,200 retailers, international networking, educational seminars, concerts, golfing, celebrity sightings and Las Vegas lights. If you were to walk down every aisle, you would have gone 10 miles.

What started as a bunch of salesman out of Dunedin now has multimedia simulcasts and 81 different countries represented.

Its constant evolution, however, has changed the way products are unveiled by removing part of the mystery.

Many of golf's staples made their debut at the show, including Callaway's famous Big Bertha driver that was mocked at first because of the enormousness of its driving head. That same club could be considered a 3-wood today because of the advancements over the years. Soft-spike cleats made metal obsolete.

Though major companies still debut products at the show, they often test clubs and equipment months before they hit the show floors, Krzynowek said. Wednesday's Demo Day at Orange County National showcased some of the hottest products before the show.

Companies like Taylor Made and Titleist won't even man a trade booth this year, following the trend of other companies in years past.

Ed Several, the general manager of the PGA Show, said the formula was simple four years ago -- 80 percent retail, 20 percent networking and education. That equation is now 50/50.

A stagnant golf industry that hasn't seen double-digit returns in years has prompted changes, Krzynowek said.

"We've transformed with the industry," Several said. "We had to cater to the needs of the audience. They wanted both. But it all comes back to interacting and this show setting the tone for the year in golf."

What never leaves is the dream of start-up exhibitors who want to shake hands with potential buyers.

Lounge19.com, a Web site specializing in networking and brand awareness for the golf industry, aims to capitalize on that audience by pulling out all the stops.

The company has hired two models to work the front of the booth while executives navigate the site from overhead TVs. They paid extra money for a 10 x 20 booth. The entire team will wear a Lounge19 uniform.

Jeff Moreno, an account executive with Lounge19, said his company expects success, though it might not be overnight.

"If no one's talking about us, that's going to be a problem," Moreno said.

To get people talking takes competition. In years past, vendors have used anything from models to air horns to superfluous stereo systems to invite potential buyers.

All are fighting for the attention of customers who have many options. The smart merchants take advantage of the educational aspects of the show, said Ken Morton, a general manager of Haggin Oaks Golf Complex in Sacramento, Calif.

Morton brings anywhere from 25 to 30 co-workers to observe the show and learn about golf trends, technologies and advancements.

"It's more than just buying merchandise," Morton said. "There are a myriad of reasons to attend this over what it used to be."

Teaching is nice, but this year's show will undoubtedly start and end with a handshake and a booth demonstration of a product.

If Yakopcic has his way, that booth will be his.

"At the end of the day, it's still about the trade," Several said."There's a sense of purpose with each aisle you walk."