The apparel industry's Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo in San Diego this week is all about grabbing attention.

There are plenty of flashy booths, scantly clad women and hip clothes on display. But even that's not always good enough to get you noticed.

"ASR is the most important show for any brand in the action sports industry," said Bruce Beach, cofounder of Electric Visual Evolution in San Clemente. "If you don't have a good act here, your brand could be in trouble."

Costa Mesa-based Paul Frank Industries Inc. is bringing out its namesake designer for the show. Paul Frank is set to demonstrate sewing tricks on his first sewing machine, a red Singer. Showgoers will have a chance to bid on Frank's on-the-spot designs.

ASR, which is run from Laguna Beach and put on by Chantilly, Va.-based VNU Expositions Inc., typically attracts thousands of buyers, media types, professional athletes and others looking to check out the latest spring garb. Orange County companies such as Huntington Beach-based Quiksilver Inc., Irvine-based Billabong USA, and Hurley International and Volcom, both of Costa Mesa, dominate the show.

ASR is set for Friday through Sunday at the San Diego Convention Center.

"The spring tradeshow will set our company up for a great first quarter and a fantastic year," said Mike "Shooy" Schillmoeller, vice president of marketing at Irvine surfwear designer Rusty. "The Rusty brand is very focused and we're excited to showcase our great products."

Rusty is adding a twist to its usual exhibit.

Rusty Priesendorfer, the company's founder, is set to build custom surfboards for retailers at the show.

Surf "buzz" created by action sports movies and other reality TV shows this past year have been helping to fuel Rusty surf board sales, Schillmoeller said.

"Our surfboards have been retailing extremely well," he said.

And don't forget the partying.

Last year, companies blasted music from their booths and drew crowds with radical surf videos. Navel-pierced women in bikinis signed posters. Guys with tattoos and died black hair hung out with their buddies in the skate section.

Apparel brands use the show as a place to see and be seen. Companies spend a lot of time and cash to make their booths look cool. Some have fashion runways, neon lights, video screens and swanky furniture.

"Most important is how your products look," Electric's Beach said.

This is the first year Electric hired an outside company, San Clemente-based Displayit Inc., to build the company's booth. In the past, Electric built its own booth, Beach said.

The buzz this year "seems to be on any brand that is making money for the retailers," Beach said.

Electric, which sells sunglasses and goggles, is looking to get feedback on its new styles and make sure shop managers are "dialed into the entire line," Beach said.

"The eyewear category is riding the same swell as the surf category," he said. "Most of our accounts have increased their overall eyewear business."

ASR also is set to offer some brain food.

Trabuco Canyon-based Board-Trac Inc. is scheduled to host a series of seminars.

Lake Forest-based shoemaker Sole Technology Inc. plans to talk about skateboarding biomechanics research done by its research arm, Sole Technology Institute. The findings have influenced skate shoe designs, according to the company.

The trade show also is drawing apparel designers from outside the world of surfing, skating and other action sports.

J Lo by Jennifer Lopez, SevenZ, Analog from Burton and Dahlia are some of the brands planning to be on hand this year.