After months of planning and preparation, InventionHome, along with the North Hills School District, a large suburban school district in Pittsburgh, Pa., held the first annual Student Invention Convention Day. The day proved to be exciting, fun and a huge success for students, faculty and all who participated in the event.

Students across the district in grades 3 through 6 were encouraged to use their creativity and ingenuity to come up with an original invention idea to be entered into the Invention Convention contest. More than 80 students filled the tradeshow-like setup in the gymnasium on April 13th to participate in this creative event. It was a fun-filled day with educational workshops, invention-related workstations, guest speakers and other exciting activities.

Presentations were judged on originality and practicality, and finalists were chosen to compete for the winner’s trophy. Participating in the judging panel were the district’s own director of special education, superintendent and principal, other teachers from the district, parent volunteers, InventionHome representatives and attorney Dave Hrina. All the judges felt that while it was difficult to pick the finalists, it was easy to be extremely impressed by the students’ hard work, great ideas, and enthusiasm.

InventionHome artist Jimmy Kanfush also lent his talents and provided some much-needed laughs through his quirky caricatures of the students. Jimmy is used to helping our inventor-clients transform their ideas onto paper, but on this day it was the kids who lined up to see themselves transformed by Jimmy’s pen.

InventionHome thanks all of the participating students, administrators, teachers and parents for the chance to help them celebrate the spark of innovation! More pictures from this great day are available below.

For more information on planning a Student Invention Convention Day in your school district, please email mvelette@inventionhome.com.

Las Vegas, the city of non-stop action and opportunity, played home last week to the National Hardware Show, one of the largest and most respected product tradeshows in the United States. The show had over 2,200 corporate exhibitors and tens of thousands of buyer and corporate attendees. In addition, the show dedicated an entire hall for inventors and new products to be exhibited in an area called the Inventors Spotlight, which was sponsored and supported by InventionHome.

InventionHome has developed a strong working partnership with the National Hardware Show involving many components, including sponsoring and exhibiting within the Inventors Spotlight area.

Having such a strong presence at this show and others provides us with a unique opportunity to present our brand and products to the thousands of companies attending these shows annually. With such tremendous exposure to industry, we are continually adding and developing new company members to share inventions for the benefit of our inventor clients. Companies recognize that they can turn to InventionHome as an ongoing resource to find innovative new products available for sale or license.

Highlights from This Year’s Show

• InventionHome was the sponsor of the Inventor’s Spotlight area, which brought together over 100 inventors and entrepreneurs to both display their products and attend a pre-show educational seminar presented by the United Inventors Association. Industry leaders covered various topics in the inventing process during the seminar, headlined by Ron Hazelton, inventor, author and host of “Ron Hazelton’s” HouseCalls, now in it’s eleventh season.
• InventionHome is working with the National Hardware Show management to create an “after-show” opportunity whereby we will pull together a presentation of all the products exhibited in the Inventors Spotlight to be made available to the tens of thousands of companies that exhibited or attended the National Hardware Show. Along the way, this program will bring tremendous new exposure to InventionHome and our inventor clients. We are continually exploring and developing innovative strategies and programs to help our clients succeed.
• InventionHome sponsored and helped manage the “PitchTank” event, which featured Kevin Harrington of ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ and gave over 70 inventors the opportunity to pitch their wares face-to-face with the King of Infomercials. Kevin and his team had the daunting task of choosing just one inventor to receive a free 2 minute infomercial. After careful deliberation, “Jeweler in the Dishwasher” was chosen as the product in the PitchTank with the most potential for success on TV.
• Our marketing team fostered relationships with many new companies, including several multi-billion dollar companies who are avidly seeking new product opportunities. Over the past few years, the Inventors Spotlight has earned the reputation as a must-see area at the show so it was no surprise to see representatives from powerhouse companies, such as Sherwin Williams, Owen Corning, Rubbermaid and more, visiting inventor booths to source new products.

In all, we’ve added over 100 new member companies to our ranks as a result of our connections formed at the show. Although none of our staff hit big money on the Vegas slots, we did hit the jackpot in terms of great networking.

May is the perfect month to celebrate famous inventors and the inventions they developed to make our lives safer, easier, healthier, or just way cooler. In fact, just last year the U.S. Senate adopted a resolution to ensure Americans celebrate the wonderful innovations in their lives every May.

Inventors Digest Magazine is an original founder of National Inventors Month, traditionally celebrated in August. The longest-running publication for independent inventors has worked behind the scenes since last year to move National Inventors Month to May.

The month of May better aligns National Inventors Month with the K-12 academic calendar, allowing more youth to discover the profound contributions inventors have made—and continue to make—to society, said Inventors Digest Content Director Mike Drummond.

Make this May a month to remember by introducing the world to your own invention! Give InventionHome a call at 1-866-844-6512 or request a Free Inventor Consultation.

Independent inventor Grant A. enlisted the help of InventionHome to assist him in finding marketing and licensing opportunities for his invention.

Spring is in full swing, which means May’s Invention of the Month is just in time for those outdoor chores and home renovations. Abramson Knee Pad Hangers allow a user to work without having to adjust their knee pads. The invention attaches to existing knee pads on one end and a belt on the other, which keeps the pads from shifting down from the knees to the shins. The product has adjustable straps so it may fit a user of any size or height. This invention is ideal for use by skilled tradespeople who work in the construction industry or do-it-yourselfers looking to work without stopping sporadically to adjust their ill-fitting knee pads.

People who work in areas such as masonry, carpet installation or any industry that involves working close to the ground typically wear pads to protect their knees. However, even expensive, high-quality knee pads with adjustable back straps tend to fall off of the user’s knee and onto the shins. This forces users to constantly adjust their knee pads and can make them less productive throughout the day.

More Images of Abramson Knee Pad Hangers

Garden City, NY, April 17, 2012 — Lifetime Brands, Inc. will host its first-annual Inventor Open House on Thursday, May 31, 2012 at the company’s headquarters in Garden City, NY, conveniently located just outside New York City, only 20 miles from both John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia Airports.

The Inventor Open House event offers independent product developers an opportunity to learn about Lifetime Brands’ external licensing review process, and hear from key decision makers. A day of presentations, discussions, guided tours, and other activities are planned. In addition, inventors, designers, and product developers attending the Open House will have an opportunity to privately present their new product ideas.

In addition to key executives from Lifetime Brands, on hand for the day will be Warren Tuttle, Lifetime Brands External Open Innovation Director and President of the United Inventors Association, and Steve Greenberg, author of Gadget Nation and host of Food Network’s television program “Invention Hunters.”

Lifetime Brands is actively involved with the inventor community, regularly seeking out and reviewing product submissions, as well as providing valuable feedback to inventors. As such, Lifetime has built a reputation as an inventor-friendly company. Lifetime is featured in Food Network’s “Invention Hunters,” which has new episodes airing beginning May 14, 2012.”

Lifetime Brands is a provider of kitchenware, tabletop and other products used in the home. The Company markets its products under such well-known kitchenware brands as Farberware®, KitchenAid®, CasaMōda®, Cuisinart®, Cuisine de France®, Hoffritz®, Kizmos™, Misto®, Pedrini®, Roshco®, Sabatier® and Vasconia®; respected tabletop brands such as Mikasa®, Pfaltzgraff®, Creative Tops®, Calvin Klein®, Gorham®, International® Silver, Kirk Stieff®, Nautica®, Sasaki®, Towle® Silversmiths, Tuttle®, Wallace®, V&A® and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew®; and home solutions brands, including Elements®, Melannco®, Kamenstein® and Design for Living™. The Company’s corporate website is www.lifetimebrands.com.

Advance registration for the Inventor Open House is required. To register, secure a copy of the agenda, or obtain travel directions, please contact Warren Tuttle at warren@monasheemarketing.com, or visit www.monasheemarketing.com.

April 30th is the deadline for submitting your invention to the DRTV Product Summit, which will be held May 22, 2012 in Pittsburgh, PA. Remember we are looking for 24 inventors to pitch their products to the six DRTV companies in attendance. Product submissions are free and open to all inventors. Full details at the link below.

Submit Your Product FREE Today

Submissions will be accepted until April 30, 2012 and inventors will be informed if they have been selected to attend soon after that date.

In addition to the 75 new member companies, InventionHome also generated interest in more than two dozen inventions. “The value in sponsoring this show is immeasurable,” said Russ Williams, President of InventionHome. “By creating brand recognition for our company within the Housewares Industry, we create more opportunities to present our inventors’ products to more companies during and after the show.”

This year InventionHome was the VIP sponsor of the Inventors Corner, a section of the International Home + Housewares Show dedicated specifically to inventor demos, pitches, and other activities. As the Inventors Corner continues to grow in terms of size and reputation, more companies are realizing that it is a prime spot to meet inventors with innovative products.

Here are just a few other highlights from the Show:

Inventors Corner Demos and Pitch Sessions

While inventors demonstrated their inventions to potential buyers and licensees in their booths, the adjacent Inventors Revue area was hopping with events organized by the United Inventors Association (UIA). Panels of industry experts reviewed products and offered valuable advice for success.

Keynote Address by Kevin Harrington

Kevin Harrington, chairman and founder of TVGoods, Inc., gave the keynote address to a standing-room only crowd. Harrington, who is best known for his role on ABC’s inventor reality show Shark Tank, focused on the role of the inventor in the Direct Response industry, where he has over 25 years of experience. Kevin is a good friend and supporter of InventionHome.

QVC Sprouts Launch a Success

QVC was also on hand to roll out their new program for inventors called QVC Sprouts. InventionHome and the UIA worked with QVC to plan the Sprouts launch event, and turned out to be a major hit with the attendees. There was much cheering and clapping whenever an inventor pitching to the QVC Panel heard the words “Congratulations, you’ve been accepted into the QVC Sprouts program!” We’ll be sure to keep you updated on the QVC Sprouts opportunities that are sure to appear in the coming months.

Inventor Education Provided by the UIA

The Show Floor wasn’t the only place where inventors could find the worthwhile opportunities. UIA Education sessions were offered before the floor opened and many inventors took advantage of the free seminars and complimentary breakfast.

According to Jen Lawlor, long-time organizer of the Inventors Corner for the Show and current Director of Inventor Education and Events for the UIA, this year’s Show packed more value for the inventor than ever before. Jen described the buzz of activity around the inventor booths and said, “The Inventors Corner was one of the hottest attractions at the show which translated to lots of traffic for exhibitors. In addition we offered unsurpassed product pitching opportunities and education. Inventors looking to gain exposure for their new product, couldn’t have gotten a better bang for their buck!”

Independent inventor Lori H. of Fall City, Washington enlisted the help of MatchProduct.com, an affiliate division of InventionHome, to assist her in finding marketing and licensing opportunities for her invention.

EZ Bouquet is a recyclable and reusable plastic sphere with two identical halves that snap together in order to fit vases of various shapes and sizes. The gridded framework holds flower stems in place, making beautiful flower arrangements quick and easy.

There are three large holes that can be used for three focal flowers and the grid pattern assists in making flower arrangements symetrical and balanced. EZ Bouquet can fit in a variety of vases of different shapes and sizes and can be used in a multitude of ways. In addition, EZ Bouquet can be filled with floral foam to make fresh flower pomanders and flower orbs for weddings or special events.

More Images of EZ Bouquet

The Licensee is a company that distributes products through various channels including television (“as seen on TV”), catalog, and retail.  At the time of license, the company had already secured interest from a multi-billion dollar beauty company.  We expect the product to be available on the market later this year.

Congratulations, Marlene and Judy!

The company that licensed the device plans to approach not only their DIY/hardware retail accounts, but also some commercial accounts that service the restaurant industry.  A retail launch for mid-2012 is expected.

Congratulations, June!