As promised before I left, I want to announce the 2011 “Inventor of the Year.”

Leonard Mangalindan, of Tustin, California, for his invention, “Power Press™.”

The Power Press™ is a complete pushup training system that gives one a total upper body workout. It tones several different muscle groups by using a color-coded system on just one board. To use, an individual simply inserts the included hand grips into the corresponding color-coded spaces to work a specific muscle group. The invention helps to promote proper pushup form and position and is ideal for all different fitness levels.

Thirty-seven inventors from the InventHelp-INPEX^® New Product Showcase pitched their products to a panel of experts from the Direct Response Industry. As a prize, Leonard received two complimentary passes to the ERA Moxie Awards, held Thursday evening at the close of the show. I was excited to present Leonard with a trophy at the ceremony on behalf of InventHelp^® & INPEX^®, recognizing his achievement at being named “Inventor of the Year” by the expert panelists!

The other four inventors who got to see their products pitched on stage by professional pitchmen and women were:

Gary Hills, Holiday Light Saver

Michael McVan, BoxerBall

Kendra Rivers, Keep it Klose

Joe Watrach, Sleeve Links

Congratulations to Leonard, and to all of our inventors! It was a great week and we can’t wait for next year!

If you are exhibiting at INPEX® and have any last minute questions about the show, please contact your account representative for information.

Livia Bebing – 1-888-544-6739, ext. 4113

Kimberly Behr – 1-888-544-6739, ext. 4115

Lenora Flenniken – 1-888-544-6739, ext .4117

Alan McDonough – 1-888-544-6739, ext. 4169

We look forward to seeing you next week!

The ERA is the only trade association that represents the global leaders of the direct-to-consumer marketplace – companies which use the power of direct response to sell goods and services on television, online and on radio. Their ERA D2C Convention, held annually in Las Vegas, is billed as the only trade show dedicated to direct response retail sales and product development on TV, radio and online.

In order to see if your invention qualifies to present to the ERA panel on Thursday, you’ll need to make sure to attend the INPEX® Inventor’s University™ seminar conducted by Jeff Meltzer Wednesday at 8 a.m. Please note: Attendance at this seminar is mandatory for anyone interested in the opportunity to present their product to the ERA. Jeff will discuss what makes a good product, how to find the right people to source it and which categories sell best on TV, in stores and in print both nationally and worldwide. He will also cover how to perfect the 90-second “elevator pitch,” and help to give inventors the knowledge that they need to move forward in the competitive Direct Response industry.

During the show hours on Wednesday, visit Jeff Meltzer and Michael Planit in the ERA booth on the show floor to discuss your product. They will pre-qualify the invention and decide whether it’s an appropriate product to present to the panel on Thursday, June 16. If the product is pre-qualified, the inventor will be given a time to present to the panel. On Thursday, the panel will decide during that inventor’s presentation and time slot if they will invite them to participate in the ERA D2C Convention in Las Vegas.

If you think your product would be a good fit to present to the ERA and haven’t yet purchased a booth, call 1-888-54-INPEX to speak to an account representative today. There are just a few booth spaces left!

Patrick Raymond – Patrick’s leadership in the invention community has been recognized in national media and major industry events. He will be co-hosting an inventor-friendly TV show for a major cable channel. Initially, Patrick was reasonably content working on Madison Avenue as a VP of strategic planning for global consumer brands. But his decade-long career as an “adman” ended in 2005 … when a particularly clingy shower curtain turned him into an accidental inventor. Thus began his amazing journey as an independent inventor that saw his product sold in national retail stores and DRTV. In 2007, he started the Inventors Association of Manhattan, a non-profit with 600+ members today. He was also elected to the Board of the national United Inventors Association (UIA).

In 2008, he was elected to be Executive Director of the UIA. He produced a ground-breaking 10-part educational video entitled What Every Inventor Needs to Know with 15 of the country’s top experts. A national guest speaker and product judge, he led 11-judge panel in the Inventor’s Spotlight at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas in 2009 and 2010.

Patrick then invented the InventionScore™, a revolutionary diagnostic algorithm that pinpoints where an inventor stands, and how to improve for maximum negotiating power with investors and companies. A regular contributor to Inventors Digest magazine, Patrick was named Editor-at-Large in 2011. Patrick holds a BA in Mass Communications and an MBA. He lives in New York City.

Andrej Skrinjar – Hailing from Slovenia, Andrej had traveled to INPEX in 2000 as a delegate himself with other Slovenian inventors. From 1999-2002, Andrej was the leader of the Slovenian business innovation network, which was a group that evaluated inventions and innovations from Slovenia, Germany, Switzerland and the United States.

With 16 years of experience in management, he initiated and led several development programs in the business center of Novo Mesto in Slovenia. Additionally, he is highly skilled in the organizing of the production process, construction and total quality management. He has developed programs and support mechanisms for work processes as well as individuals. He is a mechanical engineer and holds two degrees, including a Master of Science and BA in economy and marketing.

Andrej is fluent in Croation, English, German and French.

Every invention at INPEX has the opportunity to be judged by a committee of judges. The judges will walk the show floor on Wednesday, evaluate the invention and talk to each inventor about his or her idea. Gold medals will be given in over 40 product categories at the International Awards Dinner and Ceremony on Friday, June 17, after the close of the show.

Don’t miss the opportunity to exhibit your invention, and get your invention judged at INPEX® 2011. Find out more about INPEX®, America’s largest invention trade show, held June 14-17, in Pittsburgh. Call 1-888-54-INPEX to speak to one of our account representatives to help reserve your booth today!

In the past, we’ve always conducted the INPEX® Inventor’s University™ seminars each morning before the opening of the show floor. To better serve both the exhibitors and the business attendees, we’ve changed the format a bit this year. On Tuesday, June 14, exhibitors will be able to set up their booths, and can then attend an “inventor’s boot camp” of sorts starting at 12:30 p.m. Classes and seminars will run back-to-back all afternoon conveniently located in the Monroeville Convention Center.

After the informative afternoon sessions, we’ll hold a short exhibitor networking session at 6:00 p.m. with light refreshments. We’ll then launch into our last class of the evening, INPEX® 101. This seminar is where I will share my knowledge of exhibiting with INPEX® inventors, discuss how to get the most out of the “INPEX® experience” and fill inventors in on proper trade show etiquette. I’ll also cover the scheduled events planned for the show.

Then, INPEX’s sister company, Intromark Incorporated, will discuss a variety of topics including exhibiting, qualifying and following up with companies, as well as the basics to licensing before closing with a general question & answer session. Our Inventor’s University™ classes will finish this year with an 8:00 a.m. session Wednesday morning with Jeff Meltzer (mandatory if you would like the opportunity to present your product to the ERA panel,) followed by keynote speaker Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

We encourage inventors to arrive early to check in and set up their booths so they can take full advantage of these Tuesday afternoon classes and seminars. Classes include topics such as: creating a brand for your invention, getting publicity for your idea, licensing information, raising venture capital and perfecting your pitch.

Call your account executive at 1-888-54-INPEX with any questions!

Wendy will also be speaking at INPEX® during the Inventor’s University on Tuesday, June 14, at 3:00 p.m. She’ll be providing inventors with the following tips at her seminar:

• Find out exactly who your buyers are and what they are looking for
• Learn the 6 steps you need to know to pitch your product and what would help buyers to purchase from you
• Practice your pitch in front of Wendy and others in the class

She will then walk the show floor on Wednesday, meeting with inventors and allowing them to pitch their product to her. Wendy will be looking for products that she can pitch to America’s Home Shopping Network (HSN!)

Wendy Robbins co-starred in the TLC series Homemade Millionaire with Kelly Ripa, showing women how to manufacture, distribute and pitch their inventions to HSN. She is the founder of Nowhere to Millionaire LLC, and the group “1,000,000 Fulfilled and Financially Free Women Making a Difference.”

Wendy has had her share of struggles including leaving home at 14, being homeless and living in her car. She went from being $10,000 in debt to making millions by co-inventing and marketing The Tingler™ head massager.

She is a leading expert on mastering the “millionaire mindset” and how to manufacture and market ideas. Her best-selling book, “Why Marry A Millionaire? Just Be One! (And While You’re At It, Change The World!“) is currently being distributed by Hay House World-Wide.

For more information on Wendy Robbins please visit www.nowheretomillionaire.com
andwww.wendyrobbinscoaching.com

Do you think you have the next big idea for HSN? Don’t miss the opportunity to pitch your product to Wendy at INPEX® 2011! Find out more about INPEX® 2011, America’s largest invention trade show, held June 14-17, in Pittsburgh. Call 1-888-54-INPEX to speak to one of our account representatives to help reserve your booth today! Booths are filling fast!

This week, I am featuring Jill Lublin, CEO of JillLublin.com. Jill will be speaking from 2:00-2:50 p.m., Tuesday, June 14, on the following topic:

Be the News!

Praised as a modern-day Dale Carnegie for how to be influential, Jill Lublin authored the bestselling book Get Noticed…Get Referrals: Build Your Client Base and Your Business by Making a Name for Yourself (McGraw-Hill, June 2008). She is also the coauthor of two other national bestselling books, Networking Magic which rose to #1 on the Barnes and Noble charts for three weeks, and Guerrilla Publicity, the PR bible. Jill is the founder of GoodNews Media, Inc. and hosts the TV program, Messages of Hope, and the nationally syndicated radio show, Do the Dream. In addition she has created two audio programs, three DVD training videos, and a workbook.

Jill is a popular international speaker who teaches powerful publicity, networking, and how to be influential techniques. As the CEO of the strategic consulting firm, Promising Promotion, Jill has trained companies in innovative techniques to improve bottom line results. In the past twenty years, she has worked with ABC, NBC, CBS, and other national media, and knows what the media wants.

Jill has been featured in The New York Times, Women’s Day, Fortune Small Business, Inc, and Entrepreneur Magazine, and on ABC and NBC radio and TV national affiliates.

For more information about Jill, please visit www.JillLublin.com.

As always, keep checking back to our website for a complete list of updated speakers and seminar titles and schedules. Don’t miss this opportunity to include your invention at INPEX® 2011, held June 14-17 at the Monroeville Convention Center, just outside of Pittsburgh! Call 1-888-54-INPEX to speak to one of our account representatives and book your booth today!

We here at INPEX® look forward to 2011 and our 26th INPEX® trade show. We are busy planning new product reviews, university seminars and events for the week of June 14-17th. We encourage you to keep checking our website to get the most updated information.

In 2010, we celebrated our 25th annual show, as well as the biggest INPEX® to date, and we’re aiming to make it even bigger and better in 2011! One of our New Year’s resolutions is to make INPEX® 2011 the best possible experience for both our inventors and our business attendees.

INPEX® 2011, America’s largest invention trade show, will be held June 14-17 in Pittsburgh. Call 1-888-54-INPEX to speak to one of our account representatives and reserve your booth today!

The INPEX® Staff hopes that you have a safe and happy holiday, and we can’t wait until the New Year to continue planning our 26th annual INPEX® show.

We also want to remind you to take advantage of our December 2010 special! Throughout the month of December, we invite you to take 15% off the price of your booth package for INPEX® 2011! It’s our way of saying “Happy Holidays!”

To qualify for this discount, you have to purchase your booth by December 31, 2010.

As always, please keep checking back to our website for the most updated information about INPEX® 2011, America’s largest invention trade show, held June 14-17 in Pittsburgh. Call 1-888-54-INPEX to speak to one of our account representatives and book your booth today!

Throughout the month of December, we invite you to take 15% off the price of your booth package for INPEX® 2011! It’s our way of saying “Happy Holidays!”

To qualify for this discount, you have to purchase your booth by December 31, 2010. At INPEX®, we offer much more than an 8’ x 10’ space on the show floor. When you purchase an INPEX® booth, you’ll receive the following:

• One 6′ long skirted table, two chairs and one wastebasket
• One alphabetical 25-word description in INPEX Official Show Program
• One official show program
• One booth identification sign
• One ticket to INPEX Dinner & Award Ceremony
• One judging category in the INPEX Awards Program
• Unlimited admissions to the INPEX Inventors University™
• Hometown Publicity Program
• Invitation Service
• Choice of booth location on a first-come, first-served basis (corner locations are limited and include an additional cost)
• Unlimited Access to Inventors Resource Center
• Unlimited badges
• Unlimited complimentary INPEX admission passes

Everyone here on the INPEX® staff hopes that you have a wonderful holiday season! Keep checking back to our website for the most updated information about INPEX® 2011, America’s largest invention trade show, held June 14-17 in Pittsburgh. Call 1-888-54-INPEX to speak to one of our account representatives and reserve your booth today!