Do you think your invention will have all of America wondering, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Would you like the chance to have your new product seen nationwide?

If so, Milojo Productions (the production company owned by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos) wants to meet you. They have contacted INPEX to let us know they are now casting women with inventions and great personalities from across America for a new series on TLC to help women inventors and potentially take one inventor’s product to the Home Shopping Network.

If you have an invention or new product and a working prototype, TLC and Kelly Ripa may be able to help you manufacture, market and sell it on the Home Shopping Network.

A few requirements you should keep in mind:

• Invention or product may not be edible or make any guarantees of satisfaction (such as “guaranteed weight loss” or “best ever”)
• You must be a woman over the age of 18
• All applicants are subject to background check and standard television release forms

If you’ve got ambition, an idea and a working prototype, apply now at www.milojo.com/casting.

Casting calls are scheduled for New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas.

Good Luck!

ABC has teamed up with Mark Burnett, producer of the shows Survivor and The Apprentice, for a new series that offers a bailout to struggling entrepreneurs.

The network has ordered seven episodes of Burnett’s “Shark Tank,” an adaptation of the U.K. reality hit “Dragon’s Den,” in which eager entrepreneurs present their business ventures to five multimillionaire tycoons. The inventors have to convince the investors (the “sharks”) to part with the requested amount of their own money, or the inventors leave empty handed.

“Shark Tank” marks the first collaboration between ABC and Burnett, who has popular shows on the other three major broadcast networks but has never had a series on ABC. The network and prolific producer hope the project strikes a chord with viewers given the current economic climate.

“People are looking to be entrepreneurs to get ahead, yet there’s no way anybody can go into a bank right now and get a loan,” said Burnett. “For these entrepreneurs, these sharks are their last stop.”

If you are an inventor and are interested in finding out more about the casting process, contact Lindsay Spaulding, casting director at (310) 903-5680 or lindsaycasting@gmail.com. Tell her I sent you…

Good luck!

I’m always excited to report back to you when I hear from a previous exhibitor who is happy about his or her INPEX experience. California inventor Steve Baker is the creator of DUS-T, a washable, reusable dusk mask/t-shirt. The DUS-T took home a special award from the Zagreb Inventors Association, and also won a bronze medal in the Apparel and Accessories category at INPEX 2008.

Steve sent his mom to exhibit for him during the four-day show, and during that time she not only appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, but she also helped Steve secure a five-year license agreement for their product with Hot Heads of America. They are producing the product in China and are currently available in True Value Ace Hardware Stores. “INPEX was a good show for us,” said Steve. “We just came out with a few more products that we think will do well at INPEX. Hopefully, we’ll see you next year.”

If you want to take a closer look at the DUS-T, check out Steve’s website at www.thedus-t.com.

I’m excited to report that we have all returned home from Chicago after a productive week at the 2009 International Home & Housewares Show, at McCormick Place.

After attending this show for many years, I can still say I never grow tired of taking a look at all the new inventions and products on display. Everything from cleaning gadgets to supplies for keeping your food fresh always seem to catch my eye. And, speaking of keeping food fresh, that leads me to my next piece of news, the winners of our two panel reviews at the show this year.

The winner of our Direct Response Panel Review was Michael Tseng of San Francisco, California. His invention, the Plate Topper, is a cover that keeps food fresh by sealing itself over the top of a dinner plate. Michael was not only thrilled to take home a prize sponsored by Livemercial, but was also excited to have the award presented to him by Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan, the stars of the new Discovery Channel show Pitchmen, which airs later this month. (Incidentally, Michael met Billy Mays four years ago while studying at Princeton. It was there that Billy gave him feedback about his invention; improvements that Michael worked to incorporate, which he feels helped make the Plate Topper the product it is today!)

Ed Ferencik of Reno, Nevada took home the prize from SkyMall from the “Pitch to the Pros” panel for his invention, the Impressor, a handheld multi-function meat tenderizing preparation tool. We will soon see Ferencik’s tool, a product he perfected while being a butcher for years, in SkyMall.

Thanks to all the inventors who participated in the 2009 Inventor’s Corner at the Home & Housewares Show. I’ve heard a lot of positive feedback from many of you, and hope you’ll join us again next year!

Also, without further adieu, I’m happy to announce the group of professionals that will be participating in our two “DRTV & Pitch to the Pros” panels during the show.

Exhibitors in the INPEX Inventor’s Corner pavilion will have the opportunity to present their ideas to the following panels of new product professionals for review and feedback.

One panel will consist of experts in the DRTV industry, which includes home shopping and infomercials. The other panel will consist of professionals from companies, mail order catalogs and retail establishments looking for new products.

DRTV Inventors Review panel includes:

Wendi Cooper & Scott Hynd will present a “How to Pitch” session that includes the basics of Direct Response TV Marketing

• Wendi Cooper — Moderator, C Spot Run Productions
• Tom Haire — moderator, Response Magazine
• Karen Hyman — LiveLink TV
• Scott Hynd — Proformance Marketing
• Bernadette Voelker — QVC
• Ron Perstein — InfoWorx
• Tim Harrington — Reliant International
• Gary Sullivan — Allstar Products
• Paul Greenberg — Thane Direct
• Anthony Sullivan — Sullivan Productions

Open Innovation Seminar — Conquering Innovation Fatigue

Presented by Cheryl Perkins & Jeff Lindsey of Innovationedge

Pitch to the Pros — Corporate Panel Review Includes:

• Diego Hoic — Church & Dwight
• Jeanne O Connor — Reckitt Benckiser
• Michael Sweeney — Merchandising Services Group
• Barb Downey — Skymall
• Michael Italiano — Innovationedge
• Cheryl Perkins — Innovationedge
• Bill McCoy — Skymall
• Michael Sweeney — The Merchandise Group

Open Innovation Best PracticesWorkshop

Cheryl Perkins from Innovationedge will talk on best practices in making Open Innovation work for your company.

If you have a housewares invention or new product and are interested in joining us in Chicago in March, complete our information request form or contact an INPEX representative at 888-54-INPEX.

I’m happy to report, if you are an inventor with a home or housewares product, I have a prospect that you may be interested in. InventHelp and INPEX have once again teamed up with Response Magazine to sponsor the Inventor’s Corner at the 2009 International Home & Housewares Show, March 22nd – 24th.

This is a unique opportunity for inventors to meet companies in the housewares industry and, as an exhibitor in the pavilion, have the opportunity to present your product to two panels of new product professionals for review and feedback.

I also was just informed that any exhibitor in this year’s Inventor’s Corner will be invited to the House of Blues, Sunday night, March 22nd as a guest of the Electronic Retailing Association at their monthly networking event.

If you have a housewares invention or new product and are interested in joining us in Chicago in March, complete our information request form or contact an INPEX representative at 888-54-INPEX.

See you in Chicago!

I’m sure by now you have noticed by the recent changes to our homepage that INPEX – The Invention Show for 2009 has been postponed. We are currently in the process of rescheduling our 25th anniversary show, and will be sure to keep you updated as soon as plans are underway.

It was a tough decision, but one we feel was in the best interest of our exhibitors. With the economic downturn the country has taken over the last few months, companies are cutting back on corporate travel, and in turn, cutting back on the trade shows that they normally attend. We want to make sure our exhibitors experience the most favorable number of business attendance, which is why we have decided to reschedule the show.

We are, in the meantime, continuing to run the Inventor’s Corner at the 2009 International Home & Housewares Show, March 22nd-24th in Chicago. Check back soon for more details.

Our goal at INPEX is for exhibitors to have the best possible experience as we attempt to bridge the gap between business & entrepreneurs. We will continue to make that our goal as we embark on a new year. I look forward to meeting you all when we celebrate our 25th anniversary show together.

Cheers!

There’s a really interesting book out now that delves into the subject of how people relate to inventions and technology, which I recommend checking out – especially for those working on creating new products. It’s called The Inner History of Devices and it was written by a sociologist and psychologist named Sherry Turkle, who teaches at MIT.

In the book, Turkle examines the emotional bond that develops between people and their gadgets. Memoirs, ethnographies and clinical cases collected in this very readable book tell specific stories of individuals and their personal attachments to the inventions that play prominent roles in their lives – computers, cell phones, video poker machines, even prosthetic eyes.

For those interested in peering into the psychology of consumers and tech users (and it’s always a good thing when developing a new product to get inside the heads of your target audience), this book is definitely worth a look. The Inner History of Devices is currently available for purchase from MIT Press for $24.95.

Yes, it’s hard to believe but, much like those 1980s staples, the Invention and New Product Exposition (INPEX) will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2009! That’s a quarter of a century of bringing inventors and companies together!

Since INPEX’s formative years during the Reagan administration, we’ve added features like the Inventor’s University, to help educate inventors on the business side of inventing; Product Reviews, allowing inventors to pitch their new product ideas to company or expert panels; even boxing matches sponsored by Everlast®!

While a lot has changed in America since the year “The Cosby Show” premiered and the L.A. Raiders won the Super Bowl, our commitment to assisting inventors in spreading the word about their inventions and new products hasn’t changed a bit. We’re working just as hard as we did back in 1984 to make INPEX the best it can be (only difference: we don’t listen to Duran Duran while we work anymore).

We invite all inventors and entrepreneurs to join us in celebrating InventHelp’s 25th annual INPEX Invention Trade Show June 24-26, 2009 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh. You can request more information about exhibiting at INPEX 2009 or call us at 888-54-INPEX.

Did you exhibit at the INPEX ‘84? If so, grab your latest invention and exhibit again – you’ll be truly amazed at how the show has evolved!

It’s titled “Ten Tips for Getting Noticed” and it was written by Jill Lublin, an internationally renowned speaker and publicity expert. For our audience of startup inventors and entrepreneurs, the article may be very useful as you attempt to draw attention to a new product idea or launch a small business.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Jill Lublin, she’s been a regular speaker at the INPEX Inventors University for years, and exhibitors always find her seminars really helpful and valuable.

Along with her work as a speaker, Jill is also the author of the books “Networking Magic” and “Guerilla Publicity” (both bestsellers), and she came out with another book called “Get Noticed…Get Referrals” just this past June. On top of that, Jill also hosts a TV program and a nationally syndicated radio show.

Make sure to check out Jill’s article in this month’s Inventor’s Community newsletter! You can also sign up to receive this free newsletter via email, or learn more about Jill Lublin by visiting her Web site.