QVC Sprouts™ springs into action in March 2012 in the InventionHome.com Inventors Corner Pavilion of the 2012 International Home + Housewares Show. To kick off the Sprouts program, QVC is giving attendees the opportunity to present their products live to a panel of QVC buyers at the show!

How the Presentations will Work

The presentations will take place on the last day of the show, Tuesday, March 13th, in the Inventor’s Revue area of InventionHome’s Inventors Corner Pavilion. The inventors will each have a chance to demonstrate his/her product while facing the seated panel. The Revue area has audience seating and is open to anyone attending the show.

Inventors will receive immediate feedback from the panel resulting in one of the following scenarios:

1. acceptance into the QVC Sprouts program
2. rejection as not suitable for QVC
3. given advice and asked to resubmit to QVC Sprouts at a later date.

How QVC Sprouts Works

Each week, QVC will promote select products on QVC.com and let their customers vote on the products they would like to buy. If your product grabs the top vote at week’s end, they will make it available for purchase online the following week. Robust sales on QVC.com would lead to a spot on the QVC TV shopping channel.

This program opens up opportunities for inventors on QVC that might not have made the cut through the standard QVC product evaluation process. Requirements for QVC are often difficult for new vendors to meet, thus eliminating winning products before they even get a chance on air. QVC Sprouts is a low-risk way for the inventor to discover if their product is desired by QVC shoppers and for QVC to discover those hidden gems from entrepreneurs and inventors.

Who should apply and how do I submit?

Inventors with market-ready products that demonstrate well should consider applying. Products should have mass appeal and solve a real problem. Click here to submit your product for consideration:

Submit Your Product FREE Today

As with any public disclosure of an idea, the inventor should take necessary steps to protect the idea and seek counsel with questions. There is no charge to submit or present your product to QVC. Inventors will be required to pay their own travel expenses.

Good Luck! We hope to see you in Chicago!

Just as before, 24 inventors will be selected to receive ten-minute private sessions with each company in attendance. It is absolutely free for inventors to submit their ideas and for the selected inventors to pitch their ideas. Products will be selected based on criteria that translate to successful sales on television with subsequent sales to retail stores. Successful “direct response” products typically solve a specific consumer problem, are easy to demonstrate, and appeal to a wide audience. They generally sell for at least 5 times as much as they cost to produce. Hit TV products have a “wow factor”—a product feature that makes you say, “I need to have that!”.

Russ Williams, president of InventionHome, bases the company’s decision to hold the May summit on the great response from the 2011 event. He states: “The September summit exceeded our every expectation. Not only did the event run smoothly, but we also received overwhelmingly positive feedback from both the attending companies and the attending inventors. The enthusiasm at the event was electric. I witnessed a strong camaraderie develop among the inventors present, and I was also impressed by the positive interaction between the inventors and the company representatives.”

Williams noted that of the 24 inventions reviewed that sunny September day, 21 of those inventors received positive reviews and follow-up communications with at least one of the attending companies. To date, one license agreement has been completed, two license agreements are still in negotiation, and three wholesale/distribution deals are in the works.

Inventors may submit their products at the DRTV Product Summit website:

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.

Submit Your Product to Outset

About Outset: Outset is a manufacturer of high-end barbecue and barware products and accessories. With a cohesive line of Grillware and Chillware products, they have been heating up the barbecue and entertaining industry since 2002. Outset is a division of Fox Run Brands.

InventionHome Sponsors the Inventors Corner

InventionHome is proud to be the VIP sponsor of the Inventors Corner this year, and is excited to work with the United Inventors Association of America (UIA), organizer of the Inventors Corner, to help inventors present their products in the best light.

“The Inventors Corner at the International Home + Housewares Show represents a huge opportunity for inventors trying to break into the Housewares marketplace,” said Jennifer Lawlor, UIA Director of Inventor Education and Events. “The Inventors Corner is one of the hottest attractions at the show which means lots of traffic for exhibitors along with great networking.”

Submit Your Product for a Chance to be Displayed in the InventionHome Booth at the 2012 Housewares Show

For those inventors that can’t be there in person, InventionHome is offering three lucky inventors the chance to have their invention on display in the InventionHome booth.
There is no cost to submit your product for consideration or for InventionHome to display your invention, if selected, at the show. Inventors must agree to appoint InventionHome as their agent if selected for the show. As the acting agent, InventionHome will receive a commission on any revenue received as a result of exposure at the show. For more details and to submit your invention for consideration, submit your product below:

Submit Your Product FREE Today

Note: Current InventionHome clients with household-related inventions are automatically considered in the selection process for this opportunity and need not submit.

Attending the Show? Check Out These Inventor Opportunities

For those of you that are able to attend the show, there are opportunities beyond just exhibiting. In keeping with the UIA’s goal to increase inventor education, The Inventors Corner Pavilion will also host product pitching events as well as a diverse educational forum.

“The InventionHome 2012 International Housewares Show inventor area is not only the largest inventor area ever—it’s packed to the brim with inventor educational programs, professional inventors to give advice, and product reviews, including buyers from QVC selecting products on the spot for a new QVC Program just for inventors,” explained Mark Reyland, Executive Director of the UIA. “The UIA, Invention Home and QVC are excited about bringing this opportunity for you to learn and be seen at such a HUGE industry event.”

Get More Info About the Inventors Corner

If you would like to attend and exhibit in the Inventors Corner Pavilion at the 2012 International Home + Housewares Show, please contact Jen Lawlor at 412-400-0703 or jenlawlor@uiausa.org. Exhibition space is limited and is being sold on a first come first serve basis.

InventionHome congratulates our friends Steve Greenberg and Patrick Raymond whose new TV show “Kitchen Inventors” has been picked up by the Food Network! Steve and Patrick are “invention scouts” that travel the country in search of great kitchen gadgets from everyday inventors.

How the Show Works

In the Pilot show, the duo travels to the Midwest and visits three inventors in their homes to evaluate their inventions. One inventor is chosen to pitch his invention to the world’s largest kitchen company. The suspense heightens as Steve and Patrick break the bad news to two of the three inventors. Then the heat turns up as the chosen inventor pitches to company executives and anxiously awaits their verdict. The answer is yes! The inventor now gets the chance to live the dream and hopefully see his kitchen gadget become the next million-dollar idea.

Now It’s Your Chance to Submit Your Product to “Kitchen Inventors”

Lucky Dog Films is currently casting inventors for the series. If you have an invention that is connected to food— whether to grow, prepare, process, store, serve or dispose of—they would like to hear from you. There are 3 requirements:

1. Your invention should be, at minimum, patent-pending.
2. You must have a real working prototype.
3. You need an outgoing personality and be comfortable appearing on TV.

Submit Your Product to “Kitchen Inventors”

What to consider when submitting your product

If you are considering submitting your invention to any outside party, we must stress the importance of understanding the terms and conditions that accompany your submission. You should have patent protection and be sure that you are not giving up your rights by submitting your product.

With that said, Kitchen Inventors is an inventor-friendly show and Steve Greenberg and Patrick Raymond have been working on behalf of inventors for many years. Read more about their contributions below.

About the Hosts

Steve Greenberg is the author of the book, “Gadget Nation” and appears regularly with the latest gadgets on TV shows such as NBC’s Today Show, The Dr Oz Show and Jimmy Fallon. He also sits on the board of directors of the United Inventors Association of America (UIA) along with InventionHome President Russell Williams.

Patrick Raymond is an inventor himself and former Executive Director of the UIA. In addition, he founded the Inventors Association of Manhattan, MyInventionScore.com, and is an Editor-at-Large for “Inventor’s Digest Magazine.”

Keep romance alive this Valentine’s Day—even in cold weather—with this week’s Invention of the Week, Smittens! Brought to you by Invention Home’s sister website, MatchProduct, Smittens are mittens specially designed so that two people can hold hands inside of one oversized mitten. Smittens are available in adult and child sizes and come in three colors, including the ultimate color of love—red!

Smittens are a great gift for anyone planning to hold hands in the cold: parents and their kids, friends, or lovers. They are made from Polartec® fleece fabric which is warm and will keep its color and quality for many years. Smittens are truly a perfectly unique present for your partner this Valentine’s Day!

Independent inventor, Wendy, enlisted the help of MatchProduct.com (an affiliate division of InventionHome) to assist her in finding marketing/licensing opportunities for her invention.

In partnership with the United Inventors Association, InventionHome co-sponsored the Inventors Spotlight Pavilion at the 2012 PGA Merchandise Show. Throughout the week, inventors showcased new products not yet available for retail, and InventionHome President Russ Williams capped off the week by presenting the awards for “Best in Show” to three gracious inventors.

Inventor’s Spotlight at the PGA Merchandise Show

Introduce your product at the premier venue for golf merchandise! Photo Credit – PGA Golf Shows

“The Inventor’s Spotlight area at the 2012 PGA Merchandise Show provides a platform like no other in the golf industry where inventors can expose their most intriguing golf inventions to industry influencers and product development experts,” said PGA Golf Exhibitions Industry Vice President John McGeary. “Our goal is to provide those worthy inventions with an opportunity to develop from the conceptual stage to the commercial, ready-for-production and sales stage.”

Organized in partnership with the United Inventors Association (UIA), the Inventor’s Spotlight pavilion on the Show floor will showcase golf inventions not yet available at retail. Some 40,000 golf industry professionals from around the world will attend the 59th PGA Merchandise Show, January 26-28, 2012, in Orlando, Florida. “There really is no other place where your invention can find such a large audience dedicated to finding and launching innovative golf products,” said InventionHome President, Russell Williams. “We are excited to offer this opportunity to deserving inventors that can’t make the show for one reason or another.”

Submit Your Product for a Chance to be Displayed at the InventionHome Booth

Don’t have the time or money to exhibit your golf product in person at the PGA Show? No problem. InventionHome is providing 3 lucky inventors with a chance to be selected to have their products displayed and represented in the InventionHome booth located directly in the Inventors Spotlight area of the PGA Show.

InventionHome will select 3 products from those submitted. If selected, InventionHome will display your product at the show, manage any interest, subsequent follow up, contract negotiation and contract signing all with no up-front fee, no obligation and no risk. They only ask for a commission if they land a deal for your product as a result of the show.

Submit Your Product FREE Today

Note: Current InventionHome clients with golf-related inventions will automatically be considered in the selection process for this opportunity and need not submit. Client products not selected will still be included in InventionHome’s ongoing marketing process, which involves presenting those products to relevant member companies such as those obtained at the PGA Show.

Reserve Your Own Booth and Present Your Product in Person

If you would like to attend and exhibit in the Inventor’s Spotlight at the 2012 PGA Merchandise Show, please contact John Lederer with the PGA Golf Exhibitions management team at 203-840-5381 or jlederer@reedexpo.com. Exhibition space is limited and is being sold on a first come first serve basis.

InventionHome has teamed with the National Hardware Show to bring Investor Shark and TVGood’s Chairman, Kevin Harrington, and his Pitch Tank event to the 2012 Show in Las Vegas in May. Kevin and TVGood’s co-founder and CEO, Steve Rogai, will be listening to two minute “pitches” from inventors and entrepreneurs and providing professional feedback based on a combined 40 years of retail and direct response television experience. Each presenter will be in the running for a chance to win a two-minute infomercial production deal from TVGoods.

How Pitch Tank Works

Two minutes may not seem like very much time for an inventor to explain a product so dear to his heart, but the “elevator pitch” has proven to be an effective method for a company to quickly weed out unwanted ideas from the desirable ones. The two minute limit encourages the presenter to be concise and get immediately to the value the invention offers. While being in “the tank” might seem more like a pressure cooker to some, we can assure you that Kevin and Steve will be offering friendly, expert advice to those presenting, while keeping their eyes out for great money-making inventions.

Pitch Tank is open to exhibitors for a nominal fee at the 2012 National Hardware Show held May 1-3 in Las Vegas. This invitation to pitch includes inventors exhibiting in the Inventors Spotlight area sponsored by InventionHome and the United Inventors Association (UIA).

Inventor’s Spotlight at the National Hardware Show

Located on the Show Floor, the Inventor’s Spotlight area will showcase approximately 130 inventions that will be considered for achievement in three categories: Best Product Concept, Best Overall Product and Best Market Research. The winners will be featured in Inventor Digest magazine. This is the fifth year that the UIA has sponsored the Inventor’s Spotlight and the Inventor’s Education Day held prior to the show floor opening.

It’s not too early to reserve your booth space and a swim in the Pitch Tank. For more information on attending or exhibiting at the Show and reserving your spot in the Pitch Tank, please contact Cheryl Fishbone with the National Hardware Show at 203.840.5444 or cfishbone@reedexpo.com.

January ushers in the annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida (January 26-28). InventionHome staff will be at the show’s Inventor Spotlight pavilion as an exhibitor and sponsor. Above is a preview of one of the golf products that we will feature at the show.

“Golf Training Glasses” are unique sunglasses with markings on the lenses that allow golfers to align themselves properly when putting. The product addresses the difficulty that many golfers have in keeping their heads down and not glancing back and forth from the ball to the hole. (In doing this, golfers can mess up their body alignment and posture, which are all important when putting the ball). Also, golfers can push or pull their shots by moving their head and upper body too quickly after they’ve hit the ball.

This unique product has two horizontal, parallel lines spanning each lens and a small box in-between the parallel lines in which the user lines up the ball with his or her dominant eye. To use, golfers simply keep the ball in the box to reduce head movement while swinging.

The inventor of this product enlisted the help of InventionHome to assist him in finding marketing/licensing opportunities for their invention.

If you’re attending the PGA show in January, stop by our booth to give the “Golf Training Glasses” a try!

Special note to golf-product inventors: InventionHome has reserved three spots in our PGA show booth to exhibit new products! If you are interested in submitting your product for consideration, please Submit Your Product Here.