The global outbreak of the coronavirus means that most trade shows are off the table for the time being. For inventors, this is a serious disappointment, as trade shows are one of the best ways of meeting and building relationships with companies that work with...
Displaying Your Prototype at a Trade Show is Like Asking to Get Ripped Off
You've come up with a great idea that you cannot stop thinking about. You're excited and nervous at the same time. Maybe it's just a sketch on a napkin at this point. Maybe you've made a prototype or even filed for some type of intellectual property. Regardless, the...
Trade Shows Are Becoming More Inventor-Friendly
I've been attending trade shows for more than 30 years. The focus used to be squarely on taking orders. But now? Not so much. At the shows I've attended in the past three years, there's been a noticeable shift. Companies are less secretive, for one. Yes, some still...
7 Reasons to Attend Trade Shows As a Product Developer
To become truly successful at licensing your new product ideas, you must know the industry you're inventing for like the back of your hand. There's no better way of getting to know an industry than by attending its annual trade show. Between the cost of...
What Inventors Need to Know About Trade Shows
If you're serious about bringing your ideas for products to market, you should absolutely attend trade shows. They're always eye-opening. The only way to truly understand the mechanics of any industry is by attending its trade shows. One guarantee? You'll be...
How Trade Shows Help You License Your Product Ideas
I couldn't make it to the International Home + Housewares trade show in Chicago this year, so I sought out interviews with eyes and ears on the ground to report on the state of open innovation. If you're serious about licensing your ideas for new products, attending...
4 Amazing Products from CES 2017
My first day at CES was insane. I saw so much technology at CES, it was mind-numbing. This show is an overload -- in the very best way. It’s a mob! I don’t know what took me so long. If you’re not at CES, you’re out of it. The booths that were packed and loud were...
Open Innovation Is Alive and Well in the Pet Industry. Here’s How to Get In on the Action
It is an incredible time to be a product developer. Like solving problems? Enjoy being creative? Today, you do not have to start a business to launch an idea into the market. You can go the licensing route and begin receiving passive income for your creativity...
Are Companies Really Looking For Your Product Ideas?
Most inventors, entrepreneurs, product developers -- everyday people with ideas -- are fearful and intimidated. They're wary of approaching companies that manufacture similar products with their ideas. They think that people won't care about their ideas. Maybe they...
Startups, Use These 6 Words to Do More Business at Trade Shows
There's nothing quite like the atmosphere at a major trade show. You can feel the energy and excitement in the air. And it's contagious! To be surrounded by so many people who have come together for the explicit purpose of doing business and celebrating innovation?...