Getting All Judgmental...
by David Wardell, President of the International Jury at INPEX
I don't believe it — INPEX is nearly upon us again. As a regular attendee, over more years than I care to remember, there is always a tingle of excitement. Ah... invention shows, for me the stuff of life. Where, under one roof, can you find such a mind-boggling display of new ideas and products? But therein lies a conundrum. How can you take such a disparate bunch of inventions and try to say which is the best?
Making sense of this wonderful hodgepodge of creativity is the task faced by the International Jury at INPEX. In the medals' program, we try to make things simpler by judging inventions in categories. So inventors need to think carefully about which category, or in some cases categories, would be the most suitable for their inventions. The tricky bit for the jury is that ultimately we have to decide which inventions have that little 'extra something' which makes them distinctive, and deserving of a major prize or trophy.
I remember at INPEX a few years ago, the jury was faced with an interesting set of circumstances. Two inventors were showing similar but diametrically opposed products. They had both identified a problem but interpreted it in different ways. And what was this problem looking for a solution? The age-old argument regarding toilet seats — should they be left up or down? The US solution (invented by a lady) insisted that the seat should be left down! The Taiwanese solution (invented by a man) ensured that the seat stayed up! They were both neat technical solutions but due to cultural differences were never going to see eye to eye. I think, in the end, we awarded medals to other inventions in that particular category. It just goes to show that judging inventions is never easy.
So, what are we looking for? The following is a list of the main criteria we use to make our decisions:
- Inventiveness
- Commercial potential
- Presentation
- And not forgetting good old gut-reaction — what I like to think of as 'SWF' (short for 'Serious "Wow" Factor)
The international jury members represent many disciplines. Some are engineers or scientists, some are marketing or licensing specialists, some are entrepreneurs or successful inventors and many are business professionals. In short, the INPEX jury members bring a wide-ranging knowledge to the table. They freely give of their time for the love of it. Many of the judges return to INPEX year after year — they can't wait to see the new developments and inventions that the exposition will showcase.
So, what's the best way for an inventor to present him or herself while being judged? First, you must keep your presentation short and to the point — the jury has to evaluate hundreds of inventions and there is only so much time. We do understand that this is 'your baby' and so you want to talk about it. However, try to condense your presentation to a three-minute show. Practice it — not only for the judges but also for the business attendees you are hoping to meet. You need to cover all of the salient points — why your invention is better than what's already available; how big is your market; what steps have you taken to protect your intellectual property; where you are with the project; endorsements; etc. Try to think of the judge as a busy entrepreneur with very little time to listen — this should help you to crystallise your thinking!
Apart from the judging process, you need take advantage of all the possibilities of exhibiting at INPEX. Remember the networking potential and the wealth of advice you can glean from your fellow exhibitors. You can learn a lot from each other. From my experience, INPEX is probably the friendliest invention show in the world. Many business and personal relationships have been forged over the years. Also remember that you never know who you're talking to — many buyers and investors like to travel incognito so as not to show their hand. Treat every visitor as important.
If you are lucky enough to win an award, feel good about it — everyone likes to be a winner. However, even if you don't win a medal or an award, this does not mean that you have failed — it's just that sometimes the decisions are incredibly close-called. An INPEX award can be used as a marketing tool and may help to validate your efforts. You can use an award to generate media interest — both in your local arena but also in the bigger scheme of things. Contact the trade journals. It all helps.
Finally, in my book you're all winners because you've taken the trouble to do something about your invention. I'm very much looking forward to see what surprises you have in store for us this year and wish you all the best of luck.
David Wardell is President of the International Jury at INPEX. He is an award winning journalist and television presenter in the UK. Over the years, he has served on many judging panels throughout the world and was a member of the judging team for the Prince of Wales Award for Innovation. He is a consultant to the UK Government on invention and innovation and a Council Member of the UK's oldest inventors association — The Institute of Patentees and Inventors. In his spare time he is the CEO, Innovation & Communication, for InventThat.com — an on-line resource for inventors.
