Kool Dogz Becomes a Hot Commodity
 |
| 2005 INPEX® Exhibitors Caroline Shengle and Lisa Beltezore display their invention "Kool Dogz." |
Former INPEX® exhibitors Caroline Shengle and Lisa Beltezore are still trying to catch their breath. Since displaying at INPEX® in 2005, the two inventors have licensed their product, the Kool Dogz Ice Treat Maker™, and seen it hit store shelves. This development is especially remarkable considering they only came up with their idea 18 months ago.
The Kool Dogz Ice Treat Maker™ is a kit that allows dog treats and toys to be suspended in a long-lasting block of ice. Shengle and Beltezore initially invented the system to keep their own dogs entertained and hydrated on hot days. Not long after, the inventors began searching online for a manufacturer. One contact they made during their search recommended that they exhibit at INPEX®.
“Not having ever done this before, we learned a lot at INPEX®,” Shengle said. “For first-time inventors, it was very helpful. The classes were great, the connections were great – especially if you’re really new to the scene.”
Along with pitching their product to the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and making a contact at QVC, Shengle and Beltezore also wound up taking home a gold medal in the Animal Care category. The inventors received positive feedback from attendees and other exhibitors and became determined to continue pursuing their idea.
Having pre-qualified for the Electronic Retailing Association (ERA) show at INPEX®, the inventors decided to travel to Las Vegas the following September to exhibit. While at the ERA show, the inventors impulsively stopped in at the SuperZoo trade show taking place across the street and met a representative from Premier Pet Products who immediately took an interest in their invention. Shengle and Beltezore rang in the new year by signing a licensing agreement with Premier.
Premier Pet Products is a large company known for their quality pet products and positive behavior modifiers for dogs. They are currently manufacturing the Kool Dogz Ice Treat Maker™ and marketing it to small and large companies worldwide. In addition to a pending deal with Orvis®, Premier is in talks with both PETCO and PetSmart hoping to put the product on their shelves by spring 2007.
Meanwhile, the inventors continue traveling to trade shows, selling their products independently from their Internet site and at summer festivals and dog shows. As they see it, the key to accomplishing their goals lies in balancing hopeful aspirations with a practical approach.
“You have to believe in your product, you have to marry it,” Shengle said. “But you still have to be realistic.”
And while the Kool Dogz Ice Treat Maker™ made an uncommonly quick move from conception to retail, Shengle and Beltezore can still appreciate the time, determination and patience it takes inventors to follow their dreams down winding, and often uncertain, roads.
“Looking back, things just sort of fell into place for us,” Shengle explained. “We needed to go to INPEX® to get to the ERA show, which ultimately led us to Premier. It’s important for exhibitors at INPEX® to know that even if something doesn’t happen at the show, it can always lead to other things.”
– While the above exhibitor’s experience is not typical of what most INPEX® exhibitors can expect from attending the trade show, the events reported are a result of what can happen from attending INPEX® – The Invention Show.
