Exhibiting Household Invention at INPEX® 2002 Leads to QVC Appearance
There's been no slowing down for the inventors of EZ Liner Trash Bags, Sloane Pederson and Connie McWhinney, since they exhibited their invention at INPEX 2002. Their "pop-up" trash bags earned the sisters a Gold Medal Award of Merit at the show.
"It was definitely a good experience," Pederson said about her time at INPEX. She and McWhinney manufacture their product, which they invented because they hated the hassle of having to go to the cupboard to find a new trash bag every time they emptied the trash can. They wanted to make the process easier by keeping the bags connected and stored inside the receptacle.
The entrepreneurs started developing their product in the late 1990's. It took a couple of years to obtain a patent and improve upon their design until they were completely satisfied. The bags are contained within a pouch that sticks to the bottom of a trash can. When emptying the trash, the user simply disconnects the full bag from the new bag.
The sisters gained valuable contacts and insight from attending INPEX, according to Pederson. "We talked to many people and got a lot of feedback." One such valuable contact was a representative of an electronic retailing company, who recommended the household invention to the home shopping channel, QVC. Pederson was invited to appear on the show to promote EZ Liner Trash Bags.
Making a TV appearance meant more than just showing up and looking nice for the camera. Pederson was required to take a day-long television training class, along with other people scheduled to be on air. The focus of the training was to learn how to interact with the host while communicating the best points, or the "wow" of their product. Her job was to figure out what features she most wanted to convey, because on-air time was limited. Pederson also learned how to work in front of the camera, and she was given a videotape of herself in order to practice her performance. "It definitely helped me improve my presentation," she said.
Pederson's 8-minute spot aired on March 10 on QVC's show "Problem Solvers." She answered questions posed by the host, while demonstrating how to use the trash bags. "I was a little nervous because there are so many things you have to do all at once, like talk to the host while following prompts from the director and showing how your product works. It was a good experience; I enjoyed it."
Initially, Pederson and McWhinney didn't think the trash bags would do very well in television retailing. Many viewers responded, however, and the inventors sold more than they expected. Some callers commented the bags were "neat". She believes getting such calls for new products on the show is somewhat unusual. "That was pretty cool."
Their QVC experience didn't end with Pederson's segment; it led to a relationship with Dr. Gadget, the television and radio personality who promotes new products. "Dr. Gadget saw EZ Liner Trash Bags on QVC and called us immediately," said Pederson. He has since promoted the trash bags on various radio and television shows, such as "Good Morning Arizona," "Mid-Day LA," and "The Other Half," with Dick Clark and Danny Bonaducci, scheduled for broadcast on May 7, as well as on his web site.
But the entrepreneurs aren't relying on others to get the word out. The sisters exhibited EZ Liner Trash Bags at the Arizona Women's Expo in March, and they'll do the same at the Maricopa County Home and Garden Show in early May. And they are selling the product online at www.ezlinertrashbags.com.
They also have embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign in a variety of retail outlets to compete with "the big guys" on the supermarket shelves, said Pederson. Their efforts have resulted in EZ Liner Trash Bags being sold in numerous stores in the Southwest. These include Albertson's in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, Bashas' in Arizona, Smith's stores in New Mexico and Las Vegas, Sak N Save in Reno, Paul's in Idaho and various small chains and independent stores in Northern California. They are actively seeking additional distributors and are building new machinery to keep up with demand.
"We have had to learn so much about manufacturing and the grocery industry, and we've been lucky to come across people who were willing to give us a chance and help us out," said Pederson. "Attending INPEX was extremely beneficial. The show opened the door to more opportunities, like QVC, that we didn't have before."
While Sloane Pederson's experience is not typical of what most INPEX exhibitors can expect from attending the trade show, we are pleased to report it as a result of what can happen from attending the invention show.
