This was turning out to be one heck of an Inventor’s Day in Las Vegas, as one idea after another was well received and showed promise before the panel.

David Adams from Colorado brought in his solution to a very common problem, with his Grocery Grabber – a strap that weaves through all your plastic grocery bag handles, allowing you to carry them all on one easy handle! A solid item, the panel remarked, but just not a big enough problem to get the response needed for a direct response commercial.

Nick from Hoboken , New Jersey showed us the world’s most advanced contact lens case, carrying all your needed supplies in one very neat little gizmo. AJ really dug this one, applauding Nick for the well thought out design process. We’ll keep you posted on this one.

Then there was Matthew, an enterprising 19 year-old who came all the way from Michigan and presented the Step and Clear litter box. He made a nice prototype of a devise that rids you of the poop in your cat box with one fell swoop! All agreed that the design needed a bit more work, but AJ and the judges commended this young thinker for his ingenuity and an excellent inventor’s spirit! It’s so great to see someone like this come to us!

But if there was a clear winner for the day, mom and daughter combo, Billy and Samantha from Houston Texas raised some eyebrows with a simple solution to a common problem. Kitchen, dining room, and office chairs get old, worn, stained, and can become plain old tired to look at. But now there’s Chair Magic, the amazing new way to affordably reupholster your chairs in seconds! (Hey AJ, ya can’t use that copy without my permission, capishe?) The idea is kind of like the Book Sox that kids use to cover their school text books. It’s a stretchy material that comes in different colors and patterns and you simply cannot tell that it’s not part of the real chair! AJ and Poonam were very impressed with the ingenuity that these ladies used to come up with such a simple solution. This is one of those products that shows the value of keeping it simple. While I’m not at liberty to divulge what AJ said to me after wards about Chair Magic, I will tell you that it’s one of the most impressive products he has seen in quite some time! And be sure to check out the video interview with Billy and Samantha right here on the Blog. Nice going, ladies!

This really was a great trip out west for the TeleBrands gang and I truly think we saw more terrific inventions than ever before. Plus we sure as heck enjoyed a few shows, some great dining, and I even took home a couple of bucks courtesy of the black jack tables. Nice! But I tell you, I just don’t adjust well to that time difference – really messes with my sleeping and eating patterns. Yeah, poor me, I know, what a rough job.

And hey… If you think you’ve got a great invention – either something brand new or a different twist on an existing product, we’d love to see you at one of our TeleBrands Inventor’s Days! For details and an application, visit www.telebrands.com and click the INVENTORS tab on the top right hand side!

So that’s it from the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, where I’d say we did pretty fantastic! Once again I’ll keep you informed on the products that hopefully make it to the test market round!

Til next time,

- Tommy Z
TeleBrands The BLOG

And so they came… inventors flocked into the Wynn Encore in Vegas – all for a shot at personal nirvana. They came to meet AJ Khubani, the man who can give them a nod of the head, and make their dreams come true.

The desert is hot, and so were the inventions that were shown at our TeleBrands Inventors Day in the place they call Sin City. Around 9am, AJ addressed the inventors in the waiting room and thanked them all for making the trip. “I know a lot of you have come a long way to show us your ideas,” he said to the eager group, “and I’m hoping you all have something new and exciting to show me.”

I said it before, but it bares repeating – some media people have deemed Mr. Khubani as a Simon Cowell on the judging platform, but it’s the furthest thing from the truth. “I know people are really nervous when they get up in front of the judges,” he said, “So I really try to get them to relax and let their excitement about their invention come through. I really want them to make my job difficult and make it really hard for me to say no!”

So in they came, one at a time, with a total of five minutes to convince the judges (including Aj’s wife, Poonam) that their invention will be the next As Seen on TV wonder-hit! First up was Ed, all the way from New Jersey to introduce the Skutch, a take off on the Snuggie, but with an ingenious hood that the item rolls up neatly into and is closed with a draw string. While the panel actually likes it, AJ refers to it as a “me too” product, to similar to the Snuggie, and unfortunately has to pass.

Dawn Stevens, the ever popular Idea Girl is back from Phoenix with her spray on Mr. Lotion. The panel likes it and after many tries at our Inventor’s Days, she hopes that this time will produce a winner. Samuel and Samantha from Nevada come in with the Cooler Buddy, a portable air conditioner if you will, and the judges can’t ignore the genius behind this invention. While it is a fabulous, well thought out product, market size and final cost cause AJ to most likely pass, even though he admittedly thinks it is a terrific item. Remember, just because it’s not a product that is right for TeleBrands, doesn’t mean it’s not a good product.

Ron Stead then comes in with his Aqua Air – a machine that cleans the air using water vapor. Again, a truly well thought out, excellent invention and the Khubani’s agree that it has great potential. It utilizes five stages of Air filtration and it demonstrates with visual effectiveness. Now THIS is an item that Mr. K is having a very difficult time saying NO to, and it definitely will receive further consideration.

Chris Flynn came in with Tug No More, a hands free way of walking dogs. The pet market is a huge one and while this wasn’t a bad idea, we have literally seen four or five versions of this type of item over the past year. Even an old high school friend of AJ’s from New Jersey (who now resides in Nevada) came to pitch the Infomercial King with an easier way to grasp and pour soda from those big and flimsy two-litre bottle. Again, a well constructed idea, but just not big enough of a market to appease the TeleBrands crowd.

So, was there a clear cut winner for the day? I’d say, yeah, there sure as heck was and AJ and Poonam were in agreement about one of the best products they have had pitched to them in quite some time. Want to know what this wonder product is? Well hey, will ya look at the time. This blog has gone on for today and we’ll have to wait for next time to tell you about this awesome idea from a mother daughter combination out of Houtson, Texas, in the Inventing Vegas, Finale!

- Tommy Z
TeleBrands The BLOG

Here at TeleBrands, Inventors Days are fantastic experiences for all of us who are fortunate enough to be involved. We get to meet some of the most wonderful people imaginable who come from all over North America in hopes of landing the big gig – the one that makes them an honest to goodness millionaire. And of course we get to see firsthand the brainchild of every inventor, which is why we’re really all there.

We’ve had a few excellent road shows over the past year – Charlotte, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia, but none as exciting as our trip last week to Las Vegas Nevada – the city that really never sleeps. The site was the Wynn Encore hotel, one of the city’s newer posh additions amongst the mega-glitzy madness. It’s a gorgeous place done up in true Wynn style, with every room a suite, making you feel like royalty. Of course the gaming floor can turn a king into a joker within an instant – but come on, you’re in Vegas, a place where taking risk is the norm – yeah, I believe they call it gambling for a reason.

The morning of every Inventor’s Day is pretty much the same, radio and tv interviews for AJ with the local media. People are simply fascinated by the As Seen on TV phenomena as they want to know what’s the charm behind these products and why they sell so well. And probably the thing that intrigues them the most is that all of this sells like nuts in a down economy! What the heck, is right! The inventors all gather in a meeting room, and AJ addresses the 25 or so people on what to do and what to expect. Many are excited and can’t wait for their turn in front of the man himself, but then there are those who are a nervous wreck and pace the floor like their first born is on the way. And it’s hard to blame them because their inventions really are their babies and today is their one shot at showing them off the world. Now I can tell you guys firsthand that you need to relax because AJ really is very kind to the inventors and gives every person a fair shot at pitching their offspring. For some strange reason, some of the media has likened him to a Simon Cowell type, which couldn’t be further from the truth. He knows how much this means to everyone and what a personal experience it is. He may just be the best in the world at what he does, but you couldn’t be pitching to a nicer guy…. So RELAX!

Joining us on this trek to Las Vegas is AJ’s lovely, brilliant, and talented wife, Mrs. Poonam Khubani, who is on the judging panel and looking forward to finding that next great product. This gal is no stranger to the biz as she is the head of the company’s global sales and has been at this game for over two decades. I remember when I first met Poonam some twenty-five years ago coming to the USA from Asia, not knowing a soul and adjusting to not only the American culture, but her future husband’s incredibly weird friend, Tommy Z. I’ve always been a tad insane and the poor girl just didn’t understand my western based sarcastic humor, and AJ had to convince her that I really wasn’t as nutty as I seemed. It took a while, but one day Mrs. K came up to me and told me that she finally understood my jokes and thankfully we’ve been pals ever since. Now I just wished someone would explain them to my wife.

Hey now… what about the inventions, you ask? Well, you’re just going to have to wait til the next blog as I set the table here for what was truly an excellent turnout amongst the glitter and gold of Sin City.

Check back in a couple of days to find out what we saw and what we liked!

Later my Peeps,

- Tommy Z
TeleBrands The BLOG

We’ve held Inventor’s Days all over the country, but Monday, September 20th marks our very first visit to the city that glitters through the night, Las Vegas Nevada! Inventors will be traveling from far and wide as Vegas truly is the perfect venue for a show like this.

“Las Vegas is always an exciting place for me to visit,” says boss man and TeleBrands CEO, AJ Khubani. “But holding an inventor’s Day there and seeing all the enthusiastic people and their creations, well it doesn’t get much better in this business.”

And what will sir AJ be hoping for?

“Wow factor,” he claims. “I want to see some products that open my eyes and make me want to bring them to life!”

And of course, that would be the ultimate goal for any of the inventors out there who are taking their one shot at nirvana. Having TeleBrands produce your product and hand you a royalty check with lots of zeros is something these inventors dream about, but they know it’s a challenge. AJ personally sees hundreds and hundreds of product proposals a year and only the very best make the cut. Items like the Ped Egg, Windshield Wonder, Bark Off, and the Perfect Fit Button tested well out of the gate and have been tremendous sellers for the company. Will someone show up in Las Vegas with that next big item?

“I hope so!” says AJ, the man who has the ability to make your dreams come true. “We had a great showing in Philadelphia just recently and found a few items we really liked.”

Yeah, Philly was a good day, and like every other Inventor’s Day they came from all parts of the country, even as far as Arizona  and Mississauga, Canada to have a shot at showing the King of As Seen on TV what they think is the next big deal! One unique product was a whole new spin on the dog water dish and it really caught everyone’s eye. Two gals came down from Ontario with a new paradigm for keeping your pooch hydrated. It hit all the points TeleBrands looks for in a product, including market size and the always popular WOW factor. The pet market is just huge as dog and cat owners spend big bucks when it comes to keeping their critters happy. Will this one have a real shot at being test marketed? I’ll let you know when I hear something, I promise!

So, Vegas is right around the corner and yeah, AJ really had to twist my arms to go. Okay, I guess I’ll be a trooper and do it all for the sake of direct response marketing. I swear I wont play any Texas Hold ‘Em or go any where near the roulette table. I’m there to work and stay focused. All right, maybe a few games of Black Jack and craps  are in order to get me in the in the proper state of mind. Sure, I admit it… I’m worthless and week. But I know a good invention when I see one and I’m ready to report on the next big winner. Hey now… I’m talking about the inventors of course! What happens in Vegas… well it won’t stay there because I’ll keep you informed the minute I hear something!

- Tommy Z
TeleBrands The BLOG