Colorado Inventor's Showcase – How to Turn an Idea into a Product

The world is filled with great ideas, but few people know how to turn an idea into a product. But that’s just the start of the uphill climb. Product ideas need money to grow from the prototype stage to the initial production run. Did anyone mention the creativity and capital needed to get consumers interested in the product? And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Fortunately, there are people like Thomas Frey, the mastermind behind the Colorado Inventor’s Showcase, the largest inventor show in the Rocky Mountain region. The annual event features inventions from 30-40 top inventors coming from Colorado as well as other states. Participants learn what it takes to become an inventor, and how to take their invention to the next level. You never know who might stop by your booth – patent attorneys, marketing gurus or maybe a potential source of funding. The staff selects a diverse panel of judges to evaluate the creativity, ingenuity and marketability of each of the inventions. The judges will even provide some one-on-one feedback and offer suggestions for making their inventions move to the next level.

In the past, I’ve been honored to serve as a judge, but this year I shared an inside look at the Colorado Inventor’s Showcase with the 9News viewers.

Mixing baby formula can be a messy task as you open the bottle, try to measure the powder and get everything mixed without spilling. No fear… Ready Bottle solves these problems. The specially designed bottle has a compartment for the dry formula and another compartment for the warm water. Just a simple twist and shake and you’ve got a perfectly prepared bottle. For more information about Ready Bottle, contact the inventors Jerell and Elissa Klaver at [email protected]

There are lots of ways to remove a spot, but this method is different from all of the rest. Kyle Myhra is the inventor of the Spot Sucker, a clever way to pull a stain out of the fabric. The plunger device pulls a cleaning material through the fabric and removes the stain. For more information, contact [email protected]

Who doesn’t love to sled… in the summer? Scott Ireland is the creator of the Ice Sled, an ingenious device that uses blocks of ice to create a slippery surface. Visit the Ice Sled website and watch the video… and then you’ll want one.

Visit the Colorado Inventor’s Showcase website to learn more about the process of turning great ideas into products that eventually turn up at a store near you.