The first full week of fall is wrapping up and with it, the first two trade shows of our Licensing Department’s fall travel season!

Our VP of Licensing was on the road with the Hugs Pet Products president, showcasing the latest innovative pet items at “The Pet Industry’s Hot Spot,” SuperZoo 2011, held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas from September 13-15.

At SuperZoo, they introduced several new items, like the Grass Twine Bird House, Deluxe Dog Butler and Hugs Care Line. Pugz Tennis Shoes, a new design of the product invented by our client Kay, were also introduced. The client has not made a net profit on this product.

According to our VP of Licensing, the new Davison-designed pet items were well-received at the conference.

“The show was amazing as it allowed Davison to stand with Hugs in their booth and answer questions from buyers, retailers and inventors.  It really adds strong credibility to what we do on a daily basis,” he said.

Also, at SuperZoo, a national show that provides networking and educational opportunities for pet retailers and suppliers, the duo was able to talk with representatives from PetPR, a pet product news distribution resource.

“Pet PR did an interview with [Hugs] and really enjoyed learning more about the Hugs line of products.  Afterwards, we had a good conversation about the product line and everyone stopped for a quick photo [opportunity],” our VP of Licensing said.

Earlier this week, our VP of Licensing made a stop in Louisville, Kentucky, for the ABC Kids Expo 2011 at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

From the looks of the trade show schedule, which you can easily find on our website, the Licensing Department’s next stop is back to Las Vegas for AAPEX 2011, the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo!

We can’t wait to hear the latest news from the road as Licensing “Tries Longer” to bring our products to store shelves!  Stay tuned!

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.  The Grass Twine Bird House, Deluxe Dog Butler and Hugs Care Line corporate products invented and licensed by Davison for its own benefit.

We’ve all seen the bright, yellow buses… kids are back in school and the air is slowly getting a little colder, which can only mean a couple things… summer is over and FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE!

To make sure we’re all ready for some football in time for kick-off, we’ve compiled a list of the latest, most innovative tailgating must-haves out – that you can get for under $100!

First up, the Portable X-Grill!  Further proving just how far the charcoal grill has come, this 11-pound fold-up grill is complete with a charcoal grate and convenient carrying-tote!  Even better, this grill won’t break your back or your bank!  It’s only $49 through garden.com.

And, if you need to make some special burgers for this fun grill, then why not bring along the Davison-designed Fill n’ Grill!  The Fill ‘N Grill makes filling burger patties with flavorful ingredients (cheese, bacon, onions, sauce, and so much more) quick and mess-free – not to mention D-licious!  With the help of this grilling favorite, your patties are sure to be the talk of the football tailgate!

If you’d like to knock off two items in one,  the Buccaneer Cooler and Barbecue Set includes a BBQ grill, lid and cooking utensils inside a removable, insulated cooling tote!  The only thing this gear is missing is the food and beverages!  Sliding onto the list at just under $100, this is one tailgating must-have you won’t want to be without!

Hang on to summer a little longer and kick your tailgate party into high gear, with the Waring Tailgater Portable Blender!  With a 15-foot AC adapter that plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter, the multi-functional blender will help you serve up pina coladas and daiquiris or just keep your beverages cool with some freshly-crushed ice!  It’s in stores and online for about $75!

For a little protection from the elements, don’t forget a compact, Instant Canopy!  Most of them set up in minutes  – but will provide hours of protection against sun or rain!  They’ll protect 6-10 tailgaters comfortably and are small enough to fold up into most trunks!  They retail for about $80 – but their uses are, well… priceless!

When you’re eating delicious pre-game goodies and drinking tasty, ice-cold beverages, it’s inevitable, Mother Nature WILL come a-calling!  Thus, the Passport Potty saves the day, providing a clean, full-flushing answer to needing to run to the port-a-potty every 10 minutes!  Retailing for around $70 online, the only thing the Passport Potty doesn’t provide?  Privacy!

Now, for those who are truly dedicated to their teams and ready to tailgate through the entire season, this product may be the key for keeping you toasty, even on the coldest of days!  The Temp-a-chair portable, heated chair will warm you up for about four hours and it’s equipped with a car charger for even longer-lasting comfort!  The temp-a-chair includes a convenient cup-holder and weighs only nine pounds… for under $100, it’s a must-have you may even try to take into the game!

Well, we’ve got most of the gear covered… now, we’ll leave the cooking to you!

It’s been less than two months since we announced that Davison products have sold in more than 900 stores. To our surprise, we’ve continued to add retailers at a fast and often incredible rate, and our total store count is almost at 1,000 (+990)!

This is due to the many new products we’ve designed and brought to market.  One recent example is the innovative Air Rack. This inflatable roof rack is now selling in TimBr Mart, Canada’s largest dealer-owned building materials buying group!

But that’s not all… we are in the process of adding numerous Swingers by Swing Away — the line of super-innovative collapsing kitchen utensils that we created for Xtraordinary Home Products (XHP).  Many more have just hit the market – totally 19 products in all.

Another fresh Davison product that hit the ever evolving marketplace is the Fill N’ Grill, which sold on QVC.  We are ecstatic to report that the Fill N’ Grill sold out of 3,000 units in just three minutes!  The Fill N’ Grill stuffed burger maker is a product that we created for XHP.  It’s a quick and easy way to fill a burger with your favorite ingredients.

Davison and Hugs Pet Products continue to produce exciting, new pet toys for the market.  Hugs recently introduced the Hydro Ball and Hydro Saucer, which joins the Hydro Bone  in an awesome and innovative line of toys for your dog.  You can find all three of these on the Hugs website and at a Sam’s Club or Bed, Bath and Beyond near you!

Major retailers that now carry the Davison “D” include Busy Beaver and Ritz Camera, both of which began selling the fun and convenient Party Traveler; TJ Maxx and Marshalls now sell the Hydro Bone and Costco Canada recently picked up the Aviva Cosmic Slide.  We are very excited to add these well-known retailers to our long list!

We’ve also added many niche-oriented e-commerce retailers selling the line of Hot/Cold Therapy Braces we designed for Health Enterprises, and niche-oriented online kitchen stores selling the Healthy Steps portion control utensils (we just added the Single Serve Water Infusers) and kitchen gadgets that we conceived in collaboration with Jokari.  We even found a few new online shops selling the Twister Caps/Bolts!

Next stop — The BIG 1,000!

“The numbers are almost overwhelming,” said Davison’s Vice President of Licensing, when counting up all the products we designed at the 2011 International Home + Housewares Show. There were more than 60 finished products and over 40 prototypes with the Davison “D” on display.

“The show was very busy and extremely productive,” said the executive. “It was better this year because we had more of our products on display and more client products selling in the stores.”

As a result of great feedback at the show, Chicago Metallic has picked up the line of Davison-designed silicone bakeware, and the firm is moving into the production of more holiday-themed spin-offs! The pans, which should be on store shelves in time for the 2011 holiday season, came out of the collaboration between Davison and Xtraordinary Home Products; both XHP and Chicago Metallic are divisions of Focus Products Group.

“The evolution of the Silicone Dessert Pans continues to grow positively with both the new Chicago Metallic versions and new holiday silicone pans, all of which are some of the most appealing new bakeware items in the company,” said the president of XHP.
“Across the board, all products that we developed with Davison were received by the retailers extremely well,” he added. “The Bread-It Ultimate Breading Station was a huge success, as was the Fill ‘N Grill. We expect very strong placement on both products.”

Other Davison designs for XHP that were well-received include the Swingers by Swing Away line of folding kitchen utensils — 19 utensils that open and close via a hidden locking mechanism, taking up less storage space. The Swingers are being tested in select Bed, Bath & Beyond stores and likely will appear on a major shopping network this year. It will be the 7th Davison-designed product / line to appear in the past two years!

“Davison has done a great job of collaborating and providing XHP with innovative new products it needs to attract the buyers’ attention,” said the Davison VP.

XHP’s president agreed: “Overall, the (IHA) show has positioned us in a very strong position to further grow our overall product positioning at retail with Davison / XHP created programs.”

CEO George Davison said the Davison / XHP collaboration is “a testament of how great things come from teamwork and strong partnerships.”

We can’t wait to see what new innovations will be next to come from our great collaboration!

The latest issue of HomeWorld Business magazine, the leading business-to-business publication for the housewares industry, features many of the hottest innovations unveiled at the 2011 International Home + Housewares Show — including several products designed by Davison!

In the Sunday Show Daily edition, a full-page article  on new bakeware options includes the Surprise Filled Dessert Pan, created by our corporate team, and two client products — the Silicone Dessert Bar Pan and the Perfect Portion Petite Dessert Pan. The latter is the newest in the Davison-designed silicone bakeware line and is great for creating perfectly sized treats. All three pans have been picked up by Chicago Metallic, as has the entire silicone line. CM is ”a great brand that’s been around for a long time and that has access to all major retailers and everyone in between,” said Davison’s VP of Licensing.
In addition, the Fill-N-Grill stuffed burger maker that we created for Xtraordinary Home Products is featured in the new Gadgets & Kitchen Tools section of the HomeWorld Business issue covering the IHH show.

The handy Fill-N-Grill, which came out of a brainstorming session by our corporate team, makes creating custom burgers filled with mouthwatering ingredients quick, easy and mess free — no wonder the editors included it in the special issue!

Click on the images to view the great articles!

The Bread-It “Ultimate Breading Station” that we created for Xtraordinary Home Products has just been launched into the marketplace on QVC! The innovative kitchen product, which keeps all breading ingredients neat and organized, was presented during the popular “In the Kitchen with David” show.

“It was a great debut,” said Davison’s VP of Licensing. “The presenters really showed all of the product’s great features.”

Co-host Marie Louise Ludwig said the item is the “perfect” solution to a common problem. “The bowls are longer and deeper so you can bread food correctly,” she said, demonstrating. The hosts also showed multiple great uses for the product and highlighted the “naturally non-stick” silicone material.

The QVC “first look item” will be shown at the International Housewares Show in Chicago, March 6 – 8, where it is sure to garner the attention of buyers looking for innovative new products to add to their store shelves.

This is the sixth product in two years to air on QVC as a result of the collaboration between Davison and XHP. The unique product follows successful QVC launches of many products, including the Meatball Baker, Party Traveler, and Silicone Dessert Bar Pan (all client products), as well as the Surprise Filled Dessert Pan.

“I’m not surprised this one was also snapped up by QVC,” said CEO George Davison. “It’s a testament of how great things come from teamwork and strong partnerships. I’m very proud of the team for turning out another winner! Bread-It is a super multi-use set of collapsible bowls … It’s great for breading as well as for serving snacks and sides … plus when you’re finished it takes virtually zero storage space!”

Another D-lightful product has made its marketplace debut, but it certainly won’t be the last one — more great Davison innovations for XHP are set to launch into the market in the coming months, so stay tuned!

This was a corporate project that Davison developed and licensed for its own benefit.

Another product we created for Darice soon will be on its way to the shelves of Pat Catan’s arts and crafts stores! Take a look at the finished factory sample of the Bead Crimper, which has received a lot of great feedback.

“It looks beautiful,” said Jason, corporate creative coach. “This is one of those neat projects where the designer was able to impart some of his own wisdom.”

The design manager is referring to Davison senior designer Matt, who has experience making jewelry. Some bead crimpers on the market that look and work like pliers can be hurtful on the hands, Matt explained. Darice wanted an easier way of crimping beads, so he came up with a tabletop version that you can bear down on like a stapler.

“You don’t have to squeeze on anything; it rests on the table and you can lean on it. I know from experience, working with hand tools, even some of the most ergonomic can get pretty uncomfortable on the hands after awhile.”

The product also enables the user to crimp beads of different sizes, and there doesn’t seem to be any product on the market quite like it. When asked how he came up with the original idea, Matt said: “It just made sense to me; it was just a natural form to make it.”

The corporate team worked together on the product to produce the design, engineering, graphics and sample build. Great work, everyone!

We recently received samples of the much-anticipated Silicone Dessert Pans for Easter and Valentine’s Day. They did not disappoint, to say the least.

“The products look great; they turned out really nice. The packaging really makes it pop,” said Davison’s VP of Licensing. “They look fantastic; the packaging looks dynamite,” agreed the corporate design manager.

The Sweetheart Silicone Dessert Pan and Easter Egg Silicone Dessert Pan are selling in Montgomery Ward, where they join the original Dessert Bar Pan, invented by our client, Joseph.

XHP and the corporate team collaborated on the design and bounced ideas off each other to come up with the final results, said the design manager. Team members did the package design, product design, product engineering and packaging engineering.

The new holiday-themed dessert pans will be shown at the International Housewares Show in March along with our prototypes of holiday pans for Halloween (pumpkin), Thanksgiving (turkey) and Christmas (snowman, tree). In addition, there are many themed versions in the works for presentation to a corporation that is a giant in the entertainment industry.

“Now it’s a matter of seeing how many get picked up and what they want to take,” explained the VP.

Hopes on all sides are high, and depending on how well they do at the show, the possibilities are immense, said the design manager.

“It could really turn into something huge if it goes.” The possibilities for our client are also incredible, if buyers respond favorably, said the VP. “We have put our client in the best position possible.”

Only a month after receiving the factory samples, the new Swingers by Swing Away line is already on store shelves! The innovative line of folding utensils can be found at Keystone Housewares, as well as in a test at select Bed Bath & Beyond stores.

Spoonula

Pasta Spoon

“This is awesome news,” said the VP of Licensing. “It’s great to see they’re testing in Bed Bath & Beyond.”

The line, which offers the convenience of full-size utensils that take up less storage space, is comprised of 15 folding utensils: Ladle, Slotted Turner, Measuring Spoon Set, Large Slotted Turner, Solid Spoon, Turner, Pasta Spoon, Whisk, Skimmer, Measuring Cup Set, Silicone Spatula, Slotted Spoon, Pastry Brush, Ice Cream Scoop, Spoonula. All the tools, except for the whisk and ice cream scoop, can be used with handles folded or extended. When extended they lock securely in place, and then unlock with the push of a button.

Slotted Spoon

“I’m glad to see them go to market and I can’t wait to buy them,” said the Corporate Creative Coach, who also admitted he wanted them for his own kitchen.

Silicone Spatula

Several of the products are now on our website: Silicone Spatula, Spoonula, Slotted Spoon and Pasta Spoon. Others will be added soon, so check back – There is sure to be more great news about the Swingers in the near future!

The Bread-It meal-prep product that we created for Xtraordinary Home Products is featured in the latest edition of HomeWorld Business magazine! The innovative item, which keeps breading ingredients neat and organized, is also headed to the marketplace — It will be for sale in the Solutions catalog and on QVC in February!

“It’s great to see; it’s good exposure, and hopefully that generates more interest in the product,” said Davison’s VP of Licensing. He also reported that Bed, Bath & Beyond is very interested in the Bread-It, so we may have even more good news to share in the future.

The VP spoke with Marie Louise Ludwig, the QVC host who will be presenting the product. “She really likes it; she thinks it’s neat. Now it’s just a matter of whether consumers think so,” he said. “The design team did another good job with this product. I’m sure we’ll get good results.”

The president of XHP was surprised with how quickly the product appeared in the magazine. “Funny how this got press so fast,” he wrote in an email about the article.

Apparently, the editors know great innovation when they see it! Congratulations to all those on Davison’s corporate design team who worked on this awesome new product — Great work everyone!