It’s hard to believe, but after the hustle and bustle of preparing for the Global Pet Expo, the pet industry’s largest annual trade show has come to a close for another year.

As we mentioned in a previous blog, we were hard at work putting the finishing touches on our Davison-licensed products that were heading to the Global Pet Expo.

This year, Managing Senior Director of Licensing Matt made his way to Orlando, Florida for the trade show on our behalf.

While at the show, Matt picked up on some trends in the pet industry – food and treats, toys, and leashes seemed to be hot-ticket items that were spurring trade show-goer interest.

But there were several other items spurring interest, according to Matt. This year was very successful for both Davison and for Hugs Pet Products, who license many Davison-designed products.

“Hugs did very well,” said Matt. “There were times when I walked by their booth that every rep there was talking with someone and there were interested people still standing around waiting to hear about the products.”

At this year’s trade show, our friends at Hugs Pet Products were able to showcase some of their new items at the Expo’s “New Product Showcase.”

Hugs featured their Paula Deen Premium Select Pet Food, their brand-new line of Massaging Groomers, the Puff Pad and their recently-unveiled Realtree Dog Treats.

Matt also mentioned that words like “Innovative” and “Interesting” were used to describe the Massaging Groomers brushes including the Palm Brush, Pin Brush, and Slicker Brush.

Thanks to Matt’s updates, we can see that the excitement didn’t stop when the Global Pet Expo ended. In fact, it’s just begun!

Copyright Davison, 2016

While Davison regularly attends trade shows in a number of industries, it does not promise that any particular client product will be, or is likely to be, presented or discussed at a trade show.

The typical client project is not licensed, sold in stores or profitable.

The post That’s a Wrap for the Global Pet Expo! appeared first on Davison.

As one trade show has come to a close, another one has just begun!

Today through Friday, March 18^th, the Global Pet Expo is taking place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida!

Just like we did for the International Home + Housewares Show, we’ve been in preparation mode as the final touches were made to displays for Davison-licensed products that are heading to the pet industry’s largest annual trade show.

Just last month, we celebrated wins that followed another large pet industry trade show – last year’s SuperZoo, The National Show for Pet Retailers – when a new line of Massaging Groomer pet brushes for our friends at Hugs Pet Products reached a stroke of product success as they hit market. This line of brushes will now be showcased at Global Pet Expo this week!

The excitement doesn’t stop there, because beyond products like the brushes that have reached market and are seeking even further interest from buyers at the show, products that we licensed with Paula Deen and some other big-name celebrities and brands (that we can’t name just yet) will also be on display at the Global Pet Expo!

The Davison “D” will proudly be on display at the Hugs Pet Products booth (#2651) for all trade show-goers to see!

Check back next week for a recap on the pet industry’s largest annual trade show!

Copyright Davison, 2016

While Davison regularly attends trade shows in a number of industries, it does not promise that any particular client product will be, or is likely to be, presented or discussed at a trade show.

The typical client project is not licensed, sold in stores or profitable.

The post The Global Pet Expo Fun Has Just Begun appeared first on Davison.

After a tiring, yet exciting few days, another International Home + Housewares Show is in the books!

Before we left for the trade show, we filled you in on some exciting licensing news. As you might recall, our client Jennifer’s product, Hanger Pockets, which organizes and keep outfits and matching accessories all in one place, was on display at the Jokari corporation’s booth!

Of course, the excitement didn’t stop there. In fact, that’s where it began. Jennifer’s innovative storage solution is now available under Jokari’s Paula Deen Everyday collection.

As you can see, the Hanger Pockets packaging was revamped and the collection made its debut at the major housewares industry trade show. Though the product is not yet available for purchase, be sure to stay tuned as it’s coming soon!

Celebrity chef Paula Deen even made an appearance at the housewares show to personally share new products under her collection. Of course, no trade show is complete without celebrity appearances!

Our founder and CEO Mr. George Davison was extremely busy at the trade show, but slowed down to take a few photographs with Paula Deen, American celebrity wedding planner David Tutera and QVC’s Chef Tony!

All three of these creative celebrities had items showcased at either the Jokari booth or Love Cooking Company booth.

Speaking of Love Cooking Company, on Saturday, Chef Tony showcased his new bacon products. But, these weren’t just any products, because one was inspired by our client Jean’s original product, the Meatball Baker!

It’s safe to say that IHHS 2016 was quite the success. There’s more where that came from as trade show season has just begun!

Copyright Davison, 2016

While Davison regularly attends trade shows in a number of industries, it does not promise that any particular client product will be, or is likely to be, presented or discussed at a trade show.

The typical client project is not licensed, sold in stores or profitable.

Image:

http://www.housewares.org/show/

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This event took place in Las Vegas from January 19 – 22, with over 64,000 people in attendance, including some notable attendees such as presidential candidate Donald Trump, former U.S. Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell and country music duo Big & Rich!

Not only were big-name celebrities at the event, big-name brands were there, too!

This was the first time both Matt and Robert had attended the SHOT Show and the duo definitely left impressed with what they saw on display!

With lots of military gear and tactical companies, in addition to hunting, fishing and outdoor companies,  there was a lot to look at. Furthermore, there were a lot of companies to engage with, so both Matt and Robert were busy making connections.

Overall, this trade show gave Davison a SHOT at success by giving Matt and Robert the chance to meet with companies and establish manufacturing relationships, which:

1. Allows the Davison team to match faces to names
2. Allows the Davison team to see where manufacturers’ lines are currently and where they are headed
3. Allows Davison to get an inside look into the industry and how our products and innovations can help existing companies
4. Provides a preview of what’s trending in the industry

Since Matt and Robert have returned from the SHOT Show, they’ve been busy nurturing relationships with the connections they’ve made and are working hard to promote Davison’s outdoor innovations!

Copyright Davison, 2016

While Davison regularly attends trade shows in a number of industries, it does not promise that any particular client product will be, or is likely to be, presented or discussed at a trade show.

The post Davison’s SHOT at Trade Show Success appeared first on Davison.

The annual Consumer Technology Association’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) took place earlier this month in Las Vegas. At this trade show, some 3,800 consumer technology manufacturers, developers and suppliers were all in one place showcasing their latest and greatest technology innovations.

This year, Managing Senior Directors of Licensing Matt and Robert were among the more than 170,000 attendees at CES 2016. Can you believe that this tradeshow covers over 2.47 million square feet of exhibit space? In this space was everything from 3D printing and robotics, fitness, wireless devices, robots and much, much more.

This wasn’t Matt’s first CES rodeo, but it was Robert’s first appearance at one of the tech world’s biggest shows.

“It was a lot of learning… learning the trends… learning what companies were looking for… it’s humbling! At the same time, it’s pretty exciting! It’s the largest show we attend all year and it’s amazing to see how expansive the industry can be,” said Robert.

Matt had a unique experience this year, since he was given the opportunity to see CES 2016 through the eyes of Robert, a first-timer.

“It brought me back to my first show,” said Matt. “The amount of companies… the amount of products… to know that we’re working with some of the companies there showing products,” said Matt.

This year, Matt and Robert were able to make new connections all the while maintaining their current business relationships to see where the latest technology trends are heading.

“It’s cool to see where the trends are going,” said Robert, who mentioned how much solar-powered technology was on display at the show. “It’s off-the-grid solar-powered stuff. For me, that was awesome!”

At the show, the pair saw lots of drones, smart watches, virtual reality headsets and hoverboards on display.

According to Matt, the fact that the big companies are sharing similar ideas shows a need for innovation, which gives Davison a leg up in the innovation sphere.

“When we see that they need innovation, it helps us. We can say ‘Yeah, we can do that,’” said Matt. “It really opens doors up.”

Head over to our Facebook page to see more snapshots from CES 2016!

Copyright Davison, 2016

While Davison regularly attends trade shows in a number of industries, it does not promise that any particular client product will be, or is likely to be, presented or discussed at a trade show

The post Suc“CES” at Las Vegas Trade Show appeared first on Davison.

Without a doubt, March has been been extremely busy. Whether we were at the Global Pet Expo in Orlando, FL or the 2014 International Home + Housewares in Chicago, IL, one thing is for sure, we are “D-lighted” with how our Davison-designed products showed at both shows!

From March 12-14 at the 2014 Global Pet Expo, the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL was filled with pet-tastic activity. We are happy to say that several products that were developed at our creative design facility, Inventionland, were showcased at the pet industry’s largest annual trade show.

Some of the big-name retailers at the 2014 Global Pet Expo included Bed Bath & Beyond, Purina, PetSmart, Sam’s Club, Christmas Tree Shops, Tractor Supply Company, LTD Commodities and Petland.

Additionally, we are extremely proud of the way our products performed showed at the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago, IL. While at the trade show, some products that were designed at Inventionland knocked it out of the park with their nominations for International Housewares Association Innovation Awards!

Many Davison products that were designed at Inventionland were featured at the trade show and we have a feeling that some exciting product news may be in our near future!

All in all, this is shaping up to be a busy year and we couldn’t be more excited!

Copyright Davison 2014

While Davison regularly attends trade shows in a number of industries, it does not promise that any particular client product will be, or is likely to be, presented or discussed at a trade show.

The post Davison Was Recently on the Road at Trade Shows appeared first on Davison.

As fast as fast can be… and as speedy as his travels may be… we finally caught up with our Vice President of Business Development and Licensing (VP).  In a little over a month’s time, our VP has been all across the nation, informing current and potential licensees about awesome new Davison designs.

He began his most recent “national tour” in New York, at the Toy Industry Association’s 109th annual American International Toy Fair.  Our VP told us that the show was a first… for two reasons.

“[One of our] Senior Designers was able to… walk the show for the first time!  This was also the first year for Smiletime Toys to make [their] debut at the show,”  said our VP, who informed us that the new toy company that we have begun working with already has begun to make waves in the toy industry, thanks to the help of some innovative Davison designs!

From toys that make us smile to pets that make us smile, our VP’s next stop was the Global Pet Expo in Orlando and, according to him, the show was huge for an innovative pet product company that has licensed many Davison designs, Hugs Pet Products.

“Every major retailer stopped by the Hugs booth… Target, Costco, Camping World, Petco, Bed Bath & Beyond and many more.  Even the competition was taking note of the innovative products on display this year,” said our VP, who also said many of the retailers plan to add 10 to 20 new products, “all carrying the Davison ‘D,’” throughout the year.

“Retailers continue to challenge Hugs with new, innovative products and Hugs and Davison continue to meet those challenges.  You might see a few retailers visiting Inventionland in the near future!” said our VP, who also shared some great news about a new bug repellent company we’ve been working with.

“AWAY also received good feedback at the show and will start to open up their distribution networks to several new retailers this year,” he said.

From Orlando to Chicago, our VP led the Davison team, including our Senior Director of Special Operations, to the International Home and Housewares Show.

“This show had a huge influence of Davison projects… we had meetings with 30+ different companies, factories, retailers and rep groups.  Everyone from XHP, Better Sleep, Jokari, SkyMall, Len Fast Media, All Star Marketing, Chef’s Planet, Focus Products Group, Metro Design and many more,” said our VP.

According to our Senior Director of Special Operations, from classic favorites to new designs, the Davison “D” was very well-represented at the show.

“Among the latest and greatest Davison-designed products on display were the ever-expanding line of Silicone Bakeware, the crowd favorite Surprise Pan and Meatball Baker, as well as the Disney family of Mickey measuring cups and Mickey Mouse cookie cutters.  Debuting this year were the Cereal Buddy and Silicone Brownie Bowl.  Some products were even on display as demos, including the Water Infuser at the Jokari booth and the Brownie Bowl at the Chicago Metallic booth,” he said.

After all of the trade show excitement, our VP was back on the road, heading to the West Coast to meet with some very familiar names:  Mrs. Fields, Walmart and Warner Brothers!

He said that we have begun to work with a new housewares company that he will be sharing more details about in the near future.  However, he did share some delicious morsels about the meeting with us now.

“The meeting was a huge success and we [met] the corporation that represents the Mrs. Fields brand to explore creating an entire line of bakeware carrying the Mrs. Fields brand,” said our VP.

From cookies to corporations, our VP’s next stop was Walmart Labs, where he said he toured several of their facilities and told them about ours!

“We were able to get a tour of the Walmart Labs building that consists of Walmart International, Walmart Ecommerce, PR and Marketing and, mostly all of the new ideas, (product, marketing, PR, Internet, etc.) that flow through Walmart are developed inside this facility.  They are very interested in what we do at Davison and were blown away by Inventionland,” said our VP, who also said he had a particularly productive meeting with Walmart’s Head of Product Development and Director of Product Strategy.

We can’t wait to hear more!  Our VP’s final stop on his national tour was in Burbank, California, at Warner Brothers Studios!

“We also stopped… to talk with Warner Brothers about possibly licensing a few of their properties for the new housewares company that will be coming online in the very near future.  The Warner Brothers studio was amazing… imagine, one day, having the Davison “D” on Batman, Superman or Looney Tunes’ products,” said our VP, who promised more details in the future.

“This is everything I have for now, but more will be on the way shortly,” he said.

In other words… that’s all folks!

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

While Davison regularly attends trade shows in a number of industries, it does not promise that any particular client product will be, or is likely to be, presented or discussed at a trade show.

The post Trade Shows, Cookies and Cartoons… Keeping up with our Licensing Team! appeared first on Davison.