Minnesota Inventors Congress

As a first time inventor I found the Minnesota Inventors Congress a very valuable resource. Through MIC I met several experts who
freely gave much time and very beneficial advice for bringing my invention (the "Talking Bicycle Horn" ) to fruition. If any geeky
inventor wants to network with people who offer free assistance in a friendly environment, MIC is the place!

I am the inventor of the Solar Clamâ„¢. The Minnesota Inventors Congress has give the opportunities for my invention to be possible and promoted. I brought my Solar Clamâ„¢ to the show and I have gotten publicity from all over the United States. The people at the MIC are more helpful then I ever expected. I would like to stay in contact with the other inventors that showed there. The MIC information and people there are priceless.

As the inventor of the Site Saver(medical device), the MIC was our 3rd competition. Our decision to go was dictated by an old business stand by....location...we were looking for input from the nursing community possibly the Minn/St Paul area. We made some very important connections in that area, but more importantly in a completely different direction (Sioux Falls, SD), we made extremely important contacts both in marketing and medical. Since the show the largest rural medical service in the US was formed with the merger of Sanford Medical in Sioux Falls and MeritCare in Fargo, and through some critical first contacts at the MIC we now are positioned with contacts from two directions of interest and a possible customer larger than any large city based hospital, serving 7 states. I have also become very good friends with at least three other inventors with whom we stay in contact with. I could continue on but as we do in our web sites ( matnd.com and sitesaver.biz ) we refer to the MIC site.
Thanks again to the entire staff at the MIC,
Bob Heitkamp and the crew at Midwest Applied Technologies

I attended my first MIC event back in the mid-1980's when I was Chief of Staff at the US Patent & Trademark Office.
I was blown away by the MIC organization and have attended many times since, most recently at the MIC 2009 event.
I continue to be more impressed as the years progress. Other inventor conferences come and go...and even the best
MIC competitors have trouble pulling off a successful event year after year. But, with credit to Deb Hess' remarkable
leadership and her fantastic team of volunteers, the MIC continues to be at the top of its game. As a registered US Patent
Agent and a Certified Licensing Professional, I refer many of my clients (and others) to the MIC for both a useful
educational experience and an unequaled exhibiting opportunity. Long live the MIC.
Don Kelly, Patent Agent Alexandria Virginia
www.patentagentplus.com

MIC has the most respected, professionally run, and well organized inventor conference in the country. I have had the privilege of presenting at this conference for many years, most recently 2009. There are many paths to commercializing new products and my presentations focus on making smart marketing choices and the pros and cons of the choices available. MIC offers a valuable educational experience and the information provided by them in addition to the conference itself far exceeds expectations. The organization has a history of encouraging inventors to think like entrepreneurs to give them the best opportunity to be successful and contribute valuable products to our society and the economy of each inventor's state. Deb Hess is an experienced and well qualified executive director who knows how to get things done.

Awarding them this web site assistance will benefit MIC, inventors across the country, and your own company. Their site is frequently visited and with your help, the traffic will increase and result in more business and PR for all involved.

Bonnie Griffin Kaake, President & CEO
Innovative Consulting Group, Inc.
"Marketing for Results"
www.icgProductMarketing.com

My dad and inventing partner Al Krinke brought two inventions to the 2008 MIC Show. The first "DeLockey" had been seen at two NRA Shows. For the "Handiplac" this was our first public exposure. We got our fifteen minutes of fame at the MIC awards banquet. Receiving awards for both. The informative seminars and comradery at the show inspired us to go forward with "Handiplac". This February "Handiplac" comes to the market through our E-business, www.Handiplac.com. Recently,our association with the MIC allowed us to complete the Merwin Business Simulation. This program, funded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in association with Planet Eureka and the various inventing organizations throughout the country, further focused us torward bringing "Handiplac" to market. Without the MIC we never would have had access to such a great program. I am thankful that we have The Minnesota Inventors Congress in our state. Without the MIC my dad and I, "two guys in a garage" wouldn't have a chance. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Tom Krinke: President, Handiplac a Division of DeLockey LLC

I am a registered Patent Attorney who presents Patent related advice to attendees at the Minnesota Inventors Congress to help fill the inventors’ need for timely and accurate information. I often see this effort as underutilized because these talks and questions, as well as those of other inventor support service providers, are available only during the two days of the Inventors’ Congress. Upgrading the Minnesota Congress’ Web-site will facilitate timely availability of accurate information useful to inventors.

I cannot over-emphasize the importance of this kind of access to accurate and timely information for inventors. The list charlatan’s who lure inventors into spending thousands of dollars to promote inventions in relatively worthless schemes is huge. The unscrupulous promoters advertise on television and other Media and reach the unwary with ease. This website is a small but vital counterweight to this ongoing travesty. The upgrade proposed will have a positive impact on this unsavory situation by providing inventors access to accurate and timely information.
Sincerely,
Roger Belfay, Patent Attorney

The Minnesota Inventors Congress has a long history of helping people and organizations to dream the dream and achieve the results, both with their ideas and untimately their inventions. When this organization began over half a century ago with a few farmers and their dreams, it was an uphill struggle for many years. But they persevered, refused to give up and became the little engine that could! Throughout these years we've become much more known, much more knowledgeable and much better at what we do. We've had success in our endeavors of reaching out to future inventors, but we also know that we need to be much more active on the web. Our website really could use the "kickstart" of an organization like yours to put us on track to the newest technology out there. What worked in the past was good but no where near enough today. The web is where it's at and our marketing skills need your expertise to help us move forward and to keep achieving those results in todays world of web access.
Sincerely,
Clara Friese, President of the Minnesota Inventors Congress

MIC provides the knowledge, tools, and contacts to aid the inventor in navigating the invention process and provides a forum where the inventor can gain exposure for his invention. I was able to get a free market analysis through MIC from the Eureka Ranchâ„¢ and gained media coverage after receiving a gold medal at MIC's Invention and Ideas Show. As a result my product, The Paint Gliderâ„¢, has more credibility and buyers approach me seriously. Collectively, all this helped me secure additional funding to take The Paint Glider to the next level. Most importantly, such innovation drives the economy and is exactly what we need now. MIC, which drives innovation, should be supported.

Tom Pasinski,
President
The Paint Glider Co.
www.paintglider.com
773-631-1764

I would like to add just one more bit of information to the previous testimonial from The Paint Glider. What I found very helpful was the ability to exchange experiences and advice with other inventors to whom I was introduced by MIC. MIC creates an invaluable networking support group for innovators.

Tom Pasinski,
President
The Paint Glider Co.
www.paintglider.com
773-631-1764

As the economic development specialist for the Redwood Area Development Corporation, I also serve on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Inventors Congress since 2001. Our organization has been instrumental in providing expertise to inventors and bringing them all together at our yearly Invention and Idea Show the 2nd weekend of June every year since 1958! Our organization as evolved over the years just like inventions and ideas have and thousands of ideas have come to us during this time frame. To have an upscale, techy website to help depict to the "global" community what we do and how we assist the inventors, innovators, and idea people would be extremely helpful to our mission and vision as the Minnesota Inventors Congress. We need our website to have an appeal to inventors of all ages including students who also show their invention/ideas at our show. The MIC provides the venue for the public to share their input with the inventors about their product and how marketable it would be ....or not be...or what might need to change to bring it into the marketplace. We have inventors each year attend from 12-16 States so we go beyond the State of Minnesota with our impact. Daily our Executive Director receives calls from inventors with questions and she refers them to our toolkit and answers their questions and refers them to resources that provide the expertise they are looking for.

As the area economic developer, marketing appeal is very important for our organization, for our inventors, and for manufacturing and business to find out who we are and how to work with our organizations. We need to sell the sizzle of our services and business opportunties for new product development for manufacturing in our State of Minnesota to create additional jobs and stimulate the economy!

A fresh new website that would include the use of social media ie. Twitter, Facebook, etc. will appeal to the young professional as well as the high-tech inventor in the area of medical devices and or bioscience, manufacturing, engineering, to young student inventors. Our site needs to be multi-faceted. As the treasurer of the MIC, we have limited resources financially and a small two-person staffed office. I have worked on our past websites to make some suggested improvements, but your expertise would give us the "WOW-factor" we need to launch us into the next 50 years in the world of invention and innovation! Please give us serious consideration as you make your selections. Thank you!

In a very respectful way, I must disagree with the reasons the Minnesota Inventors Congress listed as to why they need a web site, and how they will make the world a greener place. Here’s why...
Our company offers product design and engineering services. Through our affiliation with the Minnesota Inventors Congress, we met an inventor who had an innovative idea for how to greatly improve the amount of energy collected from wind turbines. The Minnesota Inventors Congress was there to help him. They put him in touch with knowledgeable people. They helped him find information on grants and renewable energy loan programs. This inventor was able to get some early financing; found a reputable patent attorney and engaged us to help him design and build a working model to prove out his invention.
Making a long story short, the working model is performing as predicted and they are now seeking second round financing so they can continue the development of the design and move this invention towards commercialization.
A really innovative “green” product might never have gotten off the drawing board without the help of the Minnesota Inventors Congress.
There are more millions of inventors out there, many of whom have ideas for environmentally friendly products and services. Most of these inventors do not know how to get started or know how to tap into the resources available to them. For our country to foster more “green” products and services, we need organizations such as the Minnesota Inventors Congress.
Unfortunately, there are a large number of unscrupulous organizations out there that will take advantage inventors, and kill innovative ideas before they ever have a chance to get off the ground. The information and credibility that the Minnesota Inventors Congress provides offers can be lifeline to people at risk of being ripped off.
In my opinion, their need for a new web site has little to do with how their web site got started or how they can accomplish so much with so few resources. They need a new web site so they can be found by inventors searching the internet looking for help, and have a web site that is easy to navigate. They need a new web site to be able to communicate, educate, and inform. They need to be able to tap into the new technologies available to them.
Cutting down on paper, postage, and streamlining their operations are important benefits, but I see a much larger social value to what they are doing. Please help them create a trustworthy and reliable place for all inventors to go for help.
I have the highest regard for the staff and mission of the Minnesota Inventors Congress, and echo all the favorable comments written about them on this site. If you would like more information about me, our company, or the inventor I told you about, please contact me at 866-204-0148. Thank you for your consideration.
Dave Clark
The Malco Design & Deliver Group

I was somewhat aware of the Minnesota Inventors Congress back in the early 1990s, mostly from hearing about the annual event shortly before it occurred, or possibly from quickly reading a billboard "Home of the Minnesota Inventors Congress" as I passed through Redwood Falls. It wasn't until I moved to Redwood Falls in 1995, and shortly after that, accepting a position on the board of directors, that I really learned what an unrivaled organization this really is and the uncounted benefits it bestows to inventors and would-be inventors, not to mention the economic opportunities it has bestowed on individuals and to their respective cities across the nation.
Being the publisher of the local newspaper, I know we have tried to spread the word, through press coverage and thankfully by way of our talented and knowledgeable executive director who assists inventors in all ways possible. But we still need to get the word out near and far to continue this and to assist other inventors and educate them in the steps toward production and patenting their inventions without getting caught in the traps of many scam artists out there who are only interested in taking their money.
I believe an upgraded Web site is another method of doing that and hope you will consider the Minnesota Inventors Congress as a candidate for your Web experts to do their work on. Not only will it assist the MIC, but even more importantly it will have national and perhaps international benefits for individuals and cities throughout the world. I thank you for your time and consideration.
Pat Schmidt, Publisher
Redwood Gazette
Redwood Falls, Minnesota

As an inventor, I have been an attendee of the Minnesota Inventors Congress since 1997 and I have exhibited in both 2007 and 2009. I have personally witnessed many inventors gain incredible exposure that would not have been possible otherwise. The importance of having an accessible organization to assist the everyday idea person is crucial to the competitiveness of the United States. Often financial resources prevent great ideas from ever establishing themselves as a commercial product. The same can be said regarding the limited resources of the Minnesota Inventors Congress organization. Without the financial benefits of a for profit organization, the difficulty of communicating with the inventors both in person and online becomes yet another obstacle in the way of commercializing America's intellect.

Clearly the future of communication is placing the ability to directly exchange ideas as evidenced by the popularity of Twitter and Facebook. A dynamic website would assist the Minnesota Inventors Congress and would reach many more inventors. An ever changing web site will draw more frequent visitors in search of fresh content.

As a recent member of the Minnesota Inventors Congress board of Directors, I have learned that there are no other non-profit organizations that do what we do. With your assistance we can achieve our goals of extending membership and remaining an ongoing entity serving common everyday inventors. Thank you for considering us for a worthy candidate in need of your professional services. Cheers to the Minnesota Inventors Congress!

An innovative organization dedicated to helping inventors for over five decades that is in need of an innovative makeover of their web site and social media communications.