Official Rules and Instructions
1. Receipt of applications ends (TBA). Applications must be received by (TBA).
2. The top entrants will be invited to exhibit their prototypes at the WES WATKINS NEW PRODUCTS FAIR. All those invited must have their prototypes set up for display (time and place TBA). Attendance at the Fair is required to be considered for awards as the judges will reevaluate the entries on the day of the Fair.
3. Each entry will be submitted into one of these six divisions:
Elementary Student: This division is open to Oklahoma students in grades 3-6 who are enrolled in a public, private or home school.
Secondary Student: This division is open to Oklahoma students in grades 7-12 who are enrolled in a public, private or home school.
Adult Student: This division is open to students enrolled as adult students at one of Oklahoma’s Technology Centers.
Collegiate Student: This division is open to Oklahoma college students of either undergraduate or graduate status.
Small Business: This division is open to small Oklahoma businesses currently producing and/or selling a product or process in the marketplace. Whenever the small business and/or the product/process are dominant in a market, an entry will not be accepted. Entries in this division will be entered in the name of the small business instead of the individual’s name.
Open Class: Entrants not qualifying to compete in one of the four student divisions or the Small Business division will be entered in the Open Class division. This division is for Oklahoma residents not currently selling their idea/invention.
4. Prizes for the WES WATKINS NEW PRODUCTS FAIR will include cash awards and trophies. Cash awards will be as shown in the following table*:
| Division | 1st Place* |
2nd Place* |
3rd Place* |
| Elementary Student | $250 |
$200 |
$150 |
| Secondary Student | $500 |
$400 |
$300 |
| Adult Student | $500 |
$400 |
$300 |
| Collegiate Student | $500 |
$400 |
$300 |
| Small Business | $1000 |
$750 |
$500 |
| Open Class | $1000 |
$750 |
$500 |
| Grand Prize** | $1500 |
$1000 |
$500 |
* The judges reserve the right not to present any or all of the awards in any divisions that have limited entries in quantity or quality.
**Grand Prizes will be awarded to the top Fair entries from all six divisions.5. Winners will be selected at the sole discretion of a panel of judges. The Fair sponsors will select the panel of judges. All decisions of the judges are final.
6. Entries will be judged on the following criteria:
a. Innovation: The level of creativity and originality of the entry.
b. Presentation: The quality of the entry (i.e. written entry form, the prototype and its presentation) and its ability to communicate the idea intent.
c. Commercialization: The marketability, manufacturability, legality, safety, impact on society, technical feasibility, and potential profitability of the entry.7. You may enter as many different ideas in the WES WATKINS NEW PRODUCTS FAIR as you wish.
8. You may enter the WES WATKINS NEW PRODUCTS FAIR regardless of the stage of development of your new product or process idea.
9. No food or recipe entries will be accepted.
10. Attendance at the Fair is required to be considered for awards and exhibitors (the inventor or representative) must be present at their display booth to explain the invention to Fair visitors and the judges.
11. Prototypes (for those selected to exhibit at the Fair):
- The prototype demonstrates the features that qualify the concept as a new, unique idea. Different styles of prototypes are acceptable. The prototype may be larger or smaller than the actual product/process. Any suitable material may be used in its construction. The prototype is not required to be operational.
- Prototypes are the responsibility of the exhibitor. Exhibitors are required to transport them to the Fair, set up the display and remove them at the Fair’s conclusion. One-Ten (110) electricity will be provided upon request (as noted in the application) within 25 feet of the display booth. However, exhibitors will be responsible for providing their own extension cords.
- The prototype display must be safe. It should also be attractive and informative.
- Each exhibitor will be provided one-half of a 6-foot long table on which to display their prototype. (Standard size tri-fold corrugated presentation boards may be used.) Special accommodations for larger prototypes can be made upon request (as noted in the application).
12. Each Fair exhibitor is responsible for picking up awards and prototypes at the Fair’s conclusion.
13. By entering, you warrant that your entry is your own original idea and that you are not knowingly infringing upon the intellectual property rights of any third party. Designs for products that are already in commercial production may not be entered. (It is recommended that you conduct a patent or internet search to determine if your idea already exists.) The Entrant retains ownership of the design idea submitted for the Fair.
14. Entrants agree to abide by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of the Fair sponsors/judges, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to the Fair. The Entrant consents to the use of his/her name and/or likeness by the Fair sponsors for advertising and publicity purposes without further compensation. Each Entrant agrees that the Fair sponsors and their employees will have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind resulting from his/her participation in the Fair. The Fair sponsors are not responsible for any expenses incurred by entrants in connection with participation in the Fair.
15. IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ENTRANTS ABOUT PATENT LAW
According to 35 U.S. Code 102, U.S. patents must be applied for within one year after public disclosure. In order to obtain patent protection in most foreign countries a patent must be filed prior to public disclosure. The term “public disclosure” is open to interpretation by the courts, but could mean anything from telling a friend or classmate to open public display and discussion on a street corner.The entry of an idea or invention in the Fair may be considered public disclosure.
If you believe you want to patent your idea or invention, you must file an application within one year of the time you first disclose your idea (or prior to any disclosure if you want to patent your idea or invention in most foreign countries). Disclosure may begin at the time you complete the online application for the Fair.
Please go to the United States Patent and Trademark Office website at www.uspto.gov for more information.
16. To enter the Fair, complete and submit the online application form in its entirety. The application will include a written description of the product or process idea along with a drawing or photograph of the idea in PDF format. Click here to go to the online entry form.
| Questions about the Wes Watkins New Products Fair may be submitted to: |
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Karl Scifres, Kiamichi Technology Center, McAlester, OK 1 (888) 567 - 6630 or kscifres@okktc.org |
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Steve Dollarhide, Kiamichi Technology Center, Idabel, OK 1 (888) 567 - 6724 or sdollarhide@okktg.org |
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Brad Martin, Kiamichi Technology Center, Stigler, OK 1 (888) 567 - 6805 or bmartin@okktc.org |
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Phil Gillham, Autry Technology Center, Enid, OK 1 (580) 242 - 2751 or pgillham@autrytech.com |
| Questions about the Entry Application may be submitted to: |
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Juli Herrington, REI Business Development Coordinator, Durant, OK 1 (800) 658 - 2823 or jherrington@ruralenterprises.com |