The Montague Transformer Bag scooped the first prize at Innovation Pitchfest 2015, which took place at Melbourne Showgrounds during the gift fair.
The three-day event saw 20 finalists from around Australia ‘pitch’ the features and benefits of their product in a series of competitive rounds to an expert judging panel including Tara Dennis and Michael Stam, director of merchandising for Tchibo Hong Kong.
The Montague Transformer Bag is a clever and compact multipurpose bag ideal for work, weekends or travel and as the winning product will be stocked in Tchibo stores.
Designers Monica Ho and Jade Su say they are both honoured and excited about the win and are looking forward to working with Tchibo to bring their product to the international market.
“We are so thankful and unbelievably overwhelmed, it’s like a dream come true,” Su enthused. “Innovation PitchFest is such a great platform to present our products, and to receive recognition from reputable, experienced people in the industry is so valuable.
“We certainly didn’t expect it, but this win, which allows us to work with retail giant Tchibo, gives us unimaginable potential for our innovative product. Before Innovation PitchFest, as a company we didn’t believe we would’ve been able to take the Transformer Bag to the international market. Now with the help of Tchibo, anything is possible for us.”
Su says the bag is very different to what is currently available in the market. “We wanted to create something that was much more than a bag, something that was compact and convenient for today’s busy lifestyle and on-the-go person. The Transformer bag is available in fun, fresh prints and colours, and can go from formal to casual compactly and easily―it’s the essential multi-occasion bag.”
Held for only the second time, The Retail Miss Fix-It of Magnolia Solutions and founder of Innovation PitchFest, Nancy Georges, says the quality of the product submissions far surpassed her expectations and she is looking forward to growing the event over the coming years.
“I knew that Reed Exhibitions was the perfect group to source great exhibitors who had clever products and wanted to promote them to the world,” she says. “I knew that Tchibo was the perfect partner to take Australian businesses into their European stores and make their manufacturing available to Australian businesses.
“What I hoped for was that the Australian businesses that took part in the event―especially the top 20―would go the extra mile, challenge themselves and create a community of amazing people who supported each other. Thankfully this hope is a reality. I will do everything I can to support these wonderful people and look forward to the evolution of Innovation PitchFest.”
Other winners include Escargot milk cotton baby suit, Cerachef colour change cookware, MaCo and Padpod. The next event will take place in February 2016.
By Marion Gerritsen
