BusinessTN

At one time or another, baking novices and pastry chefs alike have noticed when the once-colorful designs on paper cupcake liners look differently coming out of the oven. Letters that used to read "happy birthday," end up faded, distorted and illegible.

"Once you bake in them, the design that you purchased and paid for is no longer there," says Kellie Sutton, a stay-at-home mother of four and fed-up consumer.

Determined to revolutionize the cupcake liner, in February, Sutton launched Sutton Gourmet Paper, a producer of specialty baking paper based in Cordova, Tenn. After only a few months, Sutton Baking Cups -- the company's brand of premium cupcake liners touting chic, long-lasting designs -- now stand poised to become "The Next Big Thing." That's the name of the national product search competition held June 23-29 at the Dallas Market Center in Texas, where Sutton Baking Cups is a top three finalist out of over 100 applicants.

In truth, Sutton's first foray into baked goods began in 1996 with Sutton Parchment Co., which sold parchment paper baking rounds to more than 100 stores nationwide, even meriting mention in a 2007 issue of Southern Living magazine. Yet Sutton admits that the product's slow-selling nature was one reason her gaze shifted elsewhere, eventually settling on cupcakes.

"I call cupcakes the new 'it' girl," Sutton says. Indeed, with entire bakeries devoted to the teacup-sized cakes cropping up across the country, the question is not whether cupcakes are popular, but rather how long will the craze continue before a new 'it' dessert takes its place. On that count, Sutton is not worried. "Regardless of the economic situation in this world, people are going to celebrate," Sutton says. "Cupcakes are easy, they've been around forever, and they're not going anywhere."

To test that theory, Sutton will debut four cupcake liner designs -- damask, scroll, harlequin and zebra print -- among other never-before-seen products for over 50,000 retail buyers from 84 countries in the third running of "The Next Big Thing." The competition will be held within the five-million-square-foot Dallas Market Center, the world's most complete wholesale marketplace, producing an estimated $8.5 billion in transactions annually.

"We're not coming out with some huge invention, but these products serve a purpose that anyone would want for their home," says Meredith Hite, director of public relations of the Dallas Market Center. "Sutton Baking Cups are something that we've all thought of."

Should Sutton's company come out on top, the reward is substantial. "The winner receives temporary booth space at our next large market in January 2011, as well as $5,000 cash and a consulting package worth $10,000," Hite says. The judging will be left to three or four industry experts and local media, as well as to the Facebook user community.

Sutton will go head-to-head with other "mom-preneurs," as Hite calls them, including Clothes and Go, of Dallas, Texas, a solution for moving clothes on hangers, and Sand Gone, of Winter Springs, Fla., a dry powder than gently removes sand from the body.

Though the three finalists all have solid concepts, only one product can be "The Next Big Thing." With 500 designs and more than 100 prospective buyers, Sutton Baking Cups is ready to launch. But first, Sutton must convince thousands of domestic and international wholesalers that her company can take the heat—and that it belongs in the kitchen.