2020–2021 Committee Selection Wrap-Up - International Trademark Association

INTA would like to thank all of the individuals at member organizations who applied to serve on a committee during the 2020–2021 term. This year, 3,771 individuals applied, the highest number in INTA history, and more than 3,100 were assigned to committees.

Even with the larger pool of applicants, this year’s 84 percent placement rate is consistent with the placement rate of prior terms. Although INTA places as many individuals as possible on committees, it also must be mindful of requests by committee leaders and members to limit the size of committees to ensure their efficient operation and overall member satisfaction.

Other considerations in committee assignments include maintaining a balance of:

Regular and Associate members
Regional representation
Subject matter expertise
New and returning members, including first-time applicants vs. veteran volunteers
Different levels of experience

Region	2019 Applicants by Region		2019 Assignments by Region
Region	Total	Percentage	Total	Percentage
North America (U.S. and Canada)	1669	44.26%	1314	41.69%
Europe: European Union	710	18.83%	604	19.16%
Latin America and Caribbean	492	13.05%	429	13.61%
East Asia and Pacific	359	9.52%	321	10.18%
South Asia	211	5.60%	175	5.55%
Europe: Non-European Union	104	2.76%	98	3.11%
Middle East and North Africa	84	2.23%	79	2.51%
Sub-Saharan Africa	82	2.17%	78	2.47%
Europe: Russia and CIS	60	1.59%	54	1.71%
Grand Total	3771	100%	3152	100%

It is important to note that INTA maintains a list of those not assigned to a committee and reaches out to them to fill any committee vacancies and to assist with projects that arise during the committee term, especially when regional or subject matter expertise is needed.

Because the number of applications received during committee selection exceeds the number of assignments available, if someone is not actively participating on a committee, he or she is taking up a spot that could be filled by someone from this unassigned list.

Therefore, to ensure that committees are working well and that committee participation is a rewarding experience for all, the Planning Committee audits committee participation and progress against objectives. The goal of this oversight is not punitive action for individual nonperformance, but rather to achieve optimal committee performance by encouraging a climate of participation and bringing in productive replacements for any committee member who, for whatever reason, is having challenges in performing on the committee and must relinquish his or her committee assignment.

All 2020–2021 committee members are invited to sit in on the 2018–2019 meetings of their committees at the 2019 Leadership Meeting in Austin, Texas, USA. If you are able to attend, please kindly inform your staff liaison, listed on your assignment letter, so he or she can plan accordingly.

Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of items in the INTA Bulletin, readers are urged to check independently on matters of specific concern or interest.