Interviews

Annual Meeting Registrations Surpass 8,000—INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo Reflects on the Numbers

Published: March 11, 2026

Etienne Sanz de Acedo, INTA CEO

Excitement is building as intellectual property professionals as well as leaders in academia, business, and government from around the world continue to register for the 2026 Annual Meeting. Earlier this week, as registrations surpassed 8,000, INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo sat down with the INTA Bulletin to share his insights into the registration numbers, his planned update to the Board of Directors next week, and the Association’s “Badge Up” campaign.

Annual Meeting registrations have surpassed 8,000. The registrant data is being closely analyzed. What is the data revealing to you about the makeup of the registrant pool so far?
First of all, we’re very happy to see that more than 8,000 registrants have now signed up to join us in London. I think that means that we will probably end up with around 10,000 registrants. This is a great number and very much in line with prior Meetings.

Likewise, there is a great mix in the composition of the registrants from all around the world: strong participation from Europe and North America, as well as good distribution across jurisdictions, with a very significant participation by corporate representatives.

We also see a lot of interest from government officials from almost all major IP offices worldwide, as well as very strong participation from the judiciary.

And last but not least, something that is new for us this year, we have more and more company CEOs who will be attending and speaking as part of the educational program.

Overall, this is a very positive outcome so far.

This is fantastic. Are there, however, any particular segments or regions that are perhaps behind where they should be when we compare the data with recent Annual Meetings?
Yes, we would expect that in some regions, given that the Annual Meeting is being held in London— because it’s closer to them and easier to reach—we would perhaps expect to see a little more from China and from India.

The Middle East is performing very well, but of course, you know, considering current circumstances, that might change slightly.

But yes, I would say those two jurisdictions—China and India—and also within the European Union. We would like to see great numbers from the UK, of course, but we should see more participation from Germany as well.

These are perhaps the top jurisdictions that we think could be doing a little better than the current numbers.

We also see a lot of interest from government officials from almost all major IP offices worldwide as well as very strong participation from the judiciary.

Next week, the Board of Directors will come together in New York City for its first Board meeting of the year. You’ll present this data to the Board, as well as some historical data from recent Annual Meetings for comparison. What is the Board interested in understanding regarding the makeup of the registrant pool for the 2026 Annual Meeting?
There is a real interest in understanding the makeup of the membership, and particularly what is happening with Annual Meeting participation trends.

There are a few post-pandemic trends that we see very clearly. Before the pandemic, we used to see a massive number of registrations within the first week or two. This has changed. We still make our numbers, but it takes a little more time.

Another issue that the Board is really interested in understanding is why more people travel to the host city during the dates of the Annual Meeting without registering. They go to hotel lobbies, they go to receptions, but they do not necessarily register for the Annual Meeting. This is frustrating the Board, frustrating the corporate members, and they want to better understand this.

So, we’re planning a very detailed presentation to the Board where we’re going not only through the numbers, but also through the names of the firms that are perhaps not as well represented as we would expect, based on historical data, or simply not represented at all.

I’ll give you one example. I mentioned the UK. The UK is doing really well but could definitely do better. Interestingly, there are about 70 firms from the UK alone that attended Annual Meetings in Atlanta in 2024 and San Diego last year, but are not yet registered for London. They represent approximately 400 individuals. Well, the Board is really interested in knowing which those 70 organizations are.

In a similar way, the Board would like to understand which organizations used to register and attend, but for whatever reason are not yet registered, or perhaps are not planning to register as many people as before, or are registering fewer people than before.

This data is an indicator that something is going on, and there is a real interest in understanding those trends.

In response to this issue, INTA has in recent years run what we call our “Badge Up” social media campaigns to try and encourage people who are traveling to the host city to register and wear a badge. We’ve just launched the second phase of our Badge Up campaign for the 2026 Annual Meeting. It takes a somewhat comical tone on this issue of “free riders.” What does INTA hope to achieve with this campaign?
Well, for those companies—and particularly firms—that tend to send people to the city of the Annual Meeting during the dates of the Annual Meeting without registering, perhaps they should think twice about doing that. They’re not really helping us as a collective. It doesn’t help INTA, and it doesn’t help them personally.

As I said, we’re going to share this data with the Board, who are going to see which firms are behaving in this way. I can tell you, I’ve been looking at data, picking up the phone myself, and approaching some firms and saying, “Listen, this is what the data is telling us.”

I’ve received similar feedback from other members and from staff regarding some firms, and I want to be able to share that with these firms’ managing partners and designees, so that they have that information and can reflect on it.

Just yesterday on a call with INTA President Deborah Hampton and our new class of Rising Stars, Ms. Hampton made a very clear and strong statement—a sentiment shared by many corporates: “If you are attending the Annual Meeting but you’re not registered, do not expect me to think about giving you my business.”

That’s a very clear message, and I think it’s important to understand that. We’re a global not-for-profit, and all the income that comes in goes back into INTA projects and initiatives. That is why we don’t like free riding. No one likes free riders.

What the Board is really interested in understanding is how many people travel to the host city during the dates of the Annual Meeting without registering.

A final question: What is your message to regular Annual Meeting participants who have not yet signed up to join us in London this May?
If you’re thinking about coming to London, being in London, and not registering, it’s probably better not to do that, because that doesn’t resonate and doesn’t reflect well.

On the other hand, we totally understand that within some companies and firms there are budget restrictions and travel rules and we’re very respectful of that. But I would say to those who have the opportunity to attend and register, you should definitely do so. It’s going to be an incredible Annual Meeting—our best yet!

Learn more and register for the 2026 Annual Meeting.

Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of this article, readers are urged to check independently on matters of specific concern or interest. The opinions expressed in this interview are those of the person being interviewed and do not purport to reflect the views of INTA or its members.  