INTA News

Corporate Members, Associates Filling Seats for INTA’s 2021 Annual Meeting Virtual+

Published: August 4, 2021

2021 Annual Meeting Virtual+The list of INTA corporate and law firm members who are registered to attend the 2021 Annual Meeting Virtual+ is growing. Among the registrants from 69 countries are many from leading names in the global intellectual property (IP) community as well as companies that have registered multiple members of their teams.

INTA’s 2021 Annual Meeting Virtual+, taking place from November 15 to 19, will have a unique hybrid format of virtual education and Business Development programming coupled with consecutive one-day, in-person mini-conferences in four cities around the world: Hong Kong SAR, China; New York, New York, USA; Berlin, Germany; and Los Angeles, California, USA.

Registration is open for members. INTA members are taking advantage of this exclusive period until August 13 to register for Premium Access at a discounted rate. Premium Access includes the biggest savings, all benefits, and first-come, first-served registration for the onsite mini-conferences.

On the latter, registration has exceeded the half-way capacity mark in some cities. INTA President Tiki Dare, for one, will be attending the mini-conferences on both U.S. coasts—in Los Angeles, south of where she is based in Redwood City, as well as the in-person event in New York.

Particularly attractive to corporate members is the “3+1 Free” option, offering one free registration for every three paid Virtual Meeting registrations purchased by the same umbrella organization. For associate members, the “5+1 Free” option means for every five paid Virtual Meeting registrations purchased by the same umbrella organization, INTA will award the sixth registration for free.

Already, close to 70 corporations globally have registered, with many sending multiple team members. Among the registrants are representatives from Biofarma, Bristol Myers Squibb, Crocs, Expedia, Ferrero, Heineken, Mattel, NBA Properties, Novartis, PUMA SE, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., Teva Pharmaceuticals, TGI Friday, Warner Media, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc., to name just a few.

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in Zurich, Switzerland, has registered 10 people. Starbucks expects to send four. GoDaddy is sending three.

“The INTA Meetings have always been the highlight of the year, in a professional development sense as well as on a personal level,” said Heike Bhonsle (Crocs, Inc., USA). “It’s the perfect opportunity to meet with all local counsel in one spot, meet and network with peers, and enrich your knowledge on everything IP-related.”

Susan Crane (Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc., USA) plans to be on the ground at the New York mini-conference on November 16, noting that she is looking forward to “reconnecting in person with the many colleagues who are now good friends.”

“I consider the Annual Meeting an essential part of my professional development,” she added. “There is no better place to get the latest updates on global trademark law, or to connect with colleagues and counsel.”

Phil Lodico (GoDaddy Corporate Domains, USA) feels likewise. “More than ever, I am looking forward to attending the Annual Meeting virtually and reconnecting with clients and colleagues at the one-day, in-person events,” he said.

Law firms from around the world are also sending varying numbers of multiple associates. For example, among the firms taking advantage of the 5+1 discount, and sending six members each, are: Bereskin & Parr LLP, Toronto, Canada; IBERBRAND, S.C., Mexico City, Mexico; H.K. Acharya & Co., Ahmedabad, India; and Nordemann Czychowski & Partner, Berlin, Germany.

Beyond that, Ojam Bullrich Flanzbaum, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Unitalen Attorneys at Law, Beijing, China, are each registering nine associates; and Spoor & Fisher, Pretoria, South Africa, has 12 representatives coming.

“Attending the virtual part of the 2021 INTA Annual Meeting Virtual+ gives us the tremendous opportunity to stay in contact with INTA colleagues and friends, as well as to attend excellent presentations without having to travel or dedicate full days away from the office,” said Bernard Malone (Baker McKenzie, Argentina), who will be joined by two colleagues at the Meeting.

BrandIT GmbH (Switzerland) will be represented by three to four team members at the virtual Meeting and at the mini-conferences in Berlin, Los Angeles, and New York. “[The Annual Meeting] is where we meet all our partners from around the world, where we meet new people and also get very important input on trends in the industry,” said Jesper Knudsen (BrandIT GmbH, Switzerland).

“We find it very important to attend virtually but also to go to the local events, as at the end of the day we are dealing with people. We are still a people business and therefore INTA is a key organization for us as a company, as we get the best opportunities to combine knowledge, new tech, and people,” he added.

Members can register for the Annual Meeting Virtual+ now through October 29. Registration for non-members opens on August 16 and likewise runs until October 29. Participants must register for the virtual Meeting in order to register for one or more of the in-person mini-conferences.

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.

© 2021 International Trademark Association

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