2022 Leadership Meeting: Time to Fill Those Remaining Gaps in Your Schedules

In less than two weeks, more than 1,500 INTA volunteers will gather in Miami, Florida, for the 2022 Leadership Meeting. The Project Team and INTA staff have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to develop an educational program covering cutting-edge legal and business issues, complemented by an exciting array of Business Development (BD) offerings.

For those of you busy planning your week in Miami, below you’ll find a few suggestions as you finalize your schedules, as well as some final reminders.

The Welcome and Awards Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, 4:30 pm–6:00 pm, and will be followed by the Welcome and Awards Reception. Kim Boyle (Richard Law Group, USA) and Rosa Jimenez (Travel + Leisure Co., USA) will provide an overview of the program and some useful insider tips for both the Meeting and for Miami. We will also hear from INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo and INTA President Zeeger Vink. And, of course, we will announce and hear from the 2022 INTA Awards winners.

Recently Added Educational Programming

Mid-Career Motivation: How to Stay Engaged and Inventive in the Ever-Changing Legal Profession Idea Exchange │ Presented by the Professional Development Committee, this Idea Exchange takes place on Tuesday, 9:00 am–11:00 am, will involve an engaging and motivational discussion designed for mid-career intellectual property professionals. It will focus on topics important to mid-career professionals, including how to stay motivated, succession planning, reinvention of yourself, and it will address how to handle some significant and sometimes unexpected changes that could affect seasoned practitioners, both in-house and in private practice. No additional fee is required for this Idea Exchange. However, preregistration is encouraged. To preregister, contact INTA’s Member Operations team. For more information, read Finding Mid-Career Motivation: An Interview with Phil Cox.

Trademark Modernization Act Expungement and Reexamination Proceedings—Do This, Not That! An Update from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) │In this session, taking place on Friday, 10:15 am–11:15 am, USPTO Deputy Commissioner for Trademark Examination Policy Amy Cotton (USA) and USPTO Commissioner for Trademarks David Gooder will provide an overview of the new TMA expungement and reexamination non-use cancellation proceedings before the Director. They will discuss the types and amounts of evidence needed to establish a prima facie case of non-use, what characteristics of the proceedings might influence a petitioner’s choice of venue, and what to do—and not to do—in a petition-requesting institution or in a registrant’s response.

Keynote Speaker Series

Fraidy Reiss is the Founder and Executive Director of Unchained At Last. The survivor of a forced marriage, Ms. Reiss became an activist and founded Unchained At Last. It is the only organization dedicated to ending forced and child marriage in the United States through direct services and advocacy. Sit down with Ms. Reiss on Wednesday, 9:30 am–10:00 am, to hear about her journey, leadership, and activism.

One of the most famous and celebrated visual artists on the globe, Romero Britto, has created an iconic visual language of happiness, fun, love, and hope, inspiring millions worldwide. Brazilian-born and Miami-made, Mr. Britto is the founder of the Happy Art Movement. In his interview, Mr. Britto will share insights about his personal journey, the Happy Art Movement itself, and his leadership within the industry and his community. The interview takes place Thursday, 10:30 am–11:00 am.

Finally, on Friday, 9:45 am–10:00 am, hear from Edward Kwakwa, Assistant Director General, Global Challenges and Partnerships Sector, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (Ghana). In this WIPO update, Mr. Kwakwa will talk about the future of IP and traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, and why these are important issues to brand professionals.

Business Development (BD) Opportunities

Join us on Monday, 4:00 pm–6:00 pm for a friendly (yet competitive) Football (Soccer) Match! Cheer on your peers, socialize, and enjoy light refreshments. All the player spots are full, but there’s plenty of room for spectators. Register here.

Enjoy some time on the beach on Friday, 11:00 am–1:00 pm, cheer on your peers playing Beach Volleyball, socialize, and enjoy light snacks! All the player spots are full, but there’s still space for spectators. Register here.

The BD lounge is available all week, starting on Tuesday at 9:00 am. The lounge is open to all registrants for open networking and planned activities with other registrants. Spend time in the lounge to take a break and recharge. Register here.

There are also a few spots left on the following BD activities: Aquaerobics, Brewery Tour & Experience, Little Havana Food Tour, Salsa Mia, and Sobe Scavenger Hunt. Learn more and register here.

Important Reminders

Health and Safety 

Registrants’ health and safety is our priority. We are monitoring the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic closely as well as the vaccination distribution pathways. This includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) action in June 2022 to rescind its Order requiring all airline or other aircraft passengers to show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 to board any aircraft destined to the United States from a foreign country. While we will continue to monitor the situation, we are updating our in-person meeting health and safety policies to no longer require verification of (i) proof of vaccination by our third-party health and safety partner, SafeAccess; and (ii) proof of negative COVID-19 test results within 48 hours before badge collection.

The Fontainebleau Miami Beach has implemented a variety of new protocols and elevated practices in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the most up-to-date information, please visit the hotel website regularly. Set out here on the INTA website are some of the health and safety precautions that will be in place during the Meeting.

Membership Renewal Desk

INTA will have an onsite renewal desk for you to conveniently renew your 2023 membership dues. The renewal desk will be located on the Upper Lobby Level.

Annual Meeting Flash Sale

INTA ran a Flash Sale throughout October. Members who renewed their INTA membership were able to preregister for the Annual Meeting. This will be offered on-site to Leadership Meeting registrants. The offer is exclusive to new and renewed INTA members with membership expiration of December 31, 2023, or later. Some restrictions apply. Membership renewal must first take place before event registration. Preregistered members will receive early access to hotel accommodations in January 2023. Standard Early Bird Live+ rates apply only. Visit the Membership Renewal Desk to take advantage of the offer.

Give Back

Hurricane Ian was the deadliest hurricane in the continental United States since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It made landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast on September 28. There are still many people in dire need of assistance. INTA has selected to partner with two organizations directly engaged in relief efforts on the ground in Florida:

• The Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida is the largest hunger-relief nonprofit and the only Feeding America member in Southwest Florida. Make a donation.
• The Englewood Chamber of Commerce is supporting relief efforts in the Englewood community, which was hard hit by Hurricane Ian but which has received far less media attention than other better-known communities in the area. Make a donation.

Eat, drink, and attend the auction at the INTA Foundation Brunch on Wednesday, 11:00 am–12:30 pm. Join the INTA Foundation Board members for brunch and an auction. Hear about the INTA Foundation Fellowship Program’s future initiatives and take part in the auction, which will help keep these initiatives going strong. The event is free to attend and exclusive to 2022 Leadership Meeting registrants. Reserve your seat.

Join INTA and GLINTA on Wednesday, 5:00 pm–6:30 pm, for a fundraiser reception to support PRISM. PRISM works to expand access to LGBT-inclusive education and sexual health resources for youth in South Florida. Its goal is to make sure everyone feels included in their community, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

Advanced registration preferred, $50 donation to attend. All proceeds from this fundraiser will be provided to PRISM.

Registration for the Leadership Meeting is open through November 11 and available on-site from November 15. Learn more and register.

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. 

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