Enriching Your TMAP Experience Through Business Development

“TMAP is a close-knit, intimate Meeting where genuine and long-term connections and relationships can be made and nurtured, in a less formal setting,” Kevin Wong (Ella Cheong LLC, Singapore) said in a recent interview with the INTA Bulletin. Indeed, networking is a focal point of this yearly gathering of trademark practitioners (TMAs), paralegals, young practitioners, and attorneys who oversee global trademark portfolios.

Berlin, Germany’s vibrant capital, is a melting pot of cultures and industries and is renowned for its networking culture, making it an ideal location for the 2025 Trademark Administrators and Practitioners Meeting (TMAP). TMAP is capitalizing on this rich blend of culture, history, and industry to create an impressive slate of Business Development (BD) opportunities that has something of value to offer all registrants, no matter your interests or goals.

Business Development Excursions

Registrants can add BD excursions that provide a convenient way to connect with fellow intellectual property professionals while taking in the city’s sights, history, and cuisine, or even participating in a meaningful volunteer experience. Some excursions are already sold out, so be sure to register before you miss out.

Exploring Berlin

The Berlin Highlights: Connect & Walk Tour includes a visit to the beautifully restored Hackesche Höfe, where history, street art, and modern life intertwine. Registrants will then stroll along Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to the stunning Berlin Cathedral and world-renowned museums, like the Pergamon Museum and Altes Museum.

The tour will then follow the historic Unter den Linden boulevard, passing landmarks such as Humboldt University, where Einstein once taught, and Bebelplatz, the site of the infamous Nazi book burning, marked by the haunting Empty Library Memorial. The group will admire the Staatsoper (State Opera House) and the Neue Wache, a solemn war memorial, and marvel at the elegance of Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin’s most beautiful square, before reaching the grand Brandenburg Gate, once a symbol of division and now a powerful emblem of unity.

Discover Berlin: From the Third Reich to the Cold War, is a tour offering a compelling journey through the city’s turbulent 20th-century history: from the Third Reich, to the Cold War, to modern-day Germany.

Local Cuisine

The informal Dine Around is a beloved TMAP tradition. Registrants sign up to join a small group dinner on Sunday night at a local restaurant chosen in advance by the group’s Dine Around Captain. Each group will eat at a different restaurant. These dinners are designed to encourage meaningful conversations among professionals, allowing participants from different companies and jurisdictions to connect. Information on how to sign up for the Dine Around will be made available in the coming weeks.

Those signed up for the Secret Food Tour: Berlin—A Culinary Experience will embark together on a delicious journey through Berlin’s diverse food scene, savoring traditional German specialties alongside the multicultural flavors that make Berlin’s cuisine so exciting. Participants will enjoy experiencing Berlin’s vibrant street food culture, historic beer halls, and beloved local eateries.

Beer enthusiasts can Explore Local & Craft Brews on a guided walking tour, where they will sample a diverse range of flavors while embracing the local beer culture.

At Flavors of Berlin: A Hands-On Cooking Adventure, registrants will make a traditional Berlin-inspired menu, featuring the city’s most iconic dish—currywurst!

Giving Back

Registrants will have an opportunity to share a meaningful volunteer experience at Serve the City: Soup Kitchen Volunteer Experience. Registrants will learn about the soup kitchen’s mission and impact and then get to work chopping vegetables and preparing food to help those in need. TMAP registrants are encouraged to find time in their schedules to volunteer.

On-Site Networking

In addition to BD excursions, registrants will have multiple opportunities to connect at TMAP in a less formal setting at no additional cost. There will be networking receptions on both Sunday and Monday night where registrants can mingle over drinks and explore the exhibition hall. During the day on Monday and Tuesday, registrants will have a networking break between educational sessions.

Finally, registrants will have the opportunity to participate in Lunch and Learn Circles on Monday and Tuesday. As 2025 TMAP Co-Chair Bahia Alyafi (Alyafi IP Group, Middle East) told the INTA Bulletin, “Lunch and Learn Circles are small group discussions that cover current topics in law, practice, and professional development, and are very helpful in diving deeper into a topic and discussing it freely without having anyone judge you.”

The 2025 TMAP Meeting will allow for amazing networking opportunities, but registrants must take advantage of them by putting themselves out there and striking up conversations. 2025 TMAP Co-Chair Conny Schmitt encourages registrants to take a chance on talking to someone new: “I made friends at INTA events 20 years ago who are still my very close friends and key work connections. Get as much as you can out of the Meeting by talking to people.”

Learn more and register for the 2025 TMAP 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. Law & Practice updates are published without comment from INTA except where it has taken an official position.

© 2025 International Trademark Association