Pent-Up Demand Pushes Registration Numbers for 2022 Annual Meeting Live+

All you have to do is listen to registrants for INTA’s 2022 Annual Meeting Live+ to really feel the excitement building around the event. The pent-up demand among brand professionals to meet again in person with colleagues—old and new—is palpable. Phrases like “can’t wait” and “looking forward to it” are widespread and hardly an exaggeration.

More than 2,000 professionals have already signed up for the 144th Annual Meeting, which will take place in person in Washington, D.C., USA, and virtually from April 30 to May 4. Participants can register for either Live+ (in person + virtual) or Virtual Only.

Designed to be a “whole new experience,” the event will bring together the intellectual property community from across the world and across industries for the largest gathering of its kind for brand professionals. It marks the first time in nearly three years that INTA will hold a full-scale Annual Meeting.

After hosting an in-person event with record attendance in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, in May 2019, INTA pivoted from its traditional event structure due to health and safety concerns and travel restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, the Association held a virtual Annual Meeting in 2020 and a virtual meeting with small-sized mini-conferences in three cities in 2021.

Now, with the 2022 Annual Meeting less than three months away, testimonials are pouring in from in-house counsel and law firm practitioners—from those pleased with the health and safety precautions in place for the in-person Meeting and others who are embracing the Virtual Only option because of personal preference or travel or health restrictions.

Indicative of the pent-up demand, Spoor & Fisher (Pretoria, South Africa) will be at the Meeting in “full force” from their South Africa and UK offices, according to Kay Rickelman, the firm’s foreign counsel. In all, 11 individuals will be on the ground and four others will be there remotely—the same number, 15, that attended the last in-person Annual Meeting in 2019.

“The INTA Annual Meeting has always been the highlight on my calendar for the year. There is no better forum for seeing friends and clients, making new acquaintances from around the world, and keeping on top of international developments in our field,” Ms. Rickelman said. “We have all missed this personal interaction for the last three years and hope to make up for lost time!”

Here, the INTA Bulletin presents comments from a sample of ten other INTA members, including Board Members, from around the world that exemplify the enthusiasm for the Annual Meeting Live+.

“The Annual Meeting has for a long time been a key element in the yearly planning of an in-house IP department… Bringing an in-house IP team to the INTA Annual Meeting has a lot of advantages. The first is that you can meet with all external council and really develop these relationships. Another advantage is the opportunities for personal and professional development, including expanding your networks and developing soft skills, which is very important for a career in IP.”
—INTA 2022 President Zeeger Vink
IP Director
MF Brands Group
Geneva, Switzerland

“I cannot wait to see everyone in person and connect face to face for ‘real meetings.’ It’s been way too long. Hope to see everyone in D.C.”
—Heike Bhonsle
Brand Protection Director, Global IP
Crocs, Inc.
Broomfield, Colorado, USA

“I just can’t wait for everything about every aspect of the Meeting, whether in person or virtually, because there are more valuable learnings, discoveries, possibilities, and encounters with members around the world than you’d expect. We believe that it is meaningful to participate and to cooperate with each other. We look forward to your participation.”

「皆さんこんにちは、私は４月末開催のINTA年次大会に参加します。対面式であろうとリモート式であろうと、そこには期待以上の学び、発見、可能性や世界中のメンバーとの出会いがあります。参加して活用すること、そして協力し合うことに意義があると考えています。皆さんの参加をお待ちしております。」
—Koji Saito
General Manager
Intellectual Property Dept.
ASICS Corporation
Kobe-Shi, Hyogo, Japan

“It’s a great opportunity for us to get together and reconnect over coffee or a meal. I’m really, really, really looking forward to that! In addition, I have a global client base, and the Annual Meeting also has always been a great opportunity to see clients face to face.”
—Heather McDonald
Partner
Baker & Hostetler LLP
New York, New York, USA

“It’s all about the community of people. After more than two long years apart, I am thrilled to be attending INTA’s 2022 Annual Meeting to connect with long-time friends and colleagues. And to engage with new ones too! Hope to see you there.”
—Craig Stone
Senior Counsel, Trademarks and IP
Phillips 66 Company
Houston, Texas, USA

“Despite everything, I will be attending the most important meeting for trademark lawyers. I am ready to face my colleagues, meet again with my friends, and do business in D.C. Don’t miss this great opportunity!”
—Margarita Romero
Managing Partner
Romero Corral Abogados
Quito, Ecuador

“We are really looking forward to attending INTA’s Annual Meeting and being able to meet with our counsel in person.”
—Batur Oktay
Vice President, Deputy General Counsel
Rad Power Bikes
Seattle, Washington, USA

“The next best thing to being in person at INTA’s 2022 Annual Meeting Live+, is attending virtually! I will miss the in-person vibe that is unique to the Annual Meeting. Yet, I will not miss out on the excellent programming that is also unique to the Annual Meeting. If you are unable to attend in person, go ahead and register for the virtual aspect of the Meeting!”
—Rosemary Turpin
Associate Consultant – Trademarks
Trademark and Copyright Department
Eli Lilly and Company
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

“Registration? Check! Hotel reservation? Check! And a toast to my first in-person Annual Meeting in three years!”
—Gang Bai
Founding Partner, Management Committee Chair
WANHUIDA Intellectual Property
Beijing, People’s Republic of China

“After more than 25 years, attending the INTA Annual Meeting has become one of those events I look forward to every year, like birthdays and family reunions. I’m excited to once again meet with colleagues, counsel, and friends to learn and advance the work of INTA in promoting brands.”
—Susan L. Crane
Group Vice President, Legal
Intellectual Property, Brands & Marketing
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc.
Parsippany, New Jersey, USA

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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