INTA’s 2020 Annual Meeting & Leadership Meeting: Develop Your Business, Strengthen Connections, and Learn

Even though we won’t be together in person, INTA’s 2020 Annual Meeting & Leadership Meeting is carefully structured to provide registrants with a variety of networking opportunities that support business development and foster the strong sense of community spirit that typifies INTA events. To date, brand owners and intellectual property (IP) professionals from more than 65 countries have registered—emphasizing the breadth of participants and the potential for building global relationships.

In the second of a two-part interview (see part 1 here), 2020 Annual Meeting co-chairs Elisabeth Bradley (Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, USA), who serves as INTA’s Secretary, and Jo-Ann See (Amica Law LLC, Singapore) look at how registrants will be able to make high-level connections at the Meeting and explain how they think it will allow people to re-immerse themselves in INTA’s global community.

Jo-Ann See (Amica Law LLC, Singapore)

Business development and networking are high priorities for Annual Meeting registrants. How can they maximize the virtual networking offerings at the upcoming Meeting?
Jo-Ann See: Since the Meeting is virtual, it will enable us to have an AI-powered matching and appointment system that will open up more business development opportunities for registrants than in a traditional Annual Meeting setting.

Registrants will be able to arrange individual and group meetings with counsel and associates, as well as to meet new contacts and enhance their network of clients and firms.

Elisabeth Bradley: Attendees will have the opportunity to sign up for networking sessions at no additional cost. This includes Table Topics, focused discussions consisting of only 10 participants which will result in engaging discussions, and Speed Networking, which offers the opportunity to meet with a variety of members in a short time frame. Also, Corporate Members can host and schedule meetings with current and prospective counsel within the platform, just as they would if they were to meet in person.

Elisabeth Bradley (Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, USA)

INTA is offering special pricing for teams with multiple registrants. What opportunities does this present for organizations?
EB: This special pricing presents a really terrific opportunity for organizations to send more participants, especially given there are no air and hotel costs. This will allow more junior attorneys to attend who might not otherwise have had the opportunity to experience the educational content this early in their careers and they can start building their networking and leadership skills earlier than perhaps otherwise would have been possible.

JS: You no longer have to go to the Meeting; the Meeting comes to you and that means it’s accessible to everyone. The need to travel and the time and expenses related to that is no longer an issue. As a result, there are plenty of savings from travel and hospitality expenses—in addition to the special pricing INTA is offering.

These savings can be channeled to have more team members from corporations and firms register for the virtual Meeting. It is a great opportunity to have not only more members in a team participate but to enable newer practitioners to benefit from the lineup of educational programs offered in the Meeting. The networking opportunities, such as Table Topics, will also offer them a forum to share their views on trademark and related-IP issues.

How are you looking to the Annual Meeting & Leadership Meeting to provide a sense of re-immersion in the INTA global community?
JS: It has been quite a few months of working at home and not traveling or meeting clients and colleagues. As such, this Annual Meeting & Leadership Meeting will give us all an opportunity to meet again, to keep up with the developments in the intellectual property world, and to enjoy the camaraderie and bond we all have in the INTA family.

EB: We have held some virtual INTA events so far this year, including Board of Directors and committee leadership meetings, and I have witnessed how everyone is extremely happy to interact with each other. The Annual Meeting & Leadership Meeting will allow us to reconnect, to continue INTA’s work, and to remain strong as a trademark community, despite the current environment. We truly missed seeing each other in April in Singapore, as originally planned for the Annual Meeting; and by November, we will be even more eager to connect as a community. Having a virtual Meeting supported by cutting-edge technology will enhance our ability to connect online—smoothly and seamlessly.

What excites you most about the upcoming Meeting?
EB: I am most excited about having the chance to bring our colleagues together from around the world, and connect, share, and laugh with each other, in a very innovative and creative virtual platform, during a year that has been quite difficult.

We are a strong, supportive trademark community, and having the opportunity to meet and further INTA’s important work will provide us with additional motivation to stay strong and focused in both our personal and professional lives. I’m thrilled about the chance for us to spend time together and support each other, and to refresh our connections and build new ones—with the bonus of having this experience from the safety and comfort of our own homes.

JS: I am glad we can still have the Annual Meeting after the initial disappointment that it will not be in Singapore this year and the possibility of a cancellation. INTA meetings are always very special, not only because of the excellent educational programs offered, but the opportunity to meet and connect with friends and colleagues, both new and old, from all over the world.

The virtual Meeting allows us to continue to have these opportunities and I would say, even more so. Apart from the educational programs, we will still be able to network in various ways and to visit the Exhibit Hall. Plus, due to the cost savings, these opportunities are now open to more team members, such as newer practitioners and paralegals.

Read Part I of the two-part series here.

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.

© 2020 International Trademark Association