Reflections on #INTA14

The UK Embassy in Hong Kong,  @ITMA invitees saw inside

Sally Cooper has safely returned back to the UK so it's time for her to draft a thank you note

Dear INTA

Thank you for taking the Annual Meeting to Asia for the first time in the history of INTA and, particularly, for holding the Meeting in Hong Kong.

[ The central location of the Convention Centre, the ready availability of free wifi and the excellence of the transport system made it possible for all to meet and greet centrally or remotely as appropriate to the business in hand ].

They say you always remember your “first INTA”.

[ Though, in my case, this may well have been a “ first USTA” as it was the Meeting in Seattle in the early 1990s, and the name-transition from United States Trademark Association to International Trademark Association took place in 1993 ].

 I mention this because I’ve come back to the UK feeling I’ve experienced another “first INTA”. For example, I will not easily forget :

(a) the spectacular Grand Hall of the Convention Centre at the Opening Ceremony
(b) a Reception at the British Consulate-General hosted by the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys
(c) a (less formal) Reception at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club to “Meet The Bloggers”
(d) a final Session on the topic : “Local Script Marks: What Do Yours Say About You?”  - the Duck is impressed that one session gets a note - well done
(e) my several visits to the Exhibition Hall (learning new things on each visit), and
 (f) all the new faces and new names and new business cards (many carrying a message appropriate to a visit to Hong Kong in the Chinese Year of the Horse).

[ This is my personal list. Others will have theirs (and theirs will probably include visiting Disneyland for the Grand Finale) ].

Of course, you could not control the weather.
 [ I rather enjoyed the night-time light-shows happening beyond the window of my hotel room on the 35th Floor ].

But Hong Kong is an extraordinary city washed by the South China Seas and weather is only one of its many extremes. The energy of the Hong Kong people and their ability to “do business” anywhere and everywhere provided a wonderful backdrop to a Conference devoted to marks “used in trade” and (for me) made a significant contribution to the success of INTA 2014.

 [ Can I mention the men with INTA badges seen heading for the Menswear Department of M&S in Central – presumably to “do some shopping” viz : buy socks and shirts whilst their own dried off in the air-conditioning of hotel rooms ? ]

I wish you well for San Diego in 2015.
[ Though I’m delaying a decision on whether I’ll be able to join you – it’s going to take me a while to follow through on INTA 2014 ].

Yours etc.

Being a solo practitioner, Sally is fortunate that she doesn't have to write a report for business development about how many new clients she signed up or what prospects she has of bringing in new Asian work. I expect many will find it difficult to know what to do with those business cards, once they have been dried, scanned and entered into the database. Let us know what you are doing with yours

Sally prepares her #INTA14 Schedule and finds the best is last (no not Disneyland)

INTA programme

Sally tells me:

I have never been to INTA’s Annual Meeting as part of a team. I’ve either had a badge naming me as Legal Counsel to a (UK) company or (after that) a badge naming me as a solo practitioner. These circumstances mean I’ve always had the leisure to peruse the Programme and – not being associated with any Committee or cause (save, of course, the cause of the bloggers the rubber duck says I hope you will be able to say hello at the Meet the Bloggers session at the Royal HK Yacht Club on Monday 12 May 8pm) – I’ve always had the leisure also to take ad hoc decisions on Sessions I might want to attend.

When faced with a lot of (electronic) paperwork, it’s my habit to skip to the end. This is partly to find reassurance (that there is an end) and partly because it’s often where interesting material can be found.

I’m delighted to find that INTA 2014 in Hong Kong is no exception. The final Session (Wednesday 14th May) is aptly named “By the Bottle or by the Glass : How Local Cultures and Habits Drive Trademark Decisions in the Alcoholic Beverage World”. I will try to be there – I really will !

However, this Session overlaps with “Local Script Marks : What Do Yours Say About You ?” which sounds like the sort of Session that will add to knowledge acquired not so long ago in the fair City of Leeds [ see my : blogpost on Chinese Trade Mark Law : offices of Walker Morris in Leeds ]. If Room IW20 and Room CW21 are not far apart – maybe I can dip into both ?

The previous day (Tuesday 13th May) brings the joy of “Seminar on Bad-Faith Filings” : this is “Open to All” but even today (so close to the event) we do not see Speakers identified. How can this be ?  (the duck might mention the wisdom of Solomon on the topic from the Board of Appeal)

A first morning Session (Monday 12th May) concerns “Beginner Level” time spent on “Doing Business In China” : as I’m aiming to spend three nights in Macau before collecting my badge for the Annual Meeting – this sounds (again) like the sort of Session that could add to knowledge previously acquired. And it’s that (long-planned) visit to the Pousada De Coloane in Macau that means I will miss being present at “To Tweet or Not Tweet : Keeping Students Engaged and Off Social Media During Class”. May many attend (Sunday 11th May) and may others be found blogging - During Class !

I’ve heard others attending the Annual Meeting (at times over the last twenty years and more) saying “I don’t get to the Sessions – what are they like ?”. Pity you – go along and find out !

Getting the most from your INTA membership in Washington

As the deadline 17 February 2012 for the early bird registration for the INTA annual meeting in Washington approaches all the currency speculators amongst you will be wondering whether to invest now in the $970 registration fee if you are a member or $1495 if you are not as against the on-site registration cost of $1495/$1995.  INTA  means the International Trademark Association, so all pure patent practitioners can zone out now. Now that INTA have introduced a solo membership fee of just $425 it does make sense to become a member.

Attending the INTA annual meeting  will give you a bird's eye view of the entire global trademark   profession in all its glory. I don't just mean by being able to overlook the exhibition as my snap above from the Boston meeting two years ago shows.  Attendance does, however, mean travel and accommodation costs that need to be justified. There are plenty of CPD points. Many old hands will proudly say that they never attend any of the sessions.  This is a waste. In the past many sessions have been poor quality or badly prepared. Why anyone  with such an international stage would not make the best effort to provide a genuine educational experience, I don't know but it does seem to have been the case. This year I hope INTA will have all presenters on their top form.

Networking is the obvious objective.   This is hard work and needs preparation.  Fix up some meetings in advance but best of all prepare some conversational gambits. It is not, repeat not, a good idea to ask when the person you have just met is going home. Nothing is more calculated to show a lack of empathy and a desire to move on.  Nevertheless you will probably be saying it yourself  unless you school yourself with some debating topics that allow your new friend to show off a little of their own trademark knowledge or lack of it.  

Being on a committee is considered by many to be a useful perk of membership. This is something of a lottery, but a good committee will get you working together with a random group of other members and an excellent opportunity to get to know them better. Getting a late seat is a bit difficult but a new member can ask.

As a member, you are also entitled to join a social network  MY POWERFUL NETWORK which hasn't quite taken off yet.  Hopefully, as people prepare for the meeting, some of the discussions may get livelier. 

Receptions are the lifeblood of the annual meeting.   As a common member you only get invited to the welcome reception and the last night (but you cannot expect to do much networking there -  though if you make some friends you may be able to consolidate relationships).    

Be wary of those who boast that they have been to 6 receptions a night. There is no point.   One good quality invitation will do. I am hoping that there will be a Meet the Bloggers reception as that is one of the best quality ones you could ever hope for as all Bloggers are by definition top people.