INTA Announces Speakers at Opening Ceremonies, Other Global Presenters

As the audience continues to increase for INTA’s 2022 Annual Meeting Live+, INTA this week unveiled the speakers who will grace the stage at the Opening Ceremonies and lead the lineup of impressive and global presenters throughout the five days of the event.

Daren Tang (WIPO)

At the Opening Ceremonies, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Daren Tang will be the Special Guest Speaker. The Keynote Speaker will be Andy Stalman, a leading branding expert and co-founder and CEO of Totem Branding, based in Madrid, Spain.

Andy Stalman (Totem Branding, Spain)

The Association made its announcement just as registration surpassed a 5,000 milestone for the Annual Meeting, which will take place April 30‒May 4. Signups have been steadily increasing and are expected to continue rising until registration ends on April 22 for both Live+ (in person + virtual) and Virtual Only.

The Opening Ceremonies mark the official launch of the Annual Meeting and will take place Sunday, May 1, 4:30 pm‒6:00 pm EDT. To be inclusive of those attending the Meeting either in person or virtually, the session will be livestreamed from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., where the in-person Meeting is taking place.

Also at the Opening Ceremonies, registrants will hear from INTA President Zeeger Vink (MF Brands Group, Switzerland), INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo, and Annual Meeting Project Team Co-Chairs Sergio Barragan (PepsiCo, Inc., Mexico) and Stacey Watson (Markery Law, USA).

With registrants coming from more than 120 countries around the world, the presence of Mr. Tang as the Special Guest Speaker takes on increased significance.

“At times when intellectual property (IP) is becoming so important, and on occasion challenged as well, at times where IP really is becoming a critical tool, an intangible asset for companies and firms around the world, it is really a unique opportunity to listen to WIPO Director General Tang’s perspective,” Mr. Sanz de Acedo said.

He also noted: “Mr. Stalman is an internationally renowned branding expert with so much insight to offer brand professionals. After his Keynote, I have no doubt that attendees will leave feeling empowered, revved up to be proactive and forward-thinking in response to the constantly changing global landscape and consumer demands.”

Throughout the five days of the Meeting, more than 150 speakers from 27 countries will be presenting in person and/or virtually. Speakers represent academia, brands, government, law firms, nonprofits, and service providers. Among them are professionals from brands that include 3M; the American Bankers Association; the American Red Cross; AARP; Bolton Threads; Gilead Sciences; Mars, Incorporated; Mastercard; MBC Group; Mercado Libre; Microsoft Corporation; NBA Properties; the National Football League; Netflix; Pernod Ricard; Ranpak; Starbucks; The Hershey Company; and Whirlpool.

The educational programming focuses on seven thematic tracks: Building a Better Society Through Brands; Complementary Rights, Regulatory Issues, and Brand Restrictions; Enforcement and Anticounterfeiting; Innovation and the Future of IP; Professional Development; Regional Updates; and The Business of Brands.

In addition to panel sessions and Capsule Keynotes, registrants can sign up for “add-ons,” such as more than 130 small-group, moderator-led Table Topic discussions. The Table Topics run the gamut, from “How to Advance Your Career and Navigate Your Way to Success” and “Inequality to Trademark Owners Who Ignore Gender Equality” to “Declarations of Use of Trademark Registrations Under the Mexico IP Law” and “The Multi-Generational Law Firm: Challenges and Opportunities.” Pre-registration is required.

In addition, INTA expects its three workshops to be in high demand: the Anticounterfeiting Workshop, for corporate representatives and government officials, on Saturday, April 30; the In-House Practitioners Workshop, for in-house counsel, on Sunday, May 1; and The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative Workshop, for all genders, also on Sunday, May 1. Pre-registration is required.

For government officials, in addition to the Anticounterfeiting Workshop, several other programming items may specifically pique their interest: they are the Madrid System User Meeting, the TM5 User Meeting, and the TM5 Reception (by invitation only), all in person on Sunday, May 1; the IPO Attaché Roundtable (virtual) and “IP Office of the Future: How to Build an Action Plan for a 21st Century IP Office” (livestreamed), both on Monday, May 2; and the JPO Workshop (virtual) and Government Officials Reception (in person, by invitation only), both on Tuesday, May 3.

Then, after five days filled with top-notch educational sessions as well as myriad networking opportunities, INTA will host its traditional Grand Finale on Wednesday, May 4, 7:00 pm‒11:00 pm EDT. The Association just announced the venue for this in-person celebration: the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. And directly after the Grand Finale, to cap off the evening, INTA will hold its Official After Party—a cash-bar event at the Ultrabar, a chic venue that combines the appeal of an ultra-exclusive lounge and a high-energy nightclub.

To register for an add-on activity: log into your INTA profile; select the “purchases” tab; “go to “events” on the left navigation; select 2022 Annual Meeting and click “details”; and in the details tab, add sessions (blue button in top right box).

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.

Topics Annual Meeting