What A DIfference A Year Makes
May 17, 2011
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Reporting live from the Exhibit Hall at the Moscone Center, I am witnessing a palpable increase in energy compared to the last couple of INTA Annual Meetings. The best tangible indicator is the number of smiles. It’s still a far cry from the good old days of glory, though. Thomson does not have its bash on the penultimate night nor does its sister company Westlaw have high-level giveaways. Service providers that once distributed items at their respective booths now collect business cards of prospects in exchange for a chance to win an item. The iPad seems to be the item of choice.
We’re seeing topics discussed that didn’t even exist a couple of years ago. Green Marketing. Social Media. And the elevation of personal branding into the INTA Annual Meeting discussion received an enthusiastic welcome from our workshop audience yesterday.
With an increase in the number of attendees and a consequent boost in the energy level, the rebound may signal something beyond an economy hopefully ramping up for a rebound. More attorneys at the INTA Annual Meeting logically translates into companies shoring up their trademark and branding resources.
This is particularly salient, not to mention financially beneficial, for trademark lawyers. The spectrum of industries represented at INTA proves that the trademark arena is universal. Economists may be able to quantify the financial impact of a brand. But in layman’s terms, I think we can safely make an argument that a brand’s survival during a recession owes a highly significant debt to the strength of the brand’s trademark portfolio.
Recessions come and go. But a thoughtful, flexible, and well-executed trademark plan is forever.
david@davidkrell.com
Reporting live from the Exhibit Hall at the Moscone Center, I am witnessing a palpable increase in energy compared to the last couple of INTA Annual Meetings. The best tangible indicator is the number of smiles. It’s still a far cry from the good old days of glory, though. Thomson does not have its bash on the penultimate night nor does its sister company Westlaw have high-level giveaways. Service providers that once distributed items at their respective booths now collect business cards of prospects in exchange for a chance to win an item. The iPad seems to be the item of choice.
We’re seeing topics discussed that didn’t even exist a couple of years ago. Green Marketing. Social Media. And the elevation of personal branding into the INTA Annual Meeting discussion received an enthusiastic welcome from our workshop audience yesterday.
With an increase in the number of attendees and a consequent boost in the energy level, the rebound may signal something beyond an economy hopefully ramping up for a rebound. More attorneys at the INTA Annual Meeting logically translates into companies shoring up their trademark and branding resources.
This is particularly salient, not to mention financially beneficial, for trademark lawyers. The spectrum of industries represented at INTA proves that the trademark arena is universal. Economists may be able to quantify the financial impact of a brand. But in layman’s terms, I think we can safely make an argument that a brand’s survival during a recession owes a highly significant debt to the strength of the brand’s trademark portfolio.
Recessions come and go. But a thoughtful, flexible, and well-executed trademark plan is forever.
INTA -- Changes
May 26, 2010
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
And so we enter the home stretch of the 2010 INTA Annual Meeting. Some attendees will leave today because their work load demands it. Some will stay for tonight’s Grand Finale at the Museum of Science.
I attended my first Annual Meeting in 2005. In the past five years, I’ve noticed three major changes.
First, the booths in the exhibition hall don’t offer giveaways anymore. Westlaw used to offer premium quality gym bags or roller bags if you sat through a presentation lasting approximately thirty minutes. The giveaway was so popular that waiting on the massive line to get to the presentation frequently exceeded an hour. Perhaps the scaling back is a response to the economy. Instead of premium giveaways, many vendors are holding drawings. Place your business card in a bowl. If they draw your card, you win an iPad, iPod, etc.
Second, law firms don’t host nearly as many parties. The economy has certainly hit the legal field in the past five years. Law firms retracted marketing efforts accordingly. Once a highlight of the INTA Annual meeting, now attendees must find networking opportunities on their own.
Third, the topics in the seminars, workshops, and breakout sessions have changed. This change is a response to the demands of INTA’s members and their clients. For example, “social media” was not in our lexicon five years ago. Now, it’s front and center as a topic because our clients face tremendous challenges in policing their marks on Facebook, Twitter, and the like.
So, as we wind down, I’m already looking forward to next year’s Annual Meeting in San Francisco!
david@davidkrell.com
And so we enter the home stretch of the 2010 INTA Annual Meeting. Some attendees will leave today because their work load demands it. Some will stay for tonight’s Grand Finale at the Museum of Science.
I attended my first Annual Meeting in 2005. In the past five years, I’ve noticed three major changes.
First, the booths in the exhibition hall don’t offer giveaways anymore. Westlaw used to offer premium quality gym bags or roller bags if you sat through a presentation lasting approximately thirty minutes. The giveaway was so popular that waiting on the massive line to get to the presentation frequently exceeded an hour. Perhaps the scaling back is a response to the economy. Instead of premium giveaways, many vendors are holding drawings. Place your business card in a bowl. If they draw your card, you win an iPad, iPod, etc.
Second, law firms don’t host nearly as many parties. The economy has certainly hit the legal field in the past five years. Law firms retracted marketing efforts accordingly. Once a highlight of the INTA Annual meeting, now attendees must find networking opportunities on their own.
Third, the topics in the seminars, workshops, and breakout sessions have changed. This change is a response to the demands of INTA’s members and their clients. For example, “social media” was not in our lexicon five years ago. Now, it’s front and center as a topic because our clients face tremendous challenges in policing their marks on Facebook, Twitter, and the like.
So, as we wind down, I’m already looking forward to next year’s Annual Meeting in San Francisco!