Making the Most of the Annual Meeting Virtual+
Participating in this virtual Meeting can be just as rewarding as an in-person experience, but much depends on how you approach it, as Tom Phillips discovers.
Pandemic-related safety concerns and travel restrictions over the past 18 months have forced international event organizers to get creative with how they deliver the in-person experience online—and none more so than INTA.
This year’s Annual Meeting includes a hybrid “Virtual+” element, which alongside the virtual programming over five days will bring people together in person at one-day mini-conferences in New York, New York, USA: Berlin, Germany; and Los Angeles, California, USA—a refreshing and welcome opportunity for those who can attend.
For the rest of us, the Meeting will be entirely virtual, and this year, INTA is offering its most flexible schedule of educational sessions and networking opportunities to date. These include the introduction of new formats such as daily tracks of educational programming, more plentiful (150+) creative Business Development opportunities, a slew of Social Networking activities, and a wider variety of online meeting spaces than ever before.
And of course, being virtual means the longest walk between sessions will be to the kitchen to get a coffee, thus opening up more time to make connections or simply take a break to relax and reflect between sessions and appointments.
Attend the Launchpad Session
A special session on Friday, November 12, titled “Launchpad: Starting Point for Your Virtual+ Annual Meeting Experience” is an excellent place to begin. Hosted by members of the Young Practitioners Committee and INTA’s Business Development team, the session will explain the various virtual platforms, offer tips, and answer any questions.
It will also offer a live walk-though of the platforms, describing their different functions and the various avenues through which registrants can participate in the Meeting.
David Diamond, attorney, Richard Law Group (US), and co-chair of the Programming Subcommittee of the Young Practitioners Committee, will moderate the session.
“A lot of people—even long-time Annual Meeting veterans—aren’t well-versed in how virtual events work and how to make the most of the experience,” he said. “Launchpad will help attendees start things off on the right foot.”
The Launchpad session is designed to allow everyone to orientate themselves prior to the Meeting’s start the following week, he added.
Breakout sessions will follow, allowing registrants to have a practice run at a networking session and share ideas with other attendees about how to best maximize your Annual Meeting experience.
“A lot of people—even long-time Annual Meeting veterans—aren’t well-versed in how virtual events work and how to make the most of the experience. Launchpad will help attendees start things off on the right foot.”
David Diamond, attorney, Richard Law Group (US)
Plan Your Meeting
Registrants can follow much the same process for the online Meeting as at a physical event. Plan each day and select the educational sessions and networking activities you want to attend around any meetings you have scheduled.
The main thing to keep in mind is that almost the entire Meeting will be held across one time zone—Eastern Standard Time (EST). Registrants logging in from all over the world should study the schedule in advance to plan how EST fits into their day.
Recognizing the global audience INTA has purposely scheduled interactive sessions at various times. For example, among them, early in the day in the EST, the TM5 Users Group Meeting, which welcomes users and non-users of the world’s five largest trademark offices, starts at 7:00 am (EST) on Tuesday, November 16; and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workshop begins at 6:00 am (EST) on Friday, November 19.
And later in the EST, programming includes, for instance, Idea Exchanges exclusively for in-house practitioners: In-House Practice Idea Exchange: Digital Transformation of In-House Teams: Learning as We Go takes place from 1:15 pm to 2:45 pm (EST) on Monday, November 15; and In-House Practitioners Workshop—Collaboration is Key: Men and Women Working Together to Improve the Representation of Women in Leadership Roles, from 2:15 pm to 4:45 pm (EST) on Wednesday, November 17.
In addition, to accommodate people in different time zones as well as those who miss or want to repeat any programming, the panel sessions and Capsule Keynotes will be available on demand, typically 24 to 48 hours after the live session. These on-demand sessions will be available until February 16, 2022.
Business Development opportunities and Social Networking sessions will also be taking place at different times throughout the week so registrants can join at their convenience. Due to the engaging nature of these sessions, they will not be available for on-demand viewing.
Likewise, committee meetings are set at various times. On Monday, November 15, some start as early as 4:30 am (EST), and on Tuesday, November 16, as late as 10:00 pm (EST).
Outside the EST, there will be some virtual programming in the Beijing, China/Singapore time zone on Monday, November 15. Check INTA’s website regularly for updates on new sessions.
Be Prepared
Before diving into the Meeting, it is helpful for registrants to become familiar with the program.
“Look at what’s important to you and plan in advance," suggested Olaf Gillert, partner, Taylor Wessing (Germany), a member joining from the European time zone. He added: “It could be a good idea to catch up on some sleep before a session.”
Mr. Diamond also offered some seemingly obvious, but often overlooked, advice: read the FAQ section on INTA’s website.
“It’s really robust. It has a lot of good tips, and INTA has spent a lot of time in developing the FAQ,” he said. “I think people would benefit from reading through that before things start, to help work out how to prioritize where they spend their time.”
The FAQs include valuable technical information, such as how to log in to the virtual platform and suggested technology for the best viewing experience. In addition, the FAQs have answers about registration, Business Development, the in-person mini-conferences, and CLEs/CPDs.
During the full week of the Meeting, November 15 to November 19, registrants can get familiar with each day’s agenda by attending the Co-Chairs’ Introductions of Program sessions. They run each morning Monday through Friday and are followed by a session on that day’s topic.
This year, the virtual education programming has been organized into five topic tracks—one track per day: • Building a Better Society Through Brands—Monday, November 15 • The Business of Brands—Tuesday, November 16 • Enforcement and Anticounterfeiting—Wednesday, November 17 • Innovation and the Future of IP—Thursday, November 18 • Regional Updates—Friday, November 19
Before and after these introductory sessions, there is educational programming in various formats such as Capsule Keynotes, panel sessions, Idea Exchanges, and Workshops. For an overview, read the article on Innovative Education.
Also interspersed are myriad Business Development networking opportunities, which include catching up with INTA friends in Community Networking, chilling out in the INTA Café, making new connections at Speed Networking, and visiting the Brand Marketplace to get acquainted with the products and services offered by Annual Meeting sponsors and media partners.
Cassio Mosse, partner, Mosse IP, Fashion & Social Media Law (Brazil), suggested that anyone attending a virtual meeting, should “make sure to join the group activities and workshops. Those are good ways to connect with other professionals and also great fun!”
For the upcoming Annual Meeting, he also recommended stopping by the INTA Café, open 24/7. Having recently participated in one of INTA’s virtual conferences, which featured the INTA Café, Mr. Mosse opined, “The INTA Café virtual space is quite charming, and it is surely an effective networking tool even for a COVID-free world.”
Added to these, the Meeting’s robust 24-hour networking platform, INTAconnect, allows for easy, scheduled networking over video or voice. Please refer to the Business Development article for more details.
“I think it’s time for us to perhaps over-index on making new connections.”
Dorie Clark (US)
Virtual Networking: A Guide
Networking has always been a major aspect of the INTA Annual Meeting. The wide variety of online spaces at this year’s event means all tastes are catered to. Having a diverse mix is important because the pandemic, including social distancing, has changed the way people network.
Dorie Clark (US), a business communication expert who has lectured at renowned organizations such as Google LLC, Microsoft Corporation, and the World Bank, said the biggest change she has observed is that people’s social networks have narrowed.
“People were much more likely to reach out to their pre-existing contacts, and there’s value in that. But the main thing that was missing from the past 12 months is making new connections,” she said. “People are beginning to feel that their networks have stagnated a little bit, and I think it’s time for us to perhaps over-index on making new connections.”
Anne ter Wal, associate professor of technology and innovation management, Imperial College Business School (UK), who studies business networking, noted that digital networking “is not easy,” but some have “adapted to the new reality quite effectively.”
This year’s varied networking channels—including INTAconnect, INTA Café (open 24/7) and the daily Corporate Circle sessions—become even more valuable in this context, because they allow registrants to choose a way of virtual networking that best suits them.
“The INTA Café virtual space is quite charming, and it is surely an effective networking tool even for a COVID-free world.”
Cassio Mosse, partner, Mosse IP, Fashion & Social Media Law (Brazil)
Online Dos and Don’ts
“In some ways the etiquette is the same as in-person,” said Ms. Clark. “Always be biased toward asking more questions rather than telling the other person about yourself.”
Giving another pointer for effective networking, she said that some people “feel they need to have a spiel ready and that puts what too much emphasis on what they are saying or imparting to other people, rather than having an organic conversation that’s based on curiosity.”
Of course, what you wear should be appropriate for the specific meeting and take care to “dress’” your background, too.
“The new version of what we’re wearing is: What is the background? Is the layout and lighting appropriate? These things are very easy to research online,” added Ms. Clark.
Mr. Gillert’s own webcam background includes soft toys (including an official mascot from the 2006 FIFA World Cup) from a case he worked on.
“[The toys] have raised a lot of questions. I never intended them to become an ice breaker, but they are,” he said. Objects like that “give people an opportunity to tell a story,” he added.
To make videocalls more effective means we should also make them more “memorable,” suggested Mr. ter Wal. And creating an informal atmosphere is essential, he explained.
“For meetings among people who do not know one another, introductions are critical. The chair of a meeting can set the example by introducing themselves, by not only saying their name but telling something about themselves that breaks the ice and creates ‘anchors’ that others can relate to as the meeting progresses. This will encourage others to do the same, but without making it too forced and artificial,” he said.
Mr. ter Wal said his biggest gripe is lack of attention. The temptation to check emails or a phone “is immense,” he said, but, just as in face-to-face meetings, being preoccupied does come across.
When it comes to setting up meetings with other registrants at the Annual Meeting, Mr. Gillert suggested viewing the virtual contacts made this year as a starting point for in-person meetings later on.
Importantly, he added, “Quantity doesn’t replace quality.”
“Don’t try to interact with too many people at the same time. Just because it’s easier to send your contact details around via the platform, don’t spam people—that doesn’t work,” Mr. Gillert said. ” It’s better to have a quality conversation with someone for 5, 10, 20 minutes, and make an appointment to meet at next year’s Annual Meeting.”
“For meetings among people who do not know one another, introductions are critical.”
Anne ter Wal, associate professor of technology and innovation management, Imperial College Business School (UK)
Nervous? Be Yourself
Mr. ter Wal has conducted lots of research into entrepreneurs and networking, and one lament often rears its head: “the trap of trying to impress.” Only gradually, he said, do people discover that the secret to effective networking is about being genuine.
“The vast majority of us are quite nervous when being in the spotlight in one way or another; that’s part of the game. Not overthinking it, and just walking up to someone because you like their research or profile, is a matter of collecting the courage and just doing it,” he advised.
Ms. Clark has similar guidance for those who have event nerves about reaching out to make new connections. Be bold, she said, and send a message in advance—you may be surprised at the response.
“It’s nice when things happen organically, but when that’s not possible then don’t be afraid to change tack and say you’d like to meet them,” she said. “People are often flattered—assuming you are not purely delivering an unsolicited sales pitch they don’t want. If there’s a reason they would want to meet you too, they would often be delighted to be sought out.”
Footage used under license from Envato Elements / aleksask
Thursday, September 24, 2021
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