Event preview: ECTA 39TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Bringing together people in person (in limited numbers) and online, the event will be held on 21-22 October. A virtual Attendee Hub will be provided to allow other online colleagues to participate remotely.
This year’s conference features a packed programme with a great range of speakers and guests from the private practice, industry, academia and institutions, including EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the European Commission.
There will also be a pair of exclusively online workshops held on 13 October as part of the conference package. These will discuss enforcement challenges, before proceeding with a session on useful IT tools and latest developments in trademark offices practice.
On 21 October ECTA Supervisory Board and Committees will meet to exchange, respectively, on ECTA strategic aspects, Committee projects, latest case law, legislative and policy developments.
Friday, 22 October will be dedicated to high-quality educational sessions and networking opportunities. ECTA will host speakers such as, among others, Daren Tang (WIPO Director General), Andrea Scheichl (Vice-President, Austrian Patent Office), Kamil Kiljanski (Head of Unit, DG Grow, European Commission), Francis Fay (Head of Unit B3, Geographical Indications [GIs], DG AGRI, European Commission), Dimitris Botis (Deputy Director for legal affairs, International Cooperation and Legal Affairs Department, EUIPO), Sven Stürmann (Chairperson of the 2nd Board of Appeal and Accredited Mediator, EUIPO).
After a welcome by ECTA President, Anette Rasmussen, the event will look closely at the latest IP news and trends with a focus on the IP Action Plan for the European Commission and news from WIPO and EUIPO.
It will then proceed with a session dedicated to brand ethics, goodwill and reputation and another one on the conflict of interest. After a lunch break, it will hold a lively round table on how to acquire clients and network online and a session on wine, marketing, and GIs, discussing the important role GIs play in communicating with consumers.
The Association’s President and a representative from the Professional Affairs Committee leadership will then announce the winners of the ECTA Award 2021 competition both in the professional and student category. To conclude, there will be a session on the overview of most recent EU case law developments.
Last, but not least, onsite ECTA friends are invited to the Gala Dinner, this year at the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK).
All registrants can navigate the virtual Attendee Hub from the beginning of October by receiving an invitation email with the link to access the platform. Here they will be able to browse the list of participants, exhibitors and media partners, exchange messages, join group discussions, consult the programme and much more. During the event, the platform will deliver live broadcast-quality viewing of all meetings and sessions to those attending virtually.
ECTA members can participate at a reduced fee, while non-members who register for the event in person will also get the opportunity to join our favourite Association free of charge for the rest of 2021
Find out more about the event and register today via the Annual Conference section of the ECTA website.
