Alligators and ice: reception roundup from Saturday night at INTA

Holding alligators and visiting an ice bar were two activities WIPR took part in as we attended four receptions on Saturday night at the INTA conference in Orlando. 

Dennemeyer: A snappy start to the event

Those who saw the news this weekend about so-called man eating crocodiles in Florida may have been apprehensive about WIPR’s first reception of the night. IP service provider Dennemeyer hosted an evening at Gatorland, a park that houses “thousands of alligators and crocodiles”. Guests were able to hold alligators (see Dennemeyer CEO Reinhold Nowak above), given a rundown of some of Florida’s most poisonous snakes and treated to a meat feast barbeque.

 UL: Calling all ale lovers

WIPR headed down to the The Pub, a British-themed establishment where the staff wear kilts, on International Drive to spend the early part of the evening with UL and guests. The certification company is active in training law enforcement officials to fight counterfeiting and was involved in “anti-counterfeiting day” at the conference. Guests were treated to a selection of local beers from an exclusive pump in the area UL had booked, with WIPR opting for a 7 Mile Bridge IPA, brewed in Florida by Two Henrys, and Hefeweizen, a south German style of wheat beer.

Marks & Clerk: Going universal

We then took a short trip down International Drive to visit Marks & Clerk at Universal Orlando Resort. The law firm had hired out the Wantilan Pavilion at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort, opposite Universal Studios. Guests were treated to local beers while a live band kept the spirits high. Eagle-eyed attendees would have spotted the summit of the Incredible Hulk roller coaster, getting a sneak preview of what’s on offer at the INTA finale on Wednesday.  

Venable: Blowing hot and cold

To round off the night, three of the WIPR team entered Ice Bar on International Drive, where guests can also enjoy a Fire Lounge (according to the website, a “below-freezing room with a bar built from ice and an adjacent lounge with dancing for warming up”). The hosts were law firm Venable, who had impressed at last year’s conference by organising a baseball trip, and this year was no exception as INTA attendees flocked in their droves. With the bar filling up and the deadline for entry nearing, one WIPR member was unlucky to miss out and was forced to wait outside for his colleagues (thankfully for him, on a warm Orlando evening).