With some of the key IP conferences (IACC Annual Conference, INTA Annual Meeting etc.) bringing back their live events this year, we take a look at why in-person gatherings are so important
After almost two years of remote or hybrid online events, the majority of people are returning to in-person events with the excitement of a child going on their first school trip!
At the beginning of 2020, the world was hit with an unprecedented global pandemic. Much of the world was under lockdown and given nationwide “stay at home” orders from their Governments which changed how we could do business for everyone. One of the biggest things we had to give up during the pandemic was in-person contact. We had to adapt fast to the changing landscape in order to continue business efforts, and so we all went virtual. Suddenly everyone was on Zoom, Teams or some other kind of video conferencing platform, whether it was for meetings or a catch up with friends.
We all got used to online calls and events with the phrase “you’re on mute” becoming common place, but it also made us realise just how important meeting people in person really was. We longed for the meetings we used to have and looked forward to a time when we didn’t have to speak to people through a screen.
Thankfully, as we move through 2022, most countries have dropped all restrictions and in-person events are back on the cards! Which is why we are really looking forward to the upcoming Intellectual Property (IP) and Brand Protection events (IACC, INTA, WIPO etc.).
So why are in-person events so important? There are many reasons, but for us at BRANDIT, these are the ones we consider most important and believe in:
- It’s all in a conversation – Legal consultancy for IP strategy requires a good knowledge of the brand industry, be it in the consumer goods field or service related. IP lawyers are brand ambassadors and we learn so much from talking to them, whether it is during a coffee chat or a conversation over dinner.
- Connecting and building trust – Personal connections build the trust that is required when handling difficult matters. It is not only trust between us and our clients, but it is also finding the right connection with partners to support the legal issues globally.
- Business is personal – Networking provides businesses with the opportunity to make connections and build relationships. Although digital events have been extremely useful to allow networking and business opportunities to continue during the pandemic, business is personal
- Challenge ourselves to grow – We get to challenge ourselves with bright minds, thought-provoking questions and new topics brought during roundtables, presentations, networking opportunities etc. Yes, we too want to grow and increase our knowledge with the experts.
- Human nature – Drilling it down to the basics, we’re human, and we are very social indeed. We thrive in social situations, and we enjoy learning from and discussing topics with like-minded people.
None of the above is to say that virtual events won’t continue to have a long-term role to play in many industries. However, online will still struggle to deliver on many of the above listed benefits. While a lot of event organisers are still adopting to a hybrid approach, in-person events are genuinely irreplaceable, and we are eager to return to face-to-face interactions.
We look forward to seeing you all soon.
