Will you attend INTA?
Yes?
Then, I can very likely predict how INTA will be for you.
You will sacrifice 4 working days and also one day of the weekend, at the expense of your family's time.
Many speakers and round table gatherings will be present. Those luncheon table gatherings that you wish to take part in, especially those about 3D-printing, have been filled up. However, as nothing can be done against 3D-printing copy cats, it does not matter. This is the reason you signed up for some other topic, but you have already forgotten which one.
Then, you will expect a rough schedule after arriving.
After which, you look for people that you have met at other INTA meetings before. If you are an experienced INTA attendee, you would have had meetings with associates whom you have exchanged work with. As you want to check to ensure that everything is alright, you want to meet with them one-on-one. Or you have work for a new country and you would like to meet an IP lawyer from that country, just to check if he is reasonable.
That is the purpose of conventions such as INTA etc.
Then, you attend a speech, which turns out to be dull. You attend another speech. While not listening, you have many ideas for other areas. You attend the luncheon round table meeting, and you hear something that arouses your interest. It is pertaining to the proper wording of lists of products and services in Bhutan. However, you dislike the lunch served.
You shun the speed networking event.
After two speeches in the morning, the luncheon table meeting and one speech in the afternoon, you have had enough. You proceed to have dinner with a friend. And after that, both of you check out one of the many receptions. At the reception, you exchange business cards with people whom you do not know before. You stuff their business cards into the pocket of your name badge.
Then, perhaps it will be off to a bar or to the convention watering hole, if you find it.
On day two and three of INTA, the same, but without attending a speech or a luncheon table meeting. You check out the exhibition hall, but you do not require a new office software or a new case law database.
You carefully avoid the speed networking events once more.
For the rest of the convention, you hang around in the waiting area in front of the auditorium, hoping to meet someone for chit-chatting and you eventually found someone to do a deal with. INTA was ultimately worth it.
On Wednesday, due to the hotel giving you a late check-out, you fly back home at 5pm. You choose to give the gala dinner a miss as it would cost you another working day.
Upon arrival at home, you realised that you have left your name badge, which contains the 35 name cards of the people that you have met during the convention, in the hotel room.
Was my guess correct? If yes, then only because I went through the same thing for many times.
If this is also what you expect from your INTA 2016, there is still time to change it.
I did change it.
Check out my link here and find out how:
