Go Green, Be Inclusive, and Give Back at the 2023 Annual Meeting Live+
As an organization, INTA is working to lessen its environmental impact and help build a better society, including during its largest and most prestigious event, the Annual Meeting. And there are many ways for registrants to get involved, as Elizabeth Bogner finds out.
INTA has made corporate social responsibility (CSR) a strategic priority. “Building a Better Society Through Brands is one of only three pillars of its current Strategic Plan,” notes Giacamo Moleri (Spheriens, Italy), chair of the Program Subcommittee of the Association’s Brands for a Better Society Committee (BfaBSC).
As an organization, INTA is working to improve its environmental impact and help build a better society, including during its largest and most prestigious event, the Annual Meeting—and the BfaBSC is looking to registrants to get involved and support this important goal.
Alongside CSR, the Association has prioritized diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) in its 2022–2025 Strategic Plan, which notes, “INTA will demonstrate its own long-term commitment by creating and monitoring measures of representation at all levels of Association participation.” There are a number of DEI-related activities taking place during the Annual Meeting.
“Building a Better Society Through Brands is one of only three pillars of [INTA’s] current Strategic Plan.”
- Giacamo Moleri | Spheriens (Italy)
Go Green
How? Through the Carbon Offset Initiative, Annual Meeting registrants can offset the carbon generated from their travels and thereby also lower the environmental impact of Meeting, helping the Association advance toward carbon-neutral events.
INTA has partnered with renowned sustainability expert, Climate Partner, which helps organizations achieve carbon neutrality. Climate Partner works closely with a number of major corporations that have a worldwide network of carbon offset projects, all supported by sustainably focused contributions. These projects are designed to provide cleaner air, land, and water, and help counteract the harmful carbon that we put into the atmosphere.
The long-term goal is for INTA events to be carbon neutral, which means for every pound of carbon that registrants put into the air en route to a meeting or conference, we must contribute to sustainable projects that work to remove an equal amount of carbon from the atmosphere.
“When all of us make smart choices, we can contribute to a healthier, safer, greener future,” adds Fiona Scott (Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom), BfaBSC committee member and last year’s recipient of the INTA Members for a Better Society Award.
Another way to get involved is to participate in the Green Swag Awards. This initiative challenges the exhibitors to come up with more sustainable—and more appealing—swag to drive more traffic into the Innovation Marketplace.
There are a number of vendors participating this initial year. Meeting registrants can vote for the best of the best of the green swag. Here’s what to do: Once you are in the Innovation Marketplace, you can scan a QR code on your phone that will download a list of the exhibitors participating in the Green Swag Awards. Then you simply move through the Marketplace, visiting the vendors and checking out the swag. If you think it’s the best, vote for it, and, eventually, we’ll have the winner. We’ll be announcing the winner on the Innovation Marketplace stage on Friday, May 19, from 2:00 pm–2:30 pm.
"These initiatives are a tangible sign of INTA's commitment to building a better society,” said Mr. Moleri.
“When all of us make smart choices, we can contribute to a healthier, safer, greener future.”
- Fiona Scott | Nottingham Trent University
(United Kingdom)
Advancing DEI
On Wednesday, the INTA Foundation Brunch and Auction (Wednesday, May 17, 11:30 am–1:00 pm) will offers the opportunity to give back, eat well, and network. The auction is also a chance to pick up something you didn’t know you needed.
The INTA Foundation’s mission is to expand educational and professional development opportunities in intellectual property (IP) for a diversity of under-represented populations around the world.
All proceeds from the brunch and auction will benefit the Foundation’s Fellowship Program and future Foundation initiatives, such as its grant to fund the IP program at the law school of Brazil’s Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Law School.
A minimum contribution of US $100 to the INTA Foundation will be requested at registration. The event will also be an opportunity to hear about the Foundation’s Fellowship Program and what’s next in 2023.
“INTA does so much good in the world…. However, I do think the Foundation gives it a different dimension. It still relates to IP but it’s also about benefiting people through the link with IP. We’re excited about shaping that dimension and seeing where the journey takes us around the world,” said INTA Foundation Chair Toe Su Aung (Elipe Limited, United Kingdom) in a March 2021 INTA Bulletin interview.
The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative will host an Integrating Work and Life Workshop titled Shifting the Scales: Creating Allies by Inviting a Balanced and Retainable Support Structure (Thursday, May 18, 2:00 pm–5:30 pm).
“The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative has provided a forum for real conversation about the under-representation of women in IP, and particularly women of color, in roles of high visibility.”
- Auma Reggy | McKesson Corporation (USA)
Whether socially, financially, or culturally: How do women manage their work and life without hindering their needs, and are their social and cultural sentiments honored? In this session, members are invited to shift the scales and address challenges faced by both men and women in the pursuit of integrating work and life.
“The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative has provided a forum for real conversation about the under-representation of women in IP, and particularly women of color, in roles of high visibility,” said Auma Reggy (McKesson Corporation, USA), one of the workshop speakers. “Workshop attendees will hear real-life stories from women with varied experiences and cultural backgrounds about how we have navigated our career development and leadership journeys; not without presuppositions and setbacks but acting in spite of them.”
INTA’s recently established DEI Council is hosting a Fireside Chat: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council Co-Chairs (Thursday, May 18, 3:00 pm–3:30 pm). The session will include a brief discussion on the importance and significance of the Council and a high-level summary of what’s to come—including an overview of potential projects.
Finally, the Law Firm Idea Exchange: Moving Forward Together: How to Stay on Track with DEI Initiatives (Friday, May 19, 11:30 am–12:30 pm), presented by the Law Firm Committee—DEI Subcommittee, will involve an engaging discussion designed for IP professionals of all levels to share their experiences, challenges, and concerns.
No doubt, there are many ways for you to engage with the 2023 Annual Meeting Live+ that are both good for the world and good for you—as well as your career, your organization, and your brand!
Brands for A Better Society
Guide To Implementing and Managing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programs
How can brands adopt and make the most of their CSR initiatives and programs? How can they really make a difference in society today?
Prepared by INTA’s Brands for Better Society Committee, this guide serves to help brands adopt and make the most of their CSR initiatives and programs. It also provides advice to brand professionals about the role they can play in supporting these important efforts.
The guide includes tips and best practices, organized to be accessible to brands that are just starting CSR programs, brands that want to evaluate CSR programs they have already adopted, and brands that are ready to prioritize their CSR as part of their business model.
Download Guide To Implementing and Managing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programs.
