The International Trademark Association will be holding an educational conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on October 17-18, that will help brand owners navigate key areas related to their operations in the region and globally: innovation, protection, enforcement and growth.

INTA’s 2019 Asia Conference: Brands in Changing Times will explore these four pillars from the vantage point of brand owners, legal practitioners and consumers. Sessions will look at innovation in light of new technology and consumer expectations; the development and integration of robust and cost-effective intellectual property protection strategies; effective enforcement approaches that protect IP rights while maintaining a good brand reputation with consumers; and growth opportunities, including how to establish and measure brand value.

Looking specifically at the region, speakers will address economic and social opportunities, and recent and expected changes in laws, including the fourth amendment to the Trademark Law in China passed in April.

“It’s critical for brand owners to enter new markets or expand their existing operations with their eyes wide open, equipped with effective strategies to protect their investments,” said INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo. “This conference will present valuable insights, as well as provide a great platform for networking and establishing new contacts in one of the world’s fastest-growing regions.”

INTA’s Asia Conference will set the stage for the association’s 142nd Annual Meeting, which will also take place in Asia. The Annual Meeting – the world’s largest trademark event – will be held in Singapore on April 25-29, 2020, marking the second time the association will be bringing its annual meeting to Asia and the first time to Southeast Asia.

INTA’s activities come at a time of tremendous interest in the region from an economic growth perspective. An INTA-released impact study entitled The Economic Contribution of Trademark-Intensive Industries in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand found that across trademarkintensive industries within the five countries, direct contribution to gross domestic product varied between 17 percent and 50 percent, indirect contribution to GDP ranged from 40 percent to 60 percent, and workers’ share of the workforce ranged from 13 percent to 29 percent of total employment.