LES USA-Canada Annual Meeting in New Orleans

I had a blast at the Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. and Canada), Inc. (LES) Conference in New Orleans in October! There were so many fantastic opportunities to meet incredible people in my field from all over the world who love patents and trademarks and using licensing to help organizations grow.

I was thrilled to witness Alex Locke win the Brands as a Business Deal of Distinction award for NFIP Holdings, LLC d/b/a BORED OF DIRECTORS, which is comprised of 11 different Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT characters.

The room was full for the panel discussion I moderated, “How Do Brands Add Value to Your Patent Portfolio?” with Don Drinkwater, Lewis Stark, CPA, CFE, Uche Nwokocha, and Johanna C. Sullivan. We showcased the power of a brand by featuring a clip from the movie, The Founder, where the protagonist Ray Kroc (played by Michael Keaton) conveys how the McDonald’s brand is the secret behind the success of the burger business. We then featured three case studies featuring HDMI Licensing Administrator, Inc. (HDMI LA), Viagra and Pokemon Go. Everyone stayed until the end of the talk, and a few even stayed longer!