His co-chair, Brenda M. Wood Kahiri of B. W. Kahiri in Zimbabwe, added that the conference comes as investment in areas such as the cleantech, Internet and mobile phone industries is increasing, and it complements INTA’s Africa Rising initiative. “There are some huge opportunities in Africa and with the right expertise we can overcome the challenges,” she says. The program for the two-day conference is already finalized and it will include sessions covering practical filing strategies, brand valuation, design protection and regulatory issues. The keynote speaker will be Robbie Brozin, co-founder of popular resturant chain Nando’s.
While the conference is expected to attract IP practitioners who are interested in Africa from all over the world, Gerber says it will also hopefully draw a new local audience who may not be able to attend events further afield. “We will also be looking at areas where Africa is ahead of the curve, for example in using mobile phones for marketing,” said Gerber. “What lessons can the rest of the world learn?” Early bird registration is open until Friday June 10.
