We’re back from the AIPLA Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. What a time it was! It was our first time at AIPLA and we are proud to report, we did what we came there to do: meet new clients and make connections with great people. Thank you to everyone we met while in D.C. for making it such a special time of year!

Aaron Colquitt, one of Sherman Patent Search Group’s top Patent Search Leads, and I, held down the Sherman Patent Search booth, and it appeared that our premier schwag of tote bags, hand sanitizers and EOS lip balms were quite a hit with the attendees. (You can meet the rest of our team here!)

I have to say, starting the open bar on the exhibition floor at 11:30am was something I have never seen before. Props to all the attorneys who grabbed a beer or cocktail before lunch.

My favorite parts of AIPLA had to be all the people who saw that Aaron and I were first-time attendees and offered helpful advice or gave us some guidance while we are there.

On the first day of the conference I was actually stopped by Lacy Kolo, of Houlihan Lokey, who invited me to dinner with the Women in IP committee. It was a welcome dinner for first-time female attendees at the lovely French restaurant, Petits Plats. I met such inspiring women there, including Bea Swedlow, the Chair of Women in IP, Camille Ciesliga, attorney and TSC Liaison Chair for the personal & Professional development subcommittee of Women in IP, as well as Erin Ella Block of Dewitt Ross and Jennifer Calcagni of Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey.

We followed up the delicious french food with a whiskey tasting at Open City where I saw one of our tote bags being worn by a gentleman I had met earlier that day. It was very exciting to see Sherman Patent Search Group made it beyond the doors of the Wardman Park Hotel.

Friday morning I had the pleasure of attending the Women in IP Breakfast where I met another phenomenal group of women: Mary Prendergast of Morrison & Foerster, Erin Heard of the USPTO, Kate Rigaut of Dann Dorfman Herrell and Skillman, Angela Sebor of Tolmar. The Women in IP Breakfast provided us with an amazing talk given by career coach, Tiffany Southerland. Tiffany had us all brainstorming and sharing our thoughts and ideas. Women in IP actually took home the award for ‘‘Committee of the Year’! Well deserved!

A well deserved award - Women in IP took home the award for “Committee of the Year”!

Our booth was definitely busier on Friday, than Thursday. I have to admit - it might have been due to the hype behind the "hot" SPSG tote bag around the conference!

There were also many "isn't it a small world" meetups. Don’t you love when that happens? When I'm not working at SPSG I coach my daughter's softball team. I met one of my player’s uncles, John Hocker of Sughrue Mion in person when, all the way across the country, he came up and said hi.

I also was greeted by Steven Pollicoff, who happens to be Eugene's (SPSG CEO and Founder) old officemate from back in the USPTO days. It was awesome to have them both come up and say hi, and even agree to take a photo!

Friday was also the AIPLA Gala aka "Patent Prom" which I had the pleasure of attending. Music, dinner, drinks, DJ, the fun didn't stop.

What could be better than following all of that up with some late night Karaoke at a local DC Karaoke bar? Who knew patent attorneys were so multi-talented?

On Saturday, Aaron and I met a few more folks and than it was time to close up shop and say goodbye to all our new friends. We had a great lunch to wrap up the conference while networking with many different patent professionals from everywhere: DC, New York, India, Germany and Sweden.

Our first time at AIPLA was such an exciting experience. We will definitely be back again next year! I can't wait to start planning for our next conference. Thank you to all our new friends who stopped by to say hi and discuss the ways in which SPSG can help you, your firm or your company. Will you be joining us in 2019?

Why Everyone's Talking About AIPLA!