10 March 2023

NKA at the Association of Cultural Enterprises Conference

Naomi and Sean braved the snow to attend the Annual Association of Cultural Enterprises Conference, which this year took place in Harrogate from 9-10 March 2023. Naomi was thrilled to present a paper on how positive lessons learnt about IP management during Covid, could be harnessed to support recovery from the current cost of living crisis. The paper was based on NKA’s research with Mathys & Squire analysing the response of different sectors across the globe to IP management and key lessons learnt.

Over 30 delegates attended the talk in which Naomi presented her “IP Road Map to Recovery”

v Early IP identification, management & enforcement

v IP management = contract management

v Strategic digitization

v Use of mixed IP portfolio to support business growth

v Importance of partnerships: licensing activities and joint ventures

v The power of the brand

v IP as part of broader commercial models

v Open approach fulfils brand and business objectives

Sean was especially inspired by two talks at the conference. On Tuesday morning Charlotte Neep from the Fashion and Textile Museum gave a presentation titled ‘Creating a Digital Talks Platform on a Shoestring Budget’. It was an excellent example of how cultural institutions responded to Covid restrictions by creating digital content to engage audiences and provide new income streams. Maria Kwong from the Japanese American National Museum presented a fascinating insight into how the museum developed its products, sometimes using surprising sources and in ways that resonated with current events.