7. Social and Sporting Events

7. Social and Sporting Events

Another focus of the Informals Committee is organising social events throughout the year, in London and around the UK. These events provide trainees with an opportunity to socialise with one another and to learn more about the patent profession through each other’s experiences.

Typically, the London Regional Secretaries organise at least a new entrants’ and post-UK exams party in autumn, a Christmas party, a post-EQEs party in March or April, and a summer event.

CIPA and the Informals Committee also coordinate sporting events such as the annual five-a-side football tournament. Other recent sporting events include a softball tournament and a padel ball wellbeing session.

In the summer, there is an annual Intellectual Property Ball in London, which is attended by patent and trade mark trainees and attorneys.

Outside London, the Informals Regional Secretaries organise cocktail nights, trips to local pubs, curry nights, Christmas dinners, and many other events across the UK. Again, we try to organise at least a post-UK exams event and a post-EQE event, along with one or two other socials throughout the year. Our regional events are at least partially subsidised by the Informals, in the way of a free drink or two, food, or ticket cost, depending on the event. A list of the current Regional Secretaries is provided on the Yellow Sheet website. If you’d like to see events in your region, please get in touch with the Honorary Secretary or your local Regional Secretary.

If there is not currently a region near you, why not contact us about forming one? As long as there are at least two IP organisations in your area and you are willing to volunteer as the Regional Secretary, we can likely help you organise events locally.

The best way to keep up with events is through the events page  on the Yellow Sheet  blog, which lists upcoming events that we think will be of interest to trainees, including lectures, CIPA events, IP Inclusive events, and our own Informals social and sporting events. We also share a monthly blog post listing upcoming events and regularly post on the Yellow Sheet blog and LinkedIn group.