Agenda 2021

This is a working agenda and subject to change.

Wednesday 22 September 2021
British Museum, London
Luxury in the Roaring Twenties – Navigating Tomorrow’s  Roadmap

08.00

Registration, Morning Refreshments, and Networking

09.00

Welcome

Co-Chairs

Stephen Ball, Trustee, Board of Queen’s Commonwealth Trust

Paula Levitan, General Counsel, Manzanita Capital

09.10

Global trends in the luxury goods industry

This  opening session will explore the topics that are driving change and growth in  the luxury industry – from new digital assets to advanced technologies, and more.

Anita Balchandani, Partner and Leader, EMEA Apparel, Fashion & Luxury Group, McKinsey & Co.

09.30

Panel:  The new luxury reality

From the evolving luxury consumer, to the power of data, this session will explore how the luxury industry has adapted to new realities, the lessons to be learned from the winners and survivors of the pandemic, and how nascent industry trends have accelerated, as well as the changing definition of “luxury”. In particular, this panel will explore luxury beyond objects, luxury beyond ownership, and the experiential luxury economy.

Panellists include: 
Ceanne Fernandes-Wong, CEO and Co-Founder, COCOON

Nick Cranfield, Chief Legal Officer, Therme Group

Michael Ellis, General Counsel, Abercrombie & Kent

10.00

Keynote Interview: Luxury in the New Roaring Twenties

Post-pandemic, the luxury consumer is richer and more  ready to spend than ever before. As the industry prepares for a new “Roaring  Twenties”, are excess and extravagance the new watchwords, or is there space  for a more thoughtful and considered approach to luxury?

Kristina Blahnik, Chief Executive Officer, Manolo Blahnik

10.20

The Archives of the Future

Heritage  has always been key to luxury industry success and legitimacy. But is this  still the case? How is digital luxury creating new interpretations of IP  rights, as well as new opportunities for luxury brands? And what does the  ongoing rise of digital mean for the “soul” of luxury? 

Laudomia Pucci, President, Emilio Pucci Heritage

10.40

The story of a dress

Lucy Tammam, Creative Director, House of Tammam

10:45

Morning refreshments and networking

11:20

Workshops, delegates choose from one of two workshops

Workshop #1

Ecommerce, reseller platforms, and upcycling
Hosted by HGF

Online shopping has continued to soar in popularity, especially with the  pandemic closing traditional bricks and mortar stores. Unfortunately, this has also resulted in an uptick in opportunities for counterfeiters. We look at the various IP protection mechanisms available to safeguard brand’s rights and to reduce infringement issues.

Most of the large well-known platforms have mechanisms in place to help brands protect and enforce their rights. These include traditional takedown procedures seen on Etsy, eBay, Twitter and Facebook, and the suite of services available through Amazon Brand Registry and Alibaba’s IP Protection Platform, both of which assist brand owners with monitoring and enforcing online infringements and brand protection, and additional measures such as eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee programme. The session will cover some of the benefits of these systems and how they can assist brands. We will also look at the interaction of e-commerce platforms and social media platforms and the issues that can arise.

We will also weave into our discussions the increase in upcycling and reselling of fashion items which has now become more prevalent and we will look to discuss and raise questions on the IP implications of the resale of luxury fashion goods.

Yael Shalem Givon, Senior IP Solicitor , HGF Limited

Claire Jones, Trade Mark Director, HGF  Limited

Rebecca Field, Trade Mark Director, HGF  Limited

Workshop #2

Transactional influence on the luxury sector
Hosted by Baker McKenzie

Building on one of the underlying themes of this summit, the “Roaring Twenties” and a new period of growth for the luxury industry, we will be considering how transactional activity may influence the sector in the coming period. In particular, how are businesses in the industry being valued in the current climate by strategics and financial sponsors, and indeed for those considering a listing, and where is the interest coming from; how are transactions in the sector typically being structured; and what are the key issues dominating due diligence and negotiations on these deals, including looking at how investors are considering new business models, such as the pivot to D2C and exploitation of data.

Moderator: David Scott, Partner, Baker McKenzie

Panellists:

  • Elizabeth (Lizzie) Angwin, Director, Financial Advisory, Deloitte UK
  • Helen Brown, Partner, Baker McKenzie
  • Tom Edwards, Partner, Baker McKenzie

12.20

Workshops, delegates choose from one of two workshops

Workshop #3

The emergence of high-end luxury digital assets and NFTs

Hosted by Fladgate

The last two years have seen an explosion of interest and activity in NFTs, fuelled by the allure of the new, as well as easy and plentiful money. What do legal counsel need to know about this new market? Is this the next bubble? Or a legitimate part of the future luxury industry?

Panel Chair: Eddie Powell, Partner, Commercial, Fladgate LLP (Chairperson)

  • Sarah Rock,, Senior Associate, Fladgate LLP
  • Hetty Gleave, Partner, Family & Art Law, Fladgate LLP
  • Alastair McRobert, Investment Manager, Vermeer Partners
  • Ankur Kacker, Head of Digital Assets, Marsh Speciality

Workshop #4

Sustainability: No longer a luxury

Hosted by Bird & Bird

Sustainability is becoming synonymous with luxury and should be at the top of your strategic agenda. Businesses must prioritise their environmental and social impact across the supply chain to meet consumer expectations and drive growth.

We will be joined by a panel of industry experts to find out how they are implementing sustainable practices, and we will explore the sustainability laws and regulations that are re-shaping the future of luxury

Panel Chair: Karen Friebe, Partner, Bird & Bird

  • Vincent Marot, Chief Technical Services Officer, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
  • Sarah Banham, Head of Communities and Sustainability, Battersea Power Station Development Company
  • Ben Godon, Head of Hospitality Asset Management, Colliers

13:10

Lunch break and networking

14.20

Panel: The future of Art and Design

A conversation about the evolving role of art and design in a post-pandemic world.

Tim Marlow, Chief Executive and Director of the Design Museum in London

Shai Baitel, Artistic Director, The Museum of Modern Art Shanghai

15.10

Afternoon Refreshments and Networking

15.40

Workshops, choose one from the following

Workshop #5

Personalisation is the new black

Hosted by Hogan Lovells

The commercial urge to tailor consumers’ experience of the internet to individual tastes, view of the world and personalities has never been greater. So it is probably not a coincidence that one of the most important strategic questions for digital and consumer-facing businesses right now is how to justify personalisation in a world of continually evolving laws and increasingly complex rules.

In this informal session, Katie and Hannah will explore the interplay between the laws that apply to the use of customer personal data for personalisation activities (the GDPR) and ePrivacy rules relating to direct marketing and the use of cookies and online tracking technologies.

In particular, the session will cover practical strategies for:

  • addressing personalisation issues in the context of data-driven marketing activities such as targeted promotional emails, on-screen offers, programmatic/behavioural advertising and effective personalisation of website or app content; and
  • achieving the best balance between affording consumers control over their data and digital lives on one hand, while providing access to affordable and relevant products and services on the other in the context of a global business like Condé Nast.

Katie McMullan, Senior Associate, London, Hogan Lovells

Hannah Jackson, Senior Counsel, Data Privacy, Condé Nast

Workshop #6

FAKE NEWS! – using IP to effectively combat online celebrity endorsement scams and luxury fashion good counterfeits

Hosted by AA Thornton

This session will discuss the rising issue of fake news and online celebrity scams and what can be done to successfully combat issues before they become a PR nightmare. Geoff and Sarah will cover on-line enforcement, including website blocking orders and takedowns, as well as take-downs relating to counterfeit luxury fashion goods and the benefits of design registration. 

Sarah Darby, Partner, Trade Mark Attorney, AA Thornton

Geoff Hussey, Partner, Solicitor, AA Thornton

16.35

Main stage sessions

Is the influencer marketing bubble about to burst?

In this session we explore how the industry has evolved in  recent years, and the challenges that continue to present themselves in terms  of advertising disclosure transparency, authenticity of voice, use of  third-party materials, and handling and mitigating crises.

Joanne Loughrey, Associate General Counsel, L’Oréal

Lucy Loveridge, Managing Partners, Gleam Futures

Ryan McSharry, Director, Head of Crisis and Litigation,  Infinite Global

17.15

Chair’s Closing Remarks

Stephen Ball, Member of the Board of Trustees, Queen’s Commonwealth Trust

17.20

Luxury Law Awards winner announcements

Evening Reception and Networking

18.30

Close of Event

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