SelectUSA 2022 Preparation with Dave Roccio from Lando Anastasi

Link to podcast found HERE

Transcript to podcast found below:

Bill : Hi and welcome to belly to belly and we’re here with just a kind of a fun installment around the Select USA event, which will be happening in June in the US and it’s a great event for helping to really provide companies coming into the US with information and connections to help support their successful entry. So, today, we’re joined by Dave Roccio from Lando Anastasi. Welcome, Dave. 

Dave : Hey, thanks, Bill. I appreciate it. 

Bill : Well, this is it’s great. So we really get to kind of do this rapid fire just a couple of questions. And again, we’re trying to give companies coming into the us a sense of what to expect and how to advantage himself the most in coming to select USA. So can you tell us a little bit about what you do for companies coming into the US have you helped support them? 

Dave : Yeah, great. Thanks, Bill Thanks again. Thanks for having me. So I’m with Lando and Anastasi. Like you said, we’re an intellectual property boutique law firm up in Boston. So we help clients protect their patents in inventions, trademarks, you know, all of that all of the above and so for for companies coming into the US, whether they you know, where they are in that spectrum and what they’ve protected so far in their home countries, whether they protected anything in the US, you know, there’s pretty strict rules and regulations and requirements to meet so I hope that when I attend the summit to connect to those companies learn where they’re at, and hopefully provide some information that can help them avoid you know, pitfalls down the line or making a decision that they come to regret, you know, when they actually enter the US.

Bill : That’s awesome. So I I think this is if I’m not mistaken, the ninth year of Select USA, the this upcoming version. And so why do you participate? What it’s what attracts Lando and Anastasi to the event itself?

Dave : Yeah, I think you know, for personal reasons and for firm reasons. I love making the connections. I like meeting companies. In know it’s always interesting to see kind of what types of technology are going back and forth across borders. But you know, one thing that became very clear as I, in my practice, really have met with different foreign companies, international companies, it became very clear that there was a really a disconnect between you know, the impression or you know, what was assumed to be the right answer in terms of intellectual property from a lot of these companies and what the actual rules are and requirements are. And, you know, when you have some of these discussions, it the surprise that some of these, you know, company owners and founders have is astonishing in terms of what they, you know, you tell them this one rule like wait, no, we thought it was this and you know, that that answer can have a really big impact on their business. So, I found in by attending events like the Investment Summit, and connecting these companies and, you know, hopefully be able to educate them and, you know, help them account like I said, in your first question, like, avoid those things, you know, one of the first companies I ever met at the first summit I went to, geez, three, four years ago now, you know, it was a it was a I think our Korean company, they were very excited to enter the United States. We had great discussions, you know, and then I asked him a very simple question to get a point with one of the very strict us rules and laws, you know, that the answer to that question had a very, you know, wasn’t a negative impact and what they were planning to do, and they had no idea and it just showed, like, you know, how it first you know, companies like this, there’s so much information they’re trying to process and consider, you know, so I’m just hoping just on the little small Friends of the IP that really helped them kind of avoid any mistakes, make good decisions early on, where they set this set themselves up for success.

Bill : Well, and I think that leads us into the next question really well, which is, you know, thinking about, you know, in your three or four years experience it’s going to select USA and seeing companies who leverage the opportunity. Well, and obviously there are those that may not quite as well. But what are some of the things you’d recommend to companies that are going in terms of how to get the most out of the event? 

Dave : Yeah, it’s a great question. It’s taken a few years for myself just to figure out like, know, what the best way to attend such an event is, you know, the first year I went, it’s a large event. There’s lots of people, there’s lots of programming, there’s a lot to you know, it’s almost overwhelming. So I would, you know, number one is go in with a plan. And really have at least have kind of surveyed who maybe who you know, who is attending, they have a great networking platform, maybe get some meetings set up ahead of time. So at the very least, you kind of have some structure around what you’re what you’re, you know who you’re meeting what you’re trying to do, if you go in and just you know, trying to do everything and you’ll do nothing, because you’ll just be overwhelmed by the information and it’s very difficult, you know, I I think the programming is great, especially some of the smaller group sessions where you can really meet people ask questions. But in in that vein, I found some of the best results and the greatest impact to be just some of the networking that’s done either at the event itself or some of the ancillary events that go on, you know, in the evening. Or some organizations host different receptions or different events or different programming in conjunction with it with the summit and I found just meeting people and connecting with them and growing your base and, you know, you never know you know who you’re going to meet. For example, Bill we met at a you know, an ancillary event. To The Summit. And then we’ve grown our relationship just in different organizations and talking and communicating and connecting. So that’s really, I think, one of the greatest benefits and you never know who you’re going to connect with or what you’re going to, you know, learn from somebody that really kind of pulls the puzzle pieces together for you when it comes you know, when you when you need a question answered, or you need help with something. So I think going in with a plan, being focused and taking advantage of the opportunities to meet people are the greatest things you can do.

Bill : That’s fantastic and come in rested probably another

Dave : time you’ve set up you know, yeah, yeah, take a break if you need to. 

Bill : Yeah, we’re probably remove some of the distractions from home make sure your plate is clear. So you’re not having to yeah, getting distracted from you know, emails or calls from the home office and all that kind of stuff. But yeah, you don’t yeah, no. Really, really good advice. That’s great. Yeah. Yeah, the whole idea of having a plan so, so critical and I like you I’ve found the preset meetings using their networking tool to be really, really productive. And certainly if you have a plan, you can really target key people resources that can definitely that can help you so but yeah, rest rest up

Dave : A lot and you come out at the end of the week, and it’s like, well,

Bill : Well, and it probably you know, that probably the last thing is make sure you’re ready to follow up to So yeah, you kind of have to, you know, manage that. So you know, your priorities. You’re kind of following up with those key people as well. So,

Dave : Yeah, that’s a great, that’s a great piece of advice, Bill. You know, you come out at the end of your stack of business cards are your you know, list of people or you know, make sure you’re connecting make sure you’re following up because that’s you know, if you don’t it’ll just die.

Bill : Like, like vegetables at the market. They cool what Oh, thanks so much. Hey, this was great. This, you know, I think the what we can all do at the summit is it’s just so strong and certainly we want to all of us participating and you like us are exhibiting. We want to make sure there’s a real open door for communication. So it’s great to have you there with us and excited to spend more time with you there. So thanks for taking time for this conversation today.

Dave : No, thanks for having me. Again, Bill. And I agree growing this sense of community here with the people who are attending and we can really build our network. It’s great. So I appreciate it.

Bill : Thank you very much. And to everybody listening, make sure to like and subscribe and do all the fun stuff that allows you to continue to be a part of the conversation here. So we look forward to hearing from you all bye for now.