The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will host its 18th Annual Independent Inventor Conference on October 11-12, 2013, at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.  A pre-conference workshop will be held the evening of Thursday, October 10.

The conference will address intellectual property (IP) topics relevant to inventors and small businesses.  Attendees can meet senior USPTO experts and participate in panels and breakout sessions addressing specific IP topics relevant to modern inventors and small business owners.

USPTO officials and experts will provide practical information regarding patents, trademarks, and other IP.  Successful business owners and inventors will relate their personal experiences of bringing their ideas to market. Government, legal, and business development entities representatives will discuss commercial best practices resources offered by their organizations.

The location is USPTO Campus, Madison North Auditorium, 600 Dulany St., Alexandria, VA 22314.  Directions, meeting agenda and RSVP details can be found here.