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CHICAGO, Nov. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 37^th Annual Brand Activation Association Marketing Law Conference – themed Walking the Line: Between Innovation and Regulation - concluded in Chicago after attracting the largest audience in the event's history.  Over the course of three days, more than 130 speakers and panelists delved into the complexities surrounding issues in social and digital media marketing, its increased meshing with targeted advertising, native advertising, and real-time marketing, and the complex and constantly changing legal landscape. 

"The simplest barometer of this conference's importance is that we have broken an attendance record every year and 2015 was no exception," said Ed Kabak, Chief Legal Officer of the BAA.  "But this group of marketers, regulators, corporate counsel, tech innovators and top attorneys did much more than attend.  Our broadest and deepest agenda and robust discussion made this the best event we've ever had." 

In a fast-paced, multimedia presentation Ron Urbach, Chair and Partner at Davis & Gilbert LLP, introduced the term "slacktivists" to describe the maturing millennial generation.  According to Mr. Urbach, despite certain outward appearances, "slacktivists" are highly motivated by causes they care about.  Mr. Urbach also talked about brand growth emerging from "disruption plus innovation" and the need for live lawyering to remain current among that disruption.  He covered a wide-ranging review of events and developments in the law affecting experiential marketing, cause marketing, media and content creation, data collection and use, and shopper marketing aspects of brand activation.  Urbach also addressed current challenges to advertisers and marketers and issues arising from ad blocking, unauthorized rebates, bot fraud and viewability. 

The first event keynote came from the Federal Trade Commission's Deputy Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Daniel Kaufman who took the group through the thinking behind his group's upcoming enforcement policies in the midst of a digital revolution that has simultaneously empowered consumers and led in some cases to litigation from regulators.  A second keynote was delivered by Sony Pictures Entertainment's EVP Worldwide Marketing George Leon and SVP Legal Affairs Eric Baum.  The two men provided a series of actual case studies as well as a look forward to demonstrate the collaboration between Creative and Legal to navigate the layers of approval surrounding major films, their licenses, and other promotional extensions.

Highlights of the conference's content also included :

• Loeb & Loeb's Ken Florin's overview of major technologies and the law from a current and forward-looking perspective.  He zeroed in on technologies that have emerged or significantly evolved since the last conference touching on mobile apps, increased connectivity, addressable advertising, programmatic TV, dynamic insertion and the legal issues arising from these circumstances.  Mr. Florin is Deputy Chairman of Loeb & Loeb and Co-Chair of his firm's Advanced Media practice group.
• A review of the year's key legal developments in court and before the NAD by an expert panel chaired by Jeffrey Greenbaum, Managing Partner, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, P.C. and featuring representatives of the FTC and Advertising Self-Regulatory Council.
• General sessions examining issues around the latest social media platforms; "privacy by design" as it relates to mobile marketing and Big Data; and the "internet of things".
• Roundtables and breakout sessions on dozens of issues including native advertising, real time marketing, troublesome technologies, fantasy sports, green claims, cross-device tracking, and European marketing.
• The BAA's Chief Legal Officer, Ed Kabak summarizing the past year in the brand activation industry via a poem he penned and recited to kick off the conference's second full day.  The conference also included the announcement that BAA President Bonnie Carlson is retiring at the end of the year.  Bonnie has been active with the organization for 30 years, having served as its Chairman and having joined the organization in 2007 as its CEO and President.  "I've been privileged to watch this conference grow into one of the most important business law conferences anywhere," said Ms. Carlson.  "What began as a niche conference primarily concerned with the laws governing sweepstakes and promotions has evolved into one of the world's premiere forums for setting the leading legal edge around matters of privacy, BIG DATA, and native advertising.   Our work this week will have a lasting impact on advertisers and consumers.  A quick glance at our list of attendees, with over 180 major brands in attendance, is one great indicator of just how fundamentally important this event has become."

"Our conference provides a focal point for our industry to catch its breath and discuss brand activation practices and technology that together evolve at a pace that make it challenging for all of us to keep up with," added Mr. Kabak.  "The industry's leadership understands its obligation to instill compliant and transparent practices and protect consumers; even before government regulations are in place and that's why the BAA Marketing Law Conference is embraced with such enthusiasm year after year."

SOURCE Brand Activation Association (BAA)