GLOBAL Sales Tech Festival 2024: The event that is becoming a signature
The GLOBAL Sales Tech Festival 2024 (#GSTF24) is shaping up to be the signature warm-up event of MWC/4YFN, and we’re more than happy about the traction it’s getting. Born out of a pressing need for startups to boost sales and pitch their growth blueprints to investors, this year’s fest was a major draw. Over 500 tech enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, and notable figures from the tech world attended.
With a lineup of 54 international speakers and 7 hosts, the festival offered an extensive range of content, covering a wide array of topics in technology, sales and business. hese sessions provided actionable insights and stimulated debates, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the tech world.
Our network of partnerships truly shined this year, with more than 50 collaborators adding their unique flavors to the festival’s vibe. These alliances not only enhanced the overall experience for attendees but also painted a comprehensive picture of the tech and sales landscape. The shiny star was The Social Hub, our host partner where the event took place and made our guests comfortable with their incredible installations and warm staff. Taking cues from the festival’s core themes highlighted on GSTFestival.com, such as innovation, sustainability, and the future of sales tech, our partners helped to weave these essential threads throughout the event, ensuring a rich and varied content and interaction.
Panels, Sessions and Speakers
The GLOBAL Sales Tech Festival 2024 (GSTF24) brought together experts in sales and technology. It included panels on modern sales techniques, new technologies, and the digital future of sales. Here are some key discussions and the speakers who led them:
Mario Paladini and Maria Guirado opened the event welcoming the attendees and talking about the agenda and main features of the festival. This set the stage for a day filled with insightful discussions. The agenda covered a wide range of topics relevant to improving sales pitches and finding partners to expand and grow businesses..
An early highlight was the panel on “Institutional Support and Diplomatic Representations.” It featured Ezequiel Coppari representing the Consulate General of Argentina in Spain, Jose Ignacio Poveda, Regional Director for Cataluña at ICEX Trade and Investment, a publicly owned business-oriented entity of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business’s Secretary of State for Commerce, and Gabriella Pinter Economic and Commercial Counsellor at the Consulate General of Hungary. The panel was moderated by Katrina Logie known for her insightful podcast and webinar interviews. They discussed the role of institutional support in international business expansion.
At the same time, the Growth Stage “Technology, Context, and Relationships.” with the speakers Laura Hannois ( CEO / Founder MCM), Pamela Gidi (Former V. Minister of Chile) and Mariano Badilla (CEO FashBand SRL) moderated by Lilian Denicola (Consultant iN+N LATAM) talking about the importance of networking and securing good international business partners to go international.
The discussion then moved to “Wanna fail? Hire bad salespeople!” by Enrico Nebbia (Director from Ekselia Partners). This session humorously highlighted the importance of having a strong sales teams and the impact it can have in the organization.
Meanwhile, the Main Stage hosted the “Chambers of Growth” panel, where the conversation turned to the significant but often overlooked role of economic chambers in global business expansion. Although companies are automatically registered, there’s a surprising lack of awareness about the powerful resources these chambers can offer. The panel also explored the cautious relationship that sometimes exists between government entities and private companies, highlighting the need to address and overcome these challenges. With insights from speakers like Roger Cardona of Cambra de Barcelona and Pedro Cordero from JETRO, moderated by Sasha Lipman of Tech2impact, the session illuminated ways to bridge these gaps and fully leverage economic chambers for business growth.
One key session was “The Business Growth Power of International Conferences.” Featuring emilio Corchado (CEO & Founder of StartupOlé Accelerator), Michael Chaffe (from Wolves Summit) and Thomas Ohr (CEO and Founder of EU-Startups), moderated by Mario Paladini (Co-Founder & CEO of Club GLOBALS). In this discussion they addressed how conferences are crucial for expansion, focusing in the networking opportunities they bring to the table and giving tips and personal experiences of how to maximize the experience.
Simultaneously, Gonzalo De Lomana (Coach for SaaS Growth) discussed ‘How to Build a B2B Sales Machine,’ imparting key strategies for successfully constructing robust sales frameworks.
The festival continued with sessions on empowerment and diversity. “Empowering Tomorrow: AI, Sustainability, and B2B SaaS Sales for a Brighter Future” with Vikas Bajaj and the “Women in Sales” panel moderated by Masha Imas (Global Brand Ambassador of Women in Sales Network), with Melanie Taussig (Head of Growth Markets TravelPerk), Anne Paladini (Head of Digital Validation DACH ValGenesis) and Reanna Leitaker (Co-Founder Taixable) as guests speakers. They magnetized the audience on insights on how they live their experience as woman holding leading position, the impact in sales and the path ahead us as society.
Following in the Growth Stage, Italo Maddalozzo’s (Founder of IM Energy Coachingsession), talked about “Authenticity in Sales: Enhancing Influence,” highlighted the power of genuine engagement strategies in sales. The auditorium was set up for one of our featured speakers: Axel Schultze (CEO BlueCallom AG, 3x IPO and Chairman of the WIF). “Transforming Indirect Sales with Generative AI” where he explored the innovative use of Generative AI within extensive sales networks through a compelling case study, and how it can bring not a million but a billion dollar leap. Daniel Levelev (Founder & CEO of Levelev Consulting UG) then offered a forward-looking perspective in “B2B Marketing and Sales in 2024,” discussing upcoming trends and tactics, while José Maria Baños (Managing Partner & Founder of Letslaw) presented “Legal Foundations for Business Expansion,” emphasizing crucial legal aspects essential for scaling businesses, “despite nobody likes lawers like nobody like dentists”, but they are truly essential to success.
The Main Stage received Mats Kuuskemaa (Country Director for e-Residency in Germany), while he presented “Kickstarting Your EU Business Online,” exploring the advantages of digital nations in business initiation.
The grow stage closed with the panel “Leveraging AI Innovations to Humanize Digital Sales Interactions” featuring insights from Alex Uspenskyi (Founder Elai.io), Neema Balolebwami Nelly (Founder EMEA Venture Builder and AI expert) and Andrés Pulgarin (CEO & Founder of BotsLovers). Discussing how AI will change the world of sales, customer experience and support.
Right before the break, Tilo Bonow (Founder and CEO PIABO) took the Main Stage with the session “Building Trust and Driving Growth” talking about how crafting a compelling narrative is pivotal for any brand’s success with many practical examples.
Following the networking break led by our energetic hosts Jessica Breitenfeld and Jossie Pont, the session “Unmasking the Sales Charade” commenced, featuring Ksenia Stark & Stewart Rogers (Co-Founders
of CONFUSION&JOY), Jarka Kunova (Founder Designed by life) and Anastasia Denisova ( Events & Partnerships Manager Mindvalley), talking about sales myths and how the human connection and the establishment of long term relationships can not only truly benefit business but also make a positive impact in society as a hole.
This was followed by the insightful “Sales Strategies of a Pilot” panel by Swiss Stone Investments, with Oliver Pulley (CEO SSI Group) and Marcus Lindner (Managing Director BML Invest GmbH & Co. KG) revealing cutting-edge sales approaches. And continued by “Empowerment Networks” panel, with guests like Ernest Van Der Meijde (President EO Barcelona), Enrique Schonberg (President ASAEDE), Isabel Sabadi (Directora 22@Network BCN), Mario Paladini (CEO of Club GLOBALS) and Katrina Logie explored the transformative impact of nurturing professional support networks.
Following this, the panel in spanish “Is China’s Rise a Threat or Opportunity?” unfolded with insights from Laura Escallada (CEO NI HAO CONECTA), Jordi Aranega (VP & Board MemberHengrui Corporation) and Ramon Maria Calduch (President & VP FEMTCI) talking about the wrong perception western countries have of China and the expansion opportunities the Asian market presents.
Another highlighted panel was “Angels for Growth” with Astghik Zakharyan (Co-founder Startup Investor Accelerator), Taryn Andersen (CEO Impulse4Women), Merce Tell (Co-Founder & GP Encomenda Capital Partners) and Urs Rothmayr (Co-Founder COREangels Barcelona) talking about the journey of securing angel investment, exploring the synergies between visionary investors and ambitious entrepreneurs.
After that, the “Conxhub Announcement & Fuck up Story” panel took place, featuring Victor Horcasitas (President The American Society) Mario Paladini, and Nick Muir (CEO conXhub)
valuable lessons from setbacks and partnership announce with Club GLOBALS with a new offering to our community.
GSTF also had a series of workshops. Mats Kuuskemaa initiated the sequence with his “Step-by-Step Guide and Discussion” workshop, where he provided hands-on advice and facilitated engaging conversations. Taran Hughes (Founder The Conscious Sale) the “Flexing Your Sales Pitch”, focusing on enhancing pitching skills. Ania Krol (Founder & CEO of AK Consulting) then took the helm with her “Embodied Connection”, delving into how physical presence and mindfulness can enhance professional relationships. And finishing with a rejuvenating breathwork session with Dr. Jake Wright (Breathwork coach Centre Movement)
At the end of this insightfull day, our Co-Founder & CEO Mario Paladini’s made closed remarks: “We cant thank enough to everybody that make this happen”.
And what about the afterparty? 🚀
Well, the GSTF24 afterparty was held in the rooftop of The Social Hub with stunning views of Barcelona city, making a memorable celebration that encapsulated the festival’s spirit of innovation and community. It transformed networking into genuine connections through a mix of music, local culture, and lively conversations. The event not only marked closing but also the success of the festival and promised ongoing collaboration and inspiration within the tech and entrepreneurial community, highlighting the impact of shared experiences.
During the after party, we asked Mario Paladini CEO & Co-Founder of Club GLOBALS how he feeled: “Im super happy! A lot of emotions to see how all this people and how this has turned into reality. We have doubled past year numbers and very excited about the future” and added “Im overwhelmend with the love received, and cant thank enough to the partners, speakers, team, everyone who somehow trusted and helped us to put this together.” By the other hand, we asked the same to Nicolás Ventura, COO & Co-Founder of Club GLOBALS and he said between laughs: “Well, Im exhausted but extremely happy, for the vibes and comments received here I can say this is a huge win for us. If people is happy and having a good time then for us is mission accomplished. Only good things happen in ambiences like this, and Im proud of what we have managed to create. Now we will see the results of the surveys, as organizers I know for a fact we have a lot of room for improvement and already taking notes of what I want to improve for the next one, but the most important thing is what the audience say and their experience; You should ask them how they feeling, as they are the real protagonists of all this.” sentenced.
Now, 2 weeks after the event with closed polls and results in hand, we can say the people supports. According to the satisfaction survey, GSTF24 scored highly on ‘Would you recommend GSTF to a Friend’ and ‘Value for the Money,’ with attendees also complimenting the staff, indicating a high satisfaction rate. With this numbers, its clear that GSTF is here to stay and will become a signature event. With a commitment from the founders on build an even more engaging and valuable event for the GLOBALS community, we can openly say the mision is to bring together more participants, offer richer content, and facilitate greater collaboration and networking opportunities.
Some quotes of GSTF24
“Great networking, interesting people, inspiring talks: who said that meetings wouldn’t be fun?” Jose Ignacio Poveda, Territorial Director Cataluña – ICEX
“There is no better way to start into the bustling crazyness of MWC / 4yfn than attending this cozy and very interactive conference as a pre-event!” Ferdinand Mühlhäuser, Managing Director – Founder Institute Germany
“The event was amazing and pretty valuable. I consider that the experiences shared by the speakers were pretty useful and the panels were very interested. The catering also was great and the networking “games” during the breaks” Kelia Alvia – Student EAE Business School
#GSTF25 has already date: 02-03-2025❗️Stay tuned for more information about the event that supports and celebrates the tech and sales ecosystem.
