Ah, the thrill of the sales kick-off (SKO) season. A time filled with so much buzzing camaraderie and supercharged energy for the year ahead that you could feel that energy from the main stage to the dance floor. After last year’s launch of Realize, Taboola’s performance advertising platform, we gathered in some of Taboola’s most iconic locations: Bangkok, Madrid, and Chicago—not just for strategy and product chats, but to bring hundreds of Taboolars together in one room. Since that buzz is hard to describe, here’s a look at that SKO spirit, told by those who experienced it firsthand.

The Taboola SKO Experience

You can’t replicate the energy of bringing sales, product, and marketing teams from around the world into one room. We talk about community a lot at Taboola, but SKO is where you actually see it in action. While we aligned on our 2026 strategy, the magic was really in the momentum we built together in person. The theme, “Focus, Excellence, and Breakthrough,” was everywhere.

Don’t just take our word for it—here’s how Dario Dellisanti, one of our newest Global Account Managers, captured the vibe of SKO while joining a new team:

Trading Slack messages for real-life connections

Earlier in the year, Taboola was named a Digiday finalist for “Best Global Team Integration,” and our annual SKO is exactly why. It’s where “cross-team collaboration” stops being a corporate buzzword and starts being real conversations over coffee (or on the dance floor). For us, building a great culture means investing in these face-to-face moments and recognizing contributions outside of an email or Google Meet emoji. Product Manager Kurt Gessler summed up the essence of SKO perfectly:

The ‘Why’ behind the work

SKO definitely sets the stage for the year, but it’s also a powerful (and fun) reminder of the why behind the work. It’s one thing to talk about growth on a screen; it’s another to live it with our global teams in person. Beyond the strategy, we spent the week rethinking what’s possible for the future of advertising and how we can leverage our tech to push performance marketing to help our advertisers scale. More than hitting targets, it’s about the impact we have on our partners and clients.

Emanuela Motta, from our Milan team, captured that feeling of reconnecting with our mission:

Celebrating big wins–together

We started 2026 strong, but no SKO is complete without breaking from the business chats to celebrate. After days of upskilling and strategy, we shifted gears to what we do best: honoring Taboolars with plenty of food, dancing, and awards. (A huge congrats to our Sales Club winners, who are heading back to Mauritius!)

As Senior Account Manager Pranay Mohan put it, the awards are great, but the team is what makes the win:

Congratulations to all of our award nominees and winners. Your tenacity is infectious and a reminder that our excellence as a global team lies in our people, the relationships we build, and the support we show for one another. Cheers to a 2026 filled with focus, excellence, and breakthrough!

To learn more about why we are consistently ranked as a great place to work, check out the Taboola Life blog.  Visit our careers page and realize your potential with #TaboolaLife.