Mid May, I had the pleasure of attending my very first Sales Network Partner meeting, and what an experience it was! From 6–8 May, we welcomed around 20 of the global sales partners for our pharma business to Budapest for three inspiring and energising days together.

This event takes place every two years and brings together our pharma sales partners who support in selling/marketing galenIQ™, BENEO’s excipient for the pharmaceutical industry. The goal? To connect, learn from each other, share success stories, and spark new ideas to keep galenIQ™ thriving in the market.

Although it was my first time attending, I quickly noticed something special: this group shares more than just business goals. There’s a real sense of connection and an impressive depth of knowledge in the room. Countries like India, the UK, Korea, Japan, the US, Italy, and Spain were all represented, and yet, it felt like one big team.

A Closer Look at the Program

Over the course of three days, we enjoyed a well-balanced mix of knowledge sharing, strategic insights, interactive sessions, and informal networking. Here’s a closer look at what we experienced:

Day 1 – Science Meets Application

We kicked things off with an excursion to the University of Budapest, where we visited their pharmaceutical labs. It was fascinating to get a behind-the-scenes look at how galenIQ™ is being used in academic research. The visit offered fresh perspectives on the product and reminded us how science and application go hand-in-hand. Everyone was truly amazed about the endless possibilities with this excipient. This promises great potential for the future to be explored!

Day 2 – Presentations and Strategy

In the meeting room of the hotel, we launched into a full day of presentations. Internal colleagues shared valuable updates on:

• Market volumes and key trends
• Current and upcoming projects
• Application developments
• Strategic directions for the future

We also had the honour of hearing from our CEO, Olivier Roques, who delivered a compelling talk about BENEO’s long-term vision and how the pharma team contributes to that broader strategy.

Sales Partner Success Stories

Our partners brought the meeting to life with presentations of their local success stories. These were not only inspiring but also a great opportunity to learn from one another’s challenges and achievements in the field.

Interactive Workshops and Tastings

To keep things interactive and energising, the program also included some hands-on workshops, where everyone could exchange ideas, tackle challenges, and collaborate on opportunities in a more informal setting. These sessions sparked some great conversations, and plenty of laughter too.

One of the highlights? The product tastings. It’s one thing to talk about the benefits of galenIQ™, but it’s another to taste it in action. Known for its pleasant sweet taste, galenIQ™ adds more than just functionality, it contributes to the overall consumer experience. From tablets to lozenges, the samples gave everyone a chance to explore how well galenIQ™ performs in different applications, especially in terms of taste.

It was a great reminder that while galenIQ™ delivers on the technical front, it also quite literally leaves a sweet impression, and that’s what makes it such a powerful excipient.

Marketing Spotlight

I also had the chance to contribute by presenting an update on marketing support for galenIQ™. It was a great moment to showcase the tools and activities we offer to help our partners communicate the strengths of our excipient more effectively in their markets.

Evenings – Connection Over Culture

Of course, no BENEO event would be complete without some downtime to relax and socialise. Our evenings were filled with good food and great company. We dined together each night, and one of the highlights was a magical boat tour along the Danube. It was a wonderful way to close the days and strengthen the personal bonds that make this partner network so special.

Final Thoughts

What I took away from this event, beyond all the valuable insights and connections, is just how strong the spirit of collaboration is in this network. These are passionate, experienced professionals who truly believe in the value of galenIQ™, and it shows.

I’m already looking forward to the next edition in two years. Until then: a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made the Budapest meeting such a success! If I sparked your curiosity about how these days actually looked, here’s a short after-movie that reflects the vibe and gives some more insights.