Leading the Change. Expanding the Impact.
AUGUST 26 & 27 2026 | Chicago, IL
Sol/Con is where the global presales community comes together to learn, connect, and lead the next era of technical sales excellence.
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ABOUT EVENT
A Flagship Gathering for the Presales Community
In 2026, Sol/Con heads to Chicago for a multi-day, multi-track event built to help presales professionals grow their strategic impact, elevate their influence, and shape the future of their teams.
Over two days, you’ll dive into the ideas, frameworks, and technologies driving the next evolution of presales. Choose from multiple tracks designed to fit your goals, whether you want to strengthen team collaboration, expand your role’s strategic value, or future-proof your career.
Over two days, you’ll dive into the ideas, frameworks, and technologies driving the next evolution of presales. Choose from multiple tracks designed to fit your goals, whether you want to strengthen team collaboration, expand your role’s strategic value, or future-proof your career.
Multi-track agenda spanning leadership, AI in presales, and GTM excellence.
Hands-on workshops designed for skill-building and practical application
Panel discussions with presales leaders and operators across industries
Networking opportunities with peers who share your challenges and ambitions
PRICING
Get your tickets now!
Early Bird Registration
Price:
$699
SOLD OUT
End Date: 4/1/2026
Regular
Registration
Registration
Price:
$899
Total Tickets available: 200
End Date: 7/30/26
Late
Registration
Registration
Price:
$999
Total Tickets available: 200
End Date: 8/26/26
Group
Tickets
Tickets
Price:
$599
Looking to attend SOL/CON with 3+ team members? Reach out to us for group pricing.
ABOUT THE EVENT
Why Attend Sol/Con 2026
Shape the future of your organization from where you stand
Sol/Con is where presales professionals come together to trade real-world strategies, learn from the best, and spark ideas that move their teams forward. Across two days of workshops, panels, and connection, you’ll gain practical insights you can apply immediately, from running smarter discovery calls and building influence with stakeholders to measuring success in new, meaningful ways.
You’ll also see how top presales organizations are embracing innovation, using data, AI, and collaboration to work faster, deliver stronger outcomes, and align more closely with their customers. And beyond the sessions, you’ll connect with peers who truly understand the challenges of modern technical selling, building relationships that last long after the event ends.
Walk away inspired, equipped, and ready to elevate your impact, wherever you are in your presales journey.
You’ll also see how top presales organizations are embracing innovation, using data, AI, and collaboration to work faster, deliver stronger outcomes, and align more closely with their customers. And beyond the sessions, you’ll connect with peers who truly understand the challenges of modern technical selling, building relationships that last long after the event ends.
Walk away inspired, equipped, and ready to elevate your impact, wherever you are in your presales journey.
Presentations
Hear directly from industry experts and leading voices across the Solutions Industry
Panels
Learn from solutions leaders as they discuss topics important and relevant to you and your teams
Workshops
Dive deep with hands-on workshops designed to give you tangible take-aways you can implement the morning after the conference ends
THE SOL/CON AGENDA
Don't miss the full
experience
Download the Full Agenda Here
Solutions: The Most Strategic Role in the AI-Era Sales Org
Jack Cochran
AI is collapsing the gap between products. When every vendor can demo a capable model, the
differentiator is now the person who can architect the outcome, navigate the technical decision, and own
the path from problem to value. That's Solutions. In this opening keynote, Jack Cochran, GM of PSC, makes
the case that Solutions has quietly become the most strategic role in the modern revenue org, backed by
data on the explosion of forward-deployed roles and the shift in how the function is scoped, leveled, and
paid. You'll leave with a clear picture of where the role is heading, why this is the decade of Solutions, and
what it takes to lead from the seat you already occupy.
differentiator is now the person who can architect the outcome, navigate the technical decision, and own
the path from problem to value. That's Solutions. In this opening keynote, Jack Cochran, GM of PSC, makes
the case that Solutions has quietly become the most strategic role in the modern revenue org, backed by
data on the explosion of forward-deployed roles and the shift in how the function is scoped, leveled, and
paid. You'll leave with a clear picture of where the role is heading, why this is the decade of Solutions, and
what it takes to lead from the seat you already occupy.
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Operationalizing AI in Presales: From Hype to Repeatable Proof-of-Value
Jay Mulakala
AI deals die in presales when they stay at the “cool demo” stage instead of a clear business outcome. In
this session, Jay shares how his team leverages AI tools like Glean, Gong, and Gemini to qualify
opportunities, structure evaluation plans that prove value, align SE/CSE/SA roles around expansion, and
define success metrics that connect every PoV to durable ARR.
this session, Jay shares how his team leverages AI tools like Glean, Gong, and Gemini to qualify
opportunities, structure evaluation plans that prove value, align SE/CSE/SA roles around expansion, and
define success metrics that connect every PoV to durable ARR.
Enabling a Reseller to Sell a Category Customers Weren't Yet Asking For
Billy McDiarmid
How do you enable a reseller to sell something their customers aren't yet asking for? Billy shares the
practical case study of how a small presales function took a new security category to market through a
global reseller, building a dual-funnel model that measured partner adoption separately from customer
pipeline, using AI tooling and repeatable templates to help one technical resource produce
customer-ready proof artifacts at scale, and creating a single, defensible value metric that let a
non-technical seller run the conversation with confidence. You'll leave with a practical framework for
scaling technical enablement through a partner, and a clearer view of how presales can shape GTM
motion design rather than just support deals.
practical case study of how a small presales function took a new security category to market through a
global reseller, building a dual-funnel model that measured partner adoption separately from customer
pipeline, using AI tooling and repeatable templates to help one technical resource produce
customer-ready proof artifacts at scale, and creating a single, defensible value metric that let a
non-technical seller run the conversation with confidence. You'll leave with a practical framework for
scaling technical enablement through a partner, and a clearer view of how presales can shape GTM
motion design rather than just support deals.
Raising the Bar: Building a Pre-sales Standard of Excellence
Katie Barends
How do you enable a reseller to sell something their customers aren't yet asking for? Billy shares the
practical case study of how a small presales function took a new security category to market through a
global reseller, building a dual-funnel model that measured partner adoption separately from customer
pipeline, using AI tooling and repeatable templates to help one technical resource produce
customer-ready proof artifacts at scale, and creating a single, defensible value metric that let a
non-technical seller run the conversation with confidence. You'll leave with a practical framework for
scaling technical enablement through a partner, and a clearer view of how presales can shape GTM
motion design rather than just support deals.
practical case study of how a small presales function took a new security category to market through a
global reseller, building a dual-funnel model that measured partner adoption separately from customer
pipeline, using AI tooling and repeatable templates to help one technical resource produce
customer-ready proof artifacts at scale, and creating a single, defensible value metric that let a
non-technical seller run the conversation with confidence. You'll leave with a practical framework for
scaling technical enablement through a partner, and a clearer view of how presales can shape GTM
motion design rather than just support deals.
Opening Keynote: Stop Being a Hero
Nicole Jackson
SCs love to be the heroes, jumping into every broken situation, coming to the rescue of the sales team
and the customer alike. As organizations scale, these heroics lead to burnout. Join Nicole Jackson as she
explores how you as a leader can set your teams up for long-term success by shifting them from reactive
heroics to making systemic impact in the organization.
and the customer alike. As organizations scale, these heroics lead to burnout. Join Nicole Jackson as she
explores how you as a leader can set your teams up for long-term success by shifting them from reactive
heroics to making systemic impact in the organization.
AI Presentation
Why Deals Don't Close the Way We Expect
Dmitri Lee
SCs love to be the heroes, jumping into every broken situation, coming to the rescue of the sales team
and the customer alike. As organizations scale, these heroics lead to burnout. Join Nicole Jackson as she
explores how you as a leader can set your teams up for long-term success by shifting them from reactive
heroics to making systemic impact in the organization.
and the customer alike. As organizations scale, these heroics lead to burnout. Join Nicole Jackson as she
explores how you as a leader can set your teams up for long-term success by shifting them from reactive
heroics to making systemic impact in the organization.
Leadership Presentation
Closing Keynote
Dan Conway
Building and Retaining World-Class Presales Teams
How do you build presales teams that don't just survive but thrive? How do you create a team where top
presales talent wants to join and wants to stick around and grow? Being an excellent team is more
complicated than just having the right salary and the right product. This panel brings together leaders
who have crafted industry-leading presales teams and have experienced both the good and the bad
when it comes to presales leadership.
presales talent wants to join and wants to stick around and grow? Being an excellent team is more
complicated than just having the right salary and the right product. This panel brings together leaders
who have crafted industry-leading presales teams and have experienced both the good and the bad
when it comes to presales leadership.
Joe Senior
Regina Takai
Faith Bevitz
What Actually Works in AI Sales Engineering
There's a lot of AI hype right now, including the idea that it replaces the need for a human SE entirely. This
panel is SE leaders with real experience using AI in ways that actually change how presales teams
operate. An honest conversation about limitations, implementation realities, and how you prove value at
scale.
panel is SE leaders with real experience using AI in ways that actually change how presales teams
operate. An honest conversation about limitations, implementation realities, and how you prove value at
scale.
Nashmia Burney
KJ Fenton
Jonathan Eyler-Werve
Rafael Coelho
The Specialist vs. Generalist Debate: Getting Resource Allocation Right
Should you have teams who split into specialist roles, or who are generalists and can wear many hats?
This panel discusses the tradeoffs and implications of taking either approach. Learn when specialization
makes sense and what you need to do to justify the cost or shift in resources required to do so.
This panel discusses the tradeoffs and implications of taking either approach. Learn when specialization
makes sense and what you need to do to justify the cost or shift in resources required to do so.
Art Fromm
Steve Klein
Logan O'Neil
The Leadership Ladder: What Changes at Each Rung
Presales is a difficult career, and an even more difficult role to lead in. The skills that brought someone
from novice to expert often do not apply to leadership roles, and success as a front-line leader often has
nothing to do with success as an executive. Hear from our panel of leaders on their struggles moving
from ICs up the ladder to various senior leadership roles.
from novice to expert often do not apply to leadership roles, and success as a front-line leader often has
nothing to do with success as an executive. Hear from our panel of leaders on their struggles moving
from ICs up the ladder to various senior leadership roles.
Meaghan Danielson
Amin Ibrahim
Shweta Kapil
Tony Francetic
Future-Proofing Our World: Using Empathy and Judgment to Navigate the AI Era
While we embrace the future of AI with optimism, we prepare for its unpredictability by doubling down on
the two things machines cannot replicate: deep empathy and seasoned professional judgment.
the two things machines cannot replicate: deep empathy and seasoned professional judgment.
Alex Nation
Hannah Bloking
Allison Macalik
Executive Engagement: Selling to the C-Suite
Selling to enterprise customers, and even often smaller companies too, requires selling to the C-suite.
This panel covers how you can earn access to the executives critical to closing deals, and how to align
your sales team when this is required. We'll unpack how to navigate complex buying committees, how to
build your customer into champions, and how to communicate in the language of strategic business
outcomes.
This panel covers how you can earn access to the executives critical to closing deals, and how to align
your sales team when this is required. We'll unpack how to navigate complex buying committees, how to
build your customer into champions, and how to communicate in the language of strategic business
outcomes.
Wayne Brown
David Fung
Michael Amaro
Aubrey Almond
Bottling Lightning:Turning Instincts Into Frameworks Your Team Can Run Without You
The best SE leaders often can't tell you why they're good. They read a room, save a deal, develop a rep,
and never stop to ask what they actually did. That works, until it's time to scale. Paul's workshop is about
turning instinct into frameworks your team can actually run, the kind that survive contact with real people
instead of getting mandated and quietly abandoned. You'll leave with one you can put in front of your
team Monday.
and never stop to ask what they actually did. That works, until it's time to scale. Paul's workshop is about
turning instinct into frameworks your team can actually run, the kind that survive contact with real people
instead of getting mandated and quietly abandoned. You'll leave with one you can put in front of your
team Monday.
Paul Vogt
Earned Influence: Leading Before You Have the Title
In presales, your impact rarely comes from positional authority, it comes from influence you've built with
product, marketing, sales, and the customer long before you needed it. This workshop introduces the six
pillars of earned influence: Clarity, Credibility, Trustworthiness, Curiosity, Courage, and Intentionality. You'll
hear how building influence before you need it lets you move faster when it counts, then assess which
pillars are strongest in your own approach and where you have room to grow. Working in your pod, you'll
build a personal development plan for a real relationship you want to strengthen and walk away with
concrete next steps, and people to hold you accountable.
product, marketing, sales, and the customer long before you needed it. This workshop introduces the six
pillars of earned influence: Clarity, Credibility, Trustworthiness, Curiosity, Courage, and Intentionality. You'll
hear how building influence before you need it lets you move faster when it counts, then assess which
pillars are strongest in your own approach and where you have room to grow. Working in your pod, you'll
build a personal development plan for a real relationship you want to strengthen and walk away with
concrete next steps, and people to hold you accountable.
Thank you 2Win! for bringing their workshops to Sol/Con 2026!
Human to Human Connectivity in the AI Age — It's All About the BANDWIDTH!
While we love to use AI tools to enhance and augment some of our work, our ability to communicate with
other people, who are often less technical than us, is still of crucial importance, perhaps even more so
now, in order to stand out in all the AI-generated noise. Your visibility and credibility can only be conveyed
through the bandwidth of your connection with others. This fun, interactive, practical, and inspiring
session will teach you 7 vectors to boost your bandwidth, enabling you to achieve whatever you want,
faster, and with more buy-in from your coworkers, clients, and audiences.
other people, who are often less technical than us, is still of crucial importance, perhaps even more so
now, in order to stand out in all the AI-generated noise. Your visibility and credibility can only be conveyed
through the bandwidth of your connection with others. This fun, interactive, practical, and inspiring
session will teach you 7 vectors to boost your bandwidth, enabling you to achieve whatever you want,
faster, and with more buy-in from your coworkers, clients, and audiences.
David Duffett
Winning as One Team: Build a Deal Strategy That Actually Closes
In most deals, the win is decided by how well sales, presales, product, and marketing move together, yet
teams rarely practice that coordination on purpose. In this hands-on session you'll take a real-world
scenario, break into teams, and build a shared deal strategy using a proven win-plan framework you can
take home and reuse. You'll work through the handoffs, decide who owns what, and pressure-test your
plan with live coaching before presenting back to the room. You'll leave with a repeatable way to turn a
group of talented individuals into one coordinated team that wins more often.
teams rarely practice that coordination on purpose. In this hands-on session you'll take a real-world
scenario, break into teams, and build a shared deal strategy using a proven win-plan framework you can
take home and reuse. You'll work through the handoffs, decide who owns what, and pressure-test your
plan with live coaching before presenting back to the room. You'll leave with a repeatable way to turn a
group of talented individuals into one coordinated team that wins more often.
Thank you 2Win! for bringing their workshops to Sol/Con 2026!
Busy, Liked, and Ignored: The Presales Leadership Trap
Great presales professionals are often promoted into leadership because they are exceptional problem
solvers and trusted partners. Ironically, those same strengths can make them ineffective leaders at scale.
In this session, we explore why many presales leaders default to managing activity instead of leading
change, and how avoiding friction quietly erodes influence, limits team growth, and keeps presales stuck
in “support” mode. Attendees will leave with a practical leadership lens for deciding when to step in, when
to step back, and where friction is not a failure but a requirement for effective presales leadership.
solvers and trusted partners. Ironically, those same strengths can make them ineffective leaders at scale.
In this session, we explore why many presales leaders default to managing activity instead of leading
change, and how avoiding friction quietly erodes influence, limits team growth, and keeps presales stuck
in “support” mode. Attendees will leave with a practical leadership lens for deciding when to step in, when
to step back, and where friction is not a failure but a requirement for effective presales leadership.
Ron Whitson
Chris White
From Hype to High Performance: Grounding AI Agents in Methodology
Most teams are drowning in AI output that's high in volume and low in trust, and the fix isn't a better
model, it's grounding. In this lab you'll watch a single agent improve in real time across three versions: a
generic prompt, the same prompt grounded in context, and a version grounded in methodology and
proven practice. You'll see the jump in quality with your own eyes, then learn how to build a simple rubric
to evaluate whether an agent is actually good enough to act on. You'll leave with a practical process for
grounding your own agents, so they perform at the standard you'd hold a teammate to, not a notch
below it.
model, it's grounding. In this lab you'll watch a single agent improve in real time across three versions: a
generic prompt, the same prompt grounded in context, and a version grounded in methodology and
proven practice. You'll see the jump in quality with your own eyes, then learn how to build a simple rubric
to evaluate whether an agent is actually good enough to act on. You'll leave with a practical process for
grounding your own agents, so they perform at the standard you'd hold a teammate to, not a notch
below it.
Thank you 2Win! for bringing their workshops to Sol/Con 2026!
Welcome Reception
Sponsored by Reprise and Opine
Location and details to come.
Day 1 After Party featuring Chris White and the Day One Awards Show Sponsored by Saleo
Location and details to come.
Closing Happy Hour at Convene
Join us directly after our closing keynote to celebrate a wonderful two days together!
ABOUT THE EVENT
Sol/Con is Proudly presented by the PreSales Collective
Presales Collective is the largest community for Presales professionals in the world, with over 50k members. Within PSC exists an exclusive presales leadership community, which connects you with other ambitious peers to tackle the day-to-day and macro challenges of leading a presales organizations. Pro and Pro+ members receive additional membership benefits to help advance their careers.
Benefits of Pro and Pro+ membership include:
- Private Slack Channel
- Exclusive Roundtables
- Free Regional Workshop Tickets
- Access to On-Demand Training (Pro+)
- Presales Leadership Collective Access (Pro+)
sponsors
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
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