It was exactly like that – and what a great time we had! 😀

What has now become tradition, the Split Tech City Festival once more took place during the first weekend of September at the Bačvice Open-Air Cinema – a perfect location with a vibe that is as Mediterranean as our tech community and this Festival!

The International Day, which took place on Saturday, September 7, was in English and drew the attention of numerous internationals and digital nomads, as well as many locals.

And if the initial reactions are anything to go by, we managed to realize our intention: for all of you to have a great time, enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, be inspired, and meet as many interesting people as possible!

Once more we gathered together as a community to be inspired and learn from one another. So, we can definitely say that the Split Tech City Festival again demonstrated that Split is much more than what meets the eye. More than just a sunny city full of history. More than just a tourist hotspot.

Split is an international city with a vivacious tech community filled with entrepreneurial potential!

The Festival was opened on Friday with welcoming words from Toni Trivković, founder and president of Split Tech City, followed by a greeting by Split’s Mayor Ivica Puljak who was also in attendance.

What followed after these words of welcome was an excellent and program-packed day in Croatian, led by the MC Pinija Poljaković, that showcased all the richness of the local community – with a focus on technology and entrepreneurship but also going beyond that.

However, the focus of this particular brief overview is the International Day of the Festival. After all, it is the day that we have included for three years in a row now to foster even more connections – ones that bridge the borders, too!

The Pre-Program was reserved for our dear partners, friends, and supporters: Silicon Castles, NEXT Youth Conference, CroAI, and IAB Croatia. 🙂

They brought us a variety of interesting topics to discuss – from AI, over youth leadership, to future marketing trends – in many different forms – from a fireside chat to a vox populi panel discussion. Thus enriching even more the already substantial Split Tech City Festival program!

The main stage program brought its fair share of surprises, fun games, and laughs, well mixed with a lot of inspiration, new knowledge, and motivation for further discovery, learning, and growth.

Both sections of the program were seamlessly connected by Michael Freer, our star of an MC. 😉

We’d like to credit him for making people drink shots on stage and play interesting games that made our panelists Flor, Keith, and Kent uncover all the positive points of life in Split after moving from abroad. Among other things they shared in their panel discussion on lessons from Split’s Internationals.

We also got the knowledge and motivation to kickstart international expansion from David and Carolyn, while Jaïr and Petra uncovered how important knocking out taboos and cultivating psychological safety are for innovation.

And, last but certainly not least, there was Matthias whose interesting lecture included listening to Beethoven – the 21st century AI version and the age-old (but still brand new) originals written by the hand of Ludwig himself.

Needless to say – the Split Tech City Festival program had it all and it blew our minds! 😀

The cherry on top after the wonders of the content of this year’s Split Tech City Festival was, of course, the networking!

Enthusiasts from various fields and levels of expertise had a chance to network at the most Mediterranean location a #MediterraneanTechHub like Split can offer – the Bačvice Open-Air Cinema.

Surrounded by beats chosen by DJ Pepi Jogarde and kept well-nourished by tasty food made by Barbarossa Barbecue and drinks courtesy of TapB, Mandrill, and Prostor, this was a party we needed after the inspiration we received from the stage.

As in all previous years, we have given a lot to this event, but we felt that the return was, once more, greater than what we gave in the end. It is that power of a community coming together, as it did during the Split Tech City Festival, that brings great satisfaction and happiness to all of us behind the scenes!

We also must bring your attention to the fact that we would have never been able to pull this off on our own. 🙂

Without the recognition and support from the City of Split. Without our sponsors AGILO, Bitcoin Store, GetByBus, and RaST. Without the Boban+Partners team who decorated the venue.

Without all the outstanding lecturers and panelists who selflessly gave their time and expertise for the betterment of our community.

Without awesome MCs Pinija and Michael. Without the super-professional Hiperprodukcija duo Brle and Luka hidden in the production tent.

And without our volunteers – Karlo, Katarina, Lana, Luka, Niko, Pavao, Paula, Rino, and Timea – who were the stars of this show hidden in the shadows and whose selfless effort made the entire event run smoothly.

A heartfelt THANK YOU to all of them! 😀

To wrap this overview up – we can promise you this: stay tuned because our work for Split’s tech community will continue and we’re already looking forward to the next events we’re about to organize in the upcoming months and the #STCFestival2025! 😉

Photos: Bruno Dubravec & Ivan Gracin