How DHL EuroCup 2025 united 2,700 employees across Europe in a vibrant festival

Objectives & Strategy

DHL’s objectives were both cultural and communications led:

• Inspire and engage 2,700 employees across 55 countries.
• Strengthen emotional connection to the employer (DHL Express) brand.
• Foster unity, inclusion, and belonging among employees.
• Ensure every attendee had an unforgettable experience to share back home with colleagues and family alike.
• Elevate the scale and impact of EuroCup versus previous editions.
• Grow the women’s football tournament for greater inclusivity.
• Boost participation in DHL’s internal engagement platforms.

Brand Brewery’s role was to amplify these objectives through creativity, coordination, communication, and delivery. The TLDR strategy was: ‘create not only a festival of sport, but a pan-European internal engagement moment’ one that started with pre-event communications, peaked with three days of live experience, and extended afterwards through content and storytelling that travelled across DHL’s own networks.

Engaging a Continent

Delivering EuroCup took more than simply logistics. It required communication and orchestration on a continental scale. For a full year, Brand Brewery worked hand-in-hand with critical, senior DHL stakeholders, local councils, security services, food vendors, and venue partners to ensure every detail was flawless while keeping DHL employees consistently informed and excited.

Pre-Event Communications & Delivery

A bespoke brand brewery designed and built delegate registration platform acted as the hub for information, capturing travel, accommodation, and dietary preferences while setting the tone for the experience.

DHL cascaded regular updates internally through multiple channels and country “team coaches,” fuelling anticipation and ensuring every employee felt part of the build-up.

Video teasers and digital content celebrated the growing number of women’s teams and highlighted DHL’s values of inclusivity and wellbeing.

On the Ground Delivery

The brand brewery team were relentless in transforming Lommel into DHL Express’ second home for three days:

• Opening Ceremony – 33 mascots stormed the stage in a show of colour and pride, immediately setting a tone of playful rebellion underpinned by a sense of unity.
• Festival Village – the beating heart of EuroCup, spanning 48 men’s football teams, 28 women’s teams, and 36 cheer squads, all representing their nations.
• The People’s Tent – a wellness and recreation hub with basketball, volleyball, table tennis, and quiet zones for recovery and massage, reflecting DHL’s commitment to balance.
• Partnerships Tent – where employees engaged with DHL’s global suite of sponsorship partners and brands, including a surprise visit from Manchester United legend Louis Saha.
• EuroCup TV – a full broadcast studio built on-site, staffed by brand brewery Studio employees, producing live content, highlights, and screen assets. Over 55 bespoke visuals kept the community connected throughout the festival.
• Evening celebrations – immersive themed parties, including a Once Upon a Time inspired party which turned the event into an unforgettable cultural jamboree for the ages.

Post-Event Communications

Video assets shared as ‘best of…’ highlights packages, shareable social media assets and EuroCup TV footage cascaded across internal platforms, ensuring those not in Lommel could still feel part of the story.

Employees brought the experience back into their teams, creating a ripple effect of pride and motivation across the network.

A post-event exit survey captured learnings and real-time feedback from DHL employees on what went well, what could have been improved upon and what we can take forward to Eurocup 2027.

Integrating Communications & Culture

What made EuroCup more than “just” an event was the way communication and culture were woven together:

• Branded cohesion – a refreshed EuroCup logo and visual identity united 3,511 branding touchpoints, from airport signage to large-scale site installations, reinforcing DHL’s identity at every turn.
• Event app – providing live schedules, maps, menus, and push notifications. With 2,545 downloads and 54,000+ page views, the app became the nerve centre of communication.
• DHL’s internal platform saw 31,044 interactions related to EuroCup, amplifying reach across Europe and beyond the live audience.

How Did It All Land?

Well! Participation highlights include:

• 2,710 attendees from 55 countries (plus 100+ volunteers/staff/organisers from DHL).
• 28 women’s football teams (up significantly from previous editions).
• €10,000+ raised for charity via 94 auction items.

Post-event survey (1,654 responses) revealed exceptional results:

• 99% rated their experience as “brilliant” or “very good.”
• 98% said EuroCup is a valuable part of life at DHL.
• 98% felt valued as an employee.
• 93% reported increased motivation to perform in their role.
• 97% said the event was well organised.

Meaningful Cultural Impact

EuroCup broke down barriers of geography, language, and job role, uniting DHL employees. For three days, colleagues became teammates, competitors, and friends. They returned home not just with memories, but with stories to share embedding DHL’s culture deep within their teams.

It wasn’t just about football, cheerleading, or parties. It was about meaningful internal connections at scale: turning DHL’s values into lived and shared experiences that resonated across 55 countries.

Conclusions: More Than a Game

EuroCup 2025 proved that when DHL Express invests in its people, the return isn’t just in numbers, it’s in the pride, energy, and loyalty employees carry back to their workplaces. By fusing internal comms, live experience, and storytelling, DHL and Brand Brewery created more than a tournament: they created a cultural milestone that will echo long after the final whistle.

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