A Summer of KION Play-Offs

No final. No trophies. No losers. Just a reason to come together. To celebrate KION's 20th anniversary, team sporting events are bringing colleagues together across the globe.

This year, colleagues around the world are celebrating KION's 20th anniversary with a series of team events known as the KION Play-Offs. The name is no coincidence. It reflects KION's "Playing to Win" strategy, bringing the mindset behind everyday collaboration onto the playing field. After all, delivering innovative supply chain solutions takes teamwork – and that's exactly what the Play-Offs are all about.

How competitive each event becomes is entirely up to the local teams. Every Play-Off has its own character, reflecting the culture of its location. What they all have in common is the shared experience of coming together. Here's a look at five KION Play-Off events from around the world.

Scavenger Hunt in Kaunas (Lithuania)

The "Orientation Game" in Kaunas took teams out into nature, where a wide range of challenges awaited them. Some required speed and physical effort, others rewarded keen observation, creative thinking or quick decision-making.

At the Dematic site, where software and automation solutions for the supply chain are developed, success in the Play-Offs depended above all on teamwork, smart decisions and the ability to stay focused under pressure.

"The event showed what 'Playing to Win' means in practice at our site," says Kristina Petkutė, HR Business Partner at Dematic. "In the end, it wasn't the fastest team that won, but the one with the best strategy."

Challenge Course in Zhangzhou (China)

In Zhangzhou, China, the Play-Offs transformed the production site into a giant challenge course for a day. With activities such as "Power Train", "Tower Build" and "Untouched Forest", each station presented teams with a different task. Some required speed and precision, while others called for communication, improvisation or the ability to adapt quickly as a team.

The Play-Offs were officially opened by Xie Jiahua, Vice President APAC Operations, and Valeria Gargiulo, Chief People and Sustainability Officer of KION Group, who also took part in the challenges themselves. Zhangzhou is one of KION Group's newest manufacturing sites. Located in Fujian Province in southern China, it produces warehouse trucks for the Linde Material Handling and STILL brands.

Table Football in Lainate (Italy)

Focused faces around the table football tables, plenty of laughter between matches, and team names like "Management United", "Charlatans", "The Hammers" and "Never Give Up" – the Play-Offs in Lainate had all the feel of a friendly tournament. A total of 30 teams competed against each other, combining plenty of competitive spirit with just as much enjoyment of the shared challenge.

Held at the headquarters of KION ITS EMEA Italy Sales & Service, the Play-Offs gave colleagues the chance to get to know one another beyond their day-to-day work. Alongside the top-performing teams, awards also went to those that stood out for exceptional teamwork and fair play.

The grand prize reflected those values, too: the winning team received an invitation to dinner at StraFICO, a social initiative in Milan. The non-profit restaurant creates employment opportunities for young people with autism – a strong example of inclusion and social commitment.

Family Run in Kraków (Poland)

A stroller on the race course is a rare sight at a running event. In Kraków, Poland, it became a symbol of what the Play-Offs are all about: being active together. One father pushed his young child along the route in a stroller, and the anniversary run through Błonia Park turned into a true family event.

For every runner, around five friends, partners and family members came along to cheer them on, enjoy a picnic and celebrate together – despite the rainy weather.

"Our goal was to bring people together. Seeing so many families take part made the day truly special," says Magda Morawiec, Employer Branding and Communications Coordinator at KION Business Services Kraków.

Mini Olympics in Frankfurt (Germany)

At the Mini Olympics at KION's headquarters in Frankfurt, team assignments weren't based on departments – they were left to chance. Before the games began, more than 200 colleagues were randomly assigned to 25 teams.

Suddenly, people who rarely work together found themselves competing side by side – whether in football target shooting, table tennis, basketball or cornhole. That was exactly the idea. While the activities encouraged friendly competition, the randomly mixed teams created opportunities for new conversations and connections.

For Jenna Scholz, Event Manager, Group Communications at KION Group and the lead organiser of the Play-Offs, that's what makes the global event series so special: "Every location made the Play-Offs their own, reflecting the unique character of their local culture. Yet everywhere, the same team spirit shone through. We're all different – but we're all KION!"