For some days in June 2026 Rome was turned into one big Vespa celebration. Vespa Roma 2026: 80 Years Of An Icon, celebrating eight decades of one of motorcycling’s most recognizable names, saw streets across the Italian capital fill with enthusiasts who had traveled from across the world to take part.
The scooters stole the show, but putting on an event of this magnitude took a whole other kind of performance behind the scenes.
The city was a cacophony of vintage and modern Vespas as DSV was conducting an intricate logistics operation across several sites. The challenge wasn’t just to move freight from point A to point B. In a historic and heavily trafficked city like Rome, timing, coordination and flexibility were key to keeping the celebration on track.
A logistics operation based on teamwork
Due to the size of the event, one logistics team was not able to accommodate all requirements. DSV combined its Road and Air & Sea units into a single, coordinated operation.
The effort on the ground was led by Cristian Pompili, Director, Area North West, DSV Road, Italy, and worked in close cooperation with Francesco Seracini, Branch Manager, Air & Sea, Prato, Italy.
They combined local road transport with international air and ocean freight to create a synchronized supply chain that could support the different stages of the event.
The tasks included careful handling of historic Vespa models, warehouse operations and preparation and distribution of 15,000 welcome kits.
When logistics become part of the event
The attention of visitors was naturally focused on Vespa, its history and the atmosphere of the anniversary. Behind that experience was a logistics network that had to function without interrupting the celebration taking place all over Rome.
Scooters, stored materials, and the thousands of welcome kits ready for participants, all had their place. The deployment of these factors at several sites required tight cooperation between the DSV teams and careful management of the supply chain.
The project also demonstrated the increasing importance of collaboration between different transport modes for logistics of modern events. DSV Road took care of the challenges of transporting the goods thru Rome. DSV Air & Sea provided the link to international air and ocean transport.
The two divisions worked together to create a unified, coordinated logistics effort for Vespa’s anniversary celebration.
Thousands of enthusiasts gathered to celebrate 80 years of a brand built on mobility, and DSV’s job was to ensure that everything behind the scenes was moving in the right direction – and, crucially, largely out of sight for the crowd.
