DHL wins Cirque du Soleil contract

Logistics and international delivery giant DHL today announced it is to be the official logistics partner of Cirque du Soleil, the world renowned travelling live entertainment company.

DHL will provide global logistics support for the corporate headquarters of Cirque du Soleil in Montreal, Canada and will deliver the event logistics of the company’s Big Top and Arena tours worldwide. An impressive 15 million people are expected to attend the 19 shows around the world in 2014.

The main logistics requirements of the company will be the setting up and taking down of the equipment for these spectacular performances as well as transfers of equipment between shows. This is a significant undertaking, given that just a single Big Top show requires freight filling 80 40ft containers or more than two 747 planes. DHL will deliver freight by sea, air and road as well as providing customs brokerage when needed.

In addition to event logistics, DHL will also provide Cirque du Soleil’s standard supply chain requirements arising from day-to-day business operations, including: small package shipping, warehouse management and merchandise distribution

Ken Allen, CEO of DHL Express, said that the partnership was a “perfect fit”, explaining that DHL and Cirque du Soleil “have both grown from entrepreneurial beginnings into global brands through a commitment to conquering new frontiers and amazing and delighting our customer bases … We look forward to replicating the breathtaking performances under the Cirque du Soleil Big Top in our own operations behind the scenes.”

Over 250,000 items are transported from show to show and 180,000 sq ft is required to house the village, tents and trailers. Finn Taylor of Cirque du Soleil emphasised the importance of logistics to the company's shows: “With a global touring operations spanning over 150 locations across more than 6 continents, logistics is critical to the success of Cirque du Soleil,” he said.