Article: Van Vulpen activates culture at Safety Expedition 2026

Van Vulpen activates culture at Safety Expedition 2026

During the 2026 Safety Expedition, Van Vulpen made culture tangible for 1,400 colleagues. BR-ND People designed and facilitated an interactive session on culture values, craftsmanship and collaboration.

Activating culture in a growing organisation

Van Vulpen is growing fast in people, expertise and the scope of work they deliver. After an intensive culture programme in which core values were co-created with colleagues across the organisation, it was time for activation. The Safety Expedition offered the ideal stage: six days, two locations, 1,400 participants.

Interactive session in 45 minutes

In a compact session we took participants through four elements:

• Culture film - a specially produced film that introduced the five culture themes visually and emotionally
• Ping pong ball vote - participants voted on core values with green and red balls. Transparent tubes provided an immediate collective picture
• Table reflection - in small groups, colleagues discussed concrete actions to strengthen culture
• Postcard to yourself - each participant wrote a personal pledge that will be sent back later as a reminder

Result: culture became a conversation

The substantive assessments were largely positive, with clear areas for improvement as input for the next phase. Colleagues who work on project sites every day spoke to each other about what drives them and how they contribute to a safe working environment.

Want to know more about how we activate culture? Read our story about Van Vulpen or discover our approach to culture development & employer branding.

Written by: Ayu Koene