AFridayevening (28.8.) took place die AgainOpening of the Tibulsky took place. The Hospitality-Area at the VELTINS Arena was Just in time for the Start of the new Season Renovated. Atm exclusive Kickoffsvent received the Guests Exciting insights into dThe Concept the royal bluen Redesign.
The event at Schalke kicked off right on time at 7:04 p.m. The evening’s audience consisted of the very same business partners who will be coming and going at the newly renovated Tibulsky on the Royal Blues’ upcoming home game days. During the panel discussion at the grand reopening celebration, the 80 guests learned more about why the club decided to renovate the space at this particular time: “The VELTINS Arena celebrated its 25th anniversary this year and is one of Schalke 04’s flagship venues. Our goal is to continuously develop and sustainably improve the stadium and hospitality experience,” explained Dominik Durben, Director of Sales and Marketing at FC Schalke 04. “In this context, the Tibulsky area has been given particularly high priority.”
The Road to the Grand Opening
Over the course of several months, the S04 staff worked intensively to plan and implement the project. A particular challenge was that Schalke never stands still, even during the off-season—quite the opposite: Whether it was the Monster Jam motorsports event, the Helene Fischer concert, or Schalke Tach with the friendly match against Atalanta Bergamo, there was plenty going on at the Royal Blue grounds. The renovation work at Tibulsky also took place alongside the VELTINS Arena’s summer event season, so it can now open its doors to guests once again.
The redesign of the VIP area on the east side of the stadium exemplifies a larger vision: to view Schalke not merely as a place, but as an experience. “This isn’t about modernizing individual areas in isolation. Rather, we want to gradually develop our entire hospitality offering while taking into account both the needs of our partners and the expectations of their guests,” said Durben, describing the overall concept. “The Tibulsky is therefore not the final step, but another important step in our long-term development of the hospitality sector.”
Modern technology meets an authentic atmosphere
With numerous screens, Tibulsky offers its visitors the opportunity to follow the action on the field from anywhere in the venue. The number of screens has been increased for the new season, and a large LED wall has also been installed, further enhancing the experience for business partners and their guests. Of course, the distinctive pub atmosphere of the hospitality area remains intact.
“It was particularly important to us that the space have a modern and high-end feel, while at the same time retaining its original identity and connection to Otto Tibulsky. It was precisely this combination of history, Schalke DNA, and contemporary design that was decisive for us when selecting the design,” says Thomas Fest, Head of Hospitality and Product Management at FC Schalke 04, offering insight into the conceptualization process. The space is named after club legend Otto “Ötte” Tibulsky, who, after his soccer career, ran a pub near the Glückauf-Kampfbahn. This atmosphere, imbued with Ruhr Valley charm, will continue to welcome guests in the future.
Flexible event space for business, networking, and more
The modernized event venue has also been equipped with a new stage and additional high-quality furnishings. This makes it an ideal gathering place even on days when there are no games—whether for meetings and conferences or as a conference venue. The versatile space offers the perfect setting for a wide variety of events.
Following the lively panel discussion, attendees were treated to a diverse culinary buffet and had the opportunity to mingle against the distinctive backdrop of the arena. Even though there was no game on the home field that evening, sports were still on the agenda: The guests watched the Bundesliga opener between FC Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart alongside representatives from Königsblau. This set the stage for the Royal Blues’ upcoming matchday: On September 5 (6:30 p.m.), they will also face the record champions from Munich at the VELTINS-Arena.
“Overall, we were able to nearly double season ticket sales for the new season compared to last year. As a result, the section is already very well utilized,” said Durben, assessing the current ticket allocation for the Tibulsky. Interested Schalke fans can still purchase VIP season tickets for the new season and enjoy the first home game of the season in a special atmosphere. More information is available on the VIP season ticket website.
