Fanzone opening – 'Unique in this form'

How the decision was made to set up the Fanzone, the challenges presented by the unusual location and what the fans expected exactly are covered in a Bayer 04.de interview with Silvia Talmon, executive creative director at the planning agency The Retail Experience GmbH, and Dirk von den Bergen, head of the Bayer 04 shops & service centre.

Dirk, what was the original inspiration for the Fanzone?  

von den Bergen: It's no secret that physical retail stores, in almost all sectors, are undergoing change. Therefore, we spent a long time intensively looking at different new concepts and their feasibility before the lease ran out in Wiesdorf. We quickly realised that a shop on its own is no longer appropriate but also that we definitely did not want to lose physical proximity to people.

What considerations did that lead to?

von den Bergen: The first challenge was to find a suitable building for our idea. The search for a suitable site and the production of the associated concept took almost two and a half years. Over time the idea came about that we needed an alternative to the traditional shop – that brought the BayArena into play. It is not that accessible for fans during the week. When I started here at Bayer 04 in 2008 it was different with cyclists riding over the Piazza. (He laughs) That is not possible today for understandable reasons of security but we would like to get back to that in some way. So we will open the doors at the BayArena a bit more. Only a fraction of our fans can get tickets and come into the stadium now. We want to make our football and experience available to as many fans as possible. And that's exactly what the new Fanzone is aimed at.

What challenges did you face in shaping the project?

Talmon: You don't often get the chance to help shape a project for an international top club. We didn't have much time. We put together a team of six people, which literally worked night and day. Nobody could reach as by phone during that period of four weeks. (She laughs) In the end it was a development process of around 700 hours worked, which normally covers nine months. But the work was worthwhile as our concept impressed above all through the many details – emotionally as well as with the representation as a scale model.

What was special about this project for you?

Talmon: We could have produced a traditional shop. But we wanted to understand Bayer 04 as a whole. We tried to understand this club and its self-image, we tried to encapsulate the club philosophy to make our plans really applicable to Bayer 04. That went as far as us reading or looking at interviews from the past two years. And we wanted to stand on the terraces and experience everything: traffic jams getting to the ground, standing in queues on matchdays in front of the turnstiles at the BayArena, eating sausages and drinking beer at the stadium. Our imagination was sparked at our first game. We then met with a father and his three sons who described their ideal matchday. We really tried to get a feel for this club. Then it was clear to us: Bayer 04 is a down-to-earth club that really values proximity to the fans. The needs of the fans were also centre stage in our considerations. They were the foundation of our work.

Were there certain issues during implementation that surprised you?

Talmon: The complexity was the biggest challenge. Last season we followed the path to winning the double from close-up. You have to understand that the Fanzone project – in addition to many other projects – brought day-to-day involvement for everybody. It was a masterly performance from everybody involved, above all Anne Dannenberg and Nadine Boes (Project management and construction at Bayer 04, ed.). In addition, there's nothing more demanding than building in a stadium. A stadium is a meeting place that has to meet the highest demands. On top of that, the foundations of the stadium date back to 1958 and parts of the construction plans are no longer available. That means we could have demolished something and not known what we might find.

Are there special features in a project in the area of football?

Talmon: While you almost have to do somersaults in retail to attract consumers to stores, fans are full of emotion and motivated from the start. We not only wanted to create a pure offline experience but also offer several digital options and thereby bring the two worlds together. It needed modern infrastructure that remains down-to-earth. These arcs of suspense – between future and origin, online and offline, young and old – can be found everywhere. And that under the premise of a set budget. They were exacting demands.

It's not long before the Fanzone opens. What can fans expect?

von den Bergen: The combination of special location and shopping experience. When you stand in front of the Fanzone you can't imagine what to expect until you enter – from the entrance to the emotional experience. In addition to the store, the experience, and lounge area you have an open view of the BayArena across 66 metres. That is very unusual for retail as it represents valuable sales areas. But we consciously took the decision to maintain a unique view of the pitch in this form. In November, it will be my seventeenth year as a Bayer 04 employee. I still have that tingling sensation today whenever I enter the stadium. For me the best thing is that all our visitors in future will be able to come and enjoy this experience. But we are not just relying on a great view of course. (He laughs)

But instead?

von den Bergen: It will be a state-of-the-art shop with more checkouts and kit printing facilities. Special attention will be paid to a very personal service. And the Fanzone will also be an experience without a specific object – A lounge for whiling away the time and a range of digital games are just some of the features. I don't want to reveal everything but I can say that the fans can look forward to seeing our trophies. We hope to see a lot of beaming faces.

Fanzone opens: Wednesday, 20 November, at 10.00 CET.

Opening hours:

• Monday to Friday        10.00 – 19.04 CET
• Saturday                       10.00 – 18.00 CET
• Sunday and bank holidays      closed

On home matchdays (with the exception of Sundays) the Fanzone will be open to all visitors from 10:00 CET. The Fanzone will be closed to the public three hours before kick-off before opening to all ticket holders when the stadium opens. If a matchday is on a Sunday then the Fanzone is open to all ticket holders when the stadium opens.