UD Las Palmas and LALIGA travel to the Bundesliga to build synergies with German clubs in infrastructure management.

The LALIGA Club Office, which supports the competition’s 42 clubs by advising and promoting their growth in various business areas and developing strategic projects, has undertaken its second international working trip. Following last year’s successful visit to London, the destination this year was the German region of North Rhine-Westphalia. The goal was to create synergies with leading Bundesliga clubs and share experiences and commercial strategies regarding infrastructure management on both match days and non-match days.

The LALIGA clubs participating in this trip showcased a wide array of experiences to enhance key aspects of their business models, aiming to increase revenue and improve fan engagement within their stadiums on both match days and non-match days. Hosting different types of events, renting out stadium spaces, and offering a varied hospitality experience for fans are just some of the options Spanish clubs are already incorporating into their facilities.

Jaime Blanco, Director of the LALIGA Clubs Office, said: “This visit has allowed LALIGA clubs to learn and share their plans with other European clubs with the aim of enhancing the experience for all types of fans when they attend a match, extending the use of their facilities on non-competition days. We are adapting to a new era in football, which combines the sporting side of things with a more sensory and innovative experience beyond the 90 minutes of the match.”

Rubén Fontes, head of infrastructure at UD Las Palmas, highlighted the experience lived during the trip to Germany: “It was a great experience in which the displaced clubs saw firsthand how different areas are lived and managed in some Bundesliga teams. An experience full of learning that will hopefully serve as inspiration for us to adapt it to the future challenges we face at UD Las Palmas, both in the present and in the immediate future, among other things, with the remodeling of the Gran Canaria Stadium in preparation for the 2030 World Cup and thus be able to continue growing and improving in different areas related to infrastructure”. “During the trip, we visited iconic stadiums, such as Borussia VfL 1900 Mönchengladbach GmbH, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, FC Schalke 04 and 1. FC Köln. Each club presented us with their perspective on how the fan and sponsor experience can be improved. As well as how they have optimized their venues and business areas, benefiting the club's economy, but above all offering the fan a different experience at every match.”

The trip enabled the LALIGA delegation to find out more about how their German counterparts are commercially leveraging their facilities in terms of hospitality and general attendance. They explored strategies implemented by the Bundesliga clubs to generate new revenue streams on match days beyond the 90 minutes, as well as on non-match days.

During the three-day trip, LALIGA clubs forged strong connections with many of the leading clubs in Germany and visited their respective stadiums. These include Borussia Dortmund and Signal Iduna Park, one of the largest football venues in Europe. They also connected with Borussia Mönchengladbach and Borussia-Park, one of the leading stadiums in Germany for fan engagement, which includes a hotel among its offerings for all audiences. Clubs also met with Bayer Leverkusen and visited the BayArena, a venue offering various sensory experiences for fans; Schalke 04 and the Veltins Arena, a stadium transformed into a versatile space capable of hosting a wide variety of different events; and FC Köln at RheinEnergie Stadium, a stadium famous for hosting tour dates for some of the world’s most well-known and highest grossing artists.

The LALIGA Clubs Office: A Consulting and Advisory Service for Continued Growth
 
The Clubs Office comprises of a specialised LALIGA team offering consulting and advisory services in eight business areas: communication, digital strategy, business infrastructure, international development, brand, marketing and commercial, technology, and human resources.

This team works closely with each of the 42 clubs to ensure they can maximise the potential of every area within LALIGA’s framework. The establishment of this department consolidates work processes that have yielded increased revenues, digital growth, expanded international presence, and the development of technological projects, among other successes.