Features
‘Modern Technology In A Historical Setting’: The Charm Of Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle
Pollstar speaks with Sabine Loos, CEO of Westfalenhalle Unternehmensgruppe, which aside from the flagship 15,380-cap Westfalenhalle, also operates Dortmund’s trade fair grounds. Approaching its 100th anniversary next year, Westfalenhalle is one of Germany’s oldest, yet modern live entertainment venues.
In Pollstar’s recently published Germany-wide ranking of concert arenas, Westfalenhalle is among the Top 20 in terms of visitor numbers. We asked Loos about business in 2024, planned investments, economic challenges and solutions, as well as recent and upcoming highlights.
Pollstar: Westfalenhalle increased its visitor numbers from 363,100 in 2022 to 601,845 in 2023. What are the main reasons for this increase?
Sabine Loos: We certainly have to take several factors into account here – without having precise statistical data.
On the one hand, the number of events in the Westfalenhalle has risen from 91 in 2022 to 124 in 2023. Secondly, we must not forget that we were still dealing with the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic in 2022. Not only did it still cause restrictions in some cases, but it certainly also prevented some people from attending major events.
In 2023, on the other hand, we noticed that people were increasingly feeling this very desire again: to mingle with people, have fun, experience concerts and similar events live and up close again.
In 2023, we enjoyed a very good booking situation in the Westfalenhalle, and many guest appearances by popular stars and entertainers. These included, for example, Iron Maiden, Herbert Grönemeyer, the artists of the Schlagerboom with Florian Silbereisen, and Europe’s most popular horse show “Cavalluna”.
How are things looking in the first half of 2024? Are you on track to exceed your figures for 2023?
The first half of 2024 definitely has us looking forward with excitement to the end of the year. After all, we have already successfully staged numerous highlight events in the first half of the year alone – in many cases in front of a sold-out audience. We have already seen celebrated tour stops by Judas Priest, Scooter, Apache 207, and Marius Müller-Westernhagen, among others. But there have also been sporting events such as the German men’s and women’s handball teams preparing for the Olympic Games in Paris. And the highlights continue this year: examples include the shows by Slipknot, and SUM41, as part of their farewell tour.
Then there’s the European Darts Championship, and in November, the European tour of “The World of Hans Zimmer – A New Dimension” will also make two stops in Dortmund. After sold-out events throughout Germany, this will actually be the only additional concert in the country.
What makes the Westfalenhalle special in your eyes?
The Westfalenhalle is one of the oldest and most traditional arenas in Germany. Next year, we will be looking back on 100 years of history. What makes it special is certainly the mix of the historical setting and modern technology.
In its current – listed – form, it is unique and therefore the atmosphere here can hardly be compared with that of other event halls. Nevertheless, we offer top-class live events with state-of-the-art technology and excellent acoustics.
In addition to all these factors, the Westfalenhalle is of course centrally located: right in the heart of North Rhine-Westphalia, directly on one of the main traffic arteries, we are easily accessible for a large target group.
What options do venue operators have to compensate for the immense price increases across the board?
There are many challenges that the event industry has had to face in recent years, and which it must continue to withstand at the moment. While the issue of coronavirus has faded into the background, increased energy prices, inflation and the need for staff and specialists remain topical.
Our solutions are very clear: transparent communication with visitors, a high level of commitment from the organization team, identifying and exploiting potential savings – together with the concert organizers.
However, it is also important to continue to offer these promoters added value so that they choose us again and again.We try to achieve this through forward-looking investments – such as in modern LED technology, which opens up new marketing opportunities for us.
What challenges remain in the German venue market? What opportunities do you see for continued success?
North Rhine-Westphalia is a special location in the concert industry. We have four venues here in a relatively small area that are in direct competition with each other. That is certainly the biggest challenge. As is the trend towards more and more open-air events, for which we don’t have many suitable spaces here in Dortmund. We would still see opportunities, for example, in improvements to the expansion of fibre optics here in Germany. An efficient digital infrastructure is crucial, especially when it comes to broadcasting events and using modern technologies. However, we seize opportunities above all by making strategic investments for a sustainable future.
Apart from the modernization of the LED systems inside and outside the venue, what investments have been made recently?
Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle is to become even more attractive for major sporting events, among other things. The city of Dortmund is planning to invest €3.5 million ($3.9 million) into modernizing the video and audio technology, the lighting concept and the sound design for high-quality 4k and 8k broadcasts in HD. The conversion measures also include the redesign of the main entrance and backstage area as well as the shopping street and advertising spaces.
The Westfalenhalle has a great building stock and, above all, an unmistakable charm that many artists love. In order to maintain this tradition, we must invest in the future of the Westfalenhalle. A healthy symbiosis of tradition and modernity with a focus on fulfilling the wishes of event organizers and visitors in the best possible way is the right step.
Are there enough venues of all sizes in Germany, and in NRW in particular, to accommodate all artists and shows, or are there areas where certain types of buildings are lacking?
According to a recent study by PopBoard NRW, North Rhine-Westphalia ranks second in the nationwide ranking of top-selling music industry locations – behind Bavaria and ahead of Berlin.
I think we are well positioned here in the most populous federal state, and the surrounding areas. Westfalenhalle is right in the middle of it! We have a good infrastructure here, well-developed public and local transportation, good freeway connections, and close proximity to the Benelux countries.