Ready for the 2026 World Cup with COREDINATE

The DFL press centre from the outside.

The fact-finding trip organised by the German American Chambers of Commerce™ brought a delegation of North American experts from the NFL (National Football League) and MLS (Major League Soccer) to Germany. During their stops in Munich, Stuttgart and Frankfurt (Main), they met with German companies from the security industry and visited several stadiums to exchange ideas and concepts on the subject of security issues at major events. 

The delegation consisted of Joe Coomer, Vice President of Security AMBSE, Nate Kelsey, Assistant Director of Public Safety for Atlanta United and Mercedes Benz Stadium, Eric Young, Director of Parking and Transportation for Mercedes Benz Stadium, Deputy Chief Charles Hampton of the Atlanta Police Departments, Pedro Martinez of Atlanta United, Willie Thomas of the Atlanta Falcons and Felipe Den Brok, Crisis and Emergency Management of the City of Atlanta.

After checking in at the Motel One Frankfurt am Römer, we headed to the headquarters of the DFL (German Football League), where we were welcomed by Birger Naß, Senior Manager Security Management DFL, and Christian Tippelt, Head of Market Development Programme (MEP) at Germany Trade & Invest. The members of the delegation then also briefly introduced themselves.

Simon Strobel, CEO of ESRA GmbH, starts his presentation. Among other things, he also reports on the use of robots by Ascento Robotics.

Birger Naß, Senior Manager Security Management at Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH, explains how professional football needs to be organised.

Daniela Gröbel-Becker, CMO of COREDINATE, explains how the workforce management system can be used for major events.

Christian Hickmann, Senior Sales Manager at CEIA, is presenting his solutions in the field of metal detectors and screening equipment.

Christian Lang, CEO of ISN GmbH, presents his protection concepts for personalities from the media, business and politics.

The first day ended with a networking dinner at the Apfelweinwirtschaft Wagner. In the traditional ambience of the restaurant, everyone had another opportunity to chat and reflect on the day. 

Exterior view of the Apfelweinwirtschaft Wagner in Frankfurt am Main.

Networking dinner in the Apfelweinwirtschaft Wagner and impressions of Frankfurt by night.

After breakfast on Tuesday, we set off for the DFB Campus, where we were greeted by Jonas Jansen, Manager Visitor Management Communication, Sustainability and Fans. During a tour of the DFB-Academy, we learnt more about the DFB's mission statement and its values: diversity, responsibility, performance and, above all, enjoyment of the game.

Jonas Jansen, Visitor Management Manager for Communication, Sustainability and Fans, shows us around the DFB campus.

Daniela Gröbel-Becker poses next to the 2014 World Champion trophy.

In the DFB press room, a group photo of the delegation in front of the famous backdrop was of course a must.

I was particularly impressed by the history of the Viktoria, a trophy that was originally played annually between rugby and football clubs and was first awarded in 1903. After the challenge cup disappeared during the Second World War and the Meisterschale trophy was introduced in 1949, the Viktoria reappeared after reunification and was returned to the DFB.

Head of Marketing Daniela Gröbel-Becker in front of the Victoria Cup on the DFB campus in Frankfurt am Main.

Group photo on the DFB grounds with the Frankfurt skyline in the background.

Lunch was followed by a guided tour of the Deutsche Bank Park Stadium. Patrik Meyer, Managing Director of Eintracht Frankfurt Stadion GmbH, told us about the impressive history of the stadium. The Waldstadion in Frankfurt, as it was known until it was renamed in 2020, is the traditional home ground of Eintracht Frankfurt. It has been renovated and modernised several times to host major sporting events such as the 1974 and 2006 FIFA World Cups and UEFA Euro 1988. The modern stadium holds over 51,000 spectators and serves as an important venue for football matches, concerts and other major events.

Waving flags in front of the Eintracht Frankfurt stadium.

Patrick Meyer in front of a remnant of the former Waldstadion.

The presentation begins with a view of the old Waldstadion from 1925.

Something special can be found under the roof of the stadium: the 6.9 tonne Video Cube is one of the most modern cubes in Europe and is unique in German stadiums. And the roof itself is also impressive. Viewed from above, it is reminiscent of a wheel lying on its side. But the unusual design has a specific purpose: in just fifteen minutes, the 9,000 m² convertible roof can be fully extended using the wire ropes. This makes it the world's largest steel cable membrane interior roof.

A panoramic view of the Deutsche Bank Park stadium.

Daniel Garcia, Daniel Garcia, Head of Technology and Events at Stadion Frankfurt Management GmbH, explains the technical and safety aspects of the impressive stadium.

The changing rooms at Eintracht Frankfurt are astonishingly simple.

Our last stop took us back to the DFL headquarters, where we were able to attend two further presentations: one by Birger Naß, Senior Manager Security Management at the DFL, and the other by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Czenpluch, Managing Director of Secure Games International GmbH. 

Wolfgang Czepluch, Managing Director of Secure Games International GmbH.

If you would like to know more about the Markterschließungsprogramm (MEP) of the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz, implemented by GACC South - German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern U.S., Inc. and SBS systems for business solutions GmbH, you can find all the information in German language here:

Daniela Gröbel-Becker and Nate Kelsey, Assistant Director of Public Safety at Atlanta United and Mercedes Benz Stadium, next to the Supercup trophy.