Story Summary
EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV has expanded its hospitality operation with a new Business Club at Villacher Stadthalle, creating a dedicated venue for sponsors, companies and hockey guests around home games and on non-matchdays.
The club offered a first look at the facility during its home game against Budapest on Wednesday, 21 October. VSV managing director Oliver Bergauer described the project as a significant moment for the club, saying it now has a Business Club worthy of the name in its 103-year history.
The venue can accommodate up to 300 guests and includes five private boxes, each available for company branding. The boxes feature laid tables, their own beer taps and live-game screens, while opening lower windows allow guests to retain some of the arena atmosphere and sound. An open central area includes a large bar, a separate spritzer bar, four screens and a terrace.
VSV intends the lounge to serve a broader commercial and civic purpose as well. DJ evenings and seasonal events are planned, while the City of Villach sees scope for lectures, smaller concerts and meetings. A municipal council meeting is already scheduled for the venue in November.
Key Facts
- EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV introduced its new Business Club at Villacher Stadthalle during the home game against Budapest on Wednesday, 21 October.
- The Business Club has capacity for up to 300 guests, with five private boxes that companies can personalise with their own branding.
- Each box includes laid tables, a private beer tap and screens carrying live coverage, with a direct view of the ice through windows that can be opened at the bottom.
- The main lounge area includes a large bar, a spritzer bar, four screens and a terrace.
- Seven caterers from Villach and the surrounding area will rotate in providing food, while service is handled exclusively by students from the Kärntner Tourism School.
- The lounge can hold about 200 people in theatre-style seating and is planned to host a City of Villach council meeting in November.
IHM Discussion
Bergauer placed particular emphasis on the importance of hosting sponsors and business partners in professional sport, and the new space gives the club a purpose-built setting for that work rather than a conventional hospitality room.
The design is geared towards keeping hockey at the centre of a business occasion. Guests in the boxes can watch the action directly, while the open area is equipped with multiple screens for those eating or meeting away from their seats. Kevin Essmann of Create Sports, a VSV supplier and sponsor, said the new room is quieter, more open and friendlier than the previous hall, offering companies a setting in which to entertain customers or employees while following the game.
The club has also tied the project to the local area. Catering will rotate among seven providers from the Villach region, and students from the Kärntner Tourism School will provide service. That local element continues beyond hockey through the city’s intended use of the facility for meetings and events.
Why It Matters
Modern hospitality can give a club more ways to engage commercial partners on a matchnight, but VSV’s plan extends beyond that immediate purpose. The capacity, private boxes and flexible main room create space for sponsor hosting, corporate events and city functions within the same arena complex.
That matters because the venue is designed to remain active when there is no game on the ice. Planned DJ evenings and seasonal events, together with potential municipal use, give the Business Club a wider role in Villach’s event calendar. For VSV, the project links its home arena more closely with local business and the city rather than limiting the space to a pre-game hospitality function.
Mini Q&A
How many guests can VSV’s new Business Club hold?
The Business Club can accommodate up to 300 guests, while theatre-style seating allows for around 200 people.
What facilities are included in the Business Club?
The venue has five private boxes, an open lounge with bars and screens, a terrace, regional catering and direct views of the ice from the boxes.
Will the Business Club be used only for VSV home games?
No. VSV plans DJ evenings and seasonal events, and the City of Villach intends to use the venue for functions including a council meeting in November.
What Comes Next
The first confirmed non-hockey use is a City of Villach council meeting planned for November. VSV also has DJ evenings and seasonal events in its plans for the Business Club, alongside its continuing use during home games.
IHM Final View
VSV’s new Business Club gives Villacher Stadthalle a substantial new hospitality and event space, built around five boxes, a 300-guest capacity and an overtly regional approach to food and service. Its value will rest not only on how it serves sponsors on game nights, but on whether it becomes the year-round meeting point for business, community and events that the club and city envisage.