Two major events took place on May 17, 2008 in Stuttgart. At the Neue Messe exhibition center the Ideas Park opened its gates for the first time and at the TSV Zuffenhausen sports club the Bilstein group staged a major football tournament. In the end the football trophy stayed in Stuttgart: The first team of ThyssenKrupp Automotive Systems from Zuffenhausen emerged as the overall winner against 14 competitor teams.

Alongside the Stuttgart host company’s two teams, there were teams representing all the Bilstein group’s German locations. International flair was provided by the team from ThyssenKrupp Automotive Systèmes France from Hambach/Lorraine. Visiting teams came from ThyssenKrupp Aufzüge Neuhausen, Coperion Werner & Pfleiderer, ThyssenKrupp Drauz Nothelfer Heilbronn, and ThyssenKrupp Presta Esslingen. Altogether 174 amateur footballers took part in the Bilstein group’s football championship. In the final the home team of ThyssenKrupp Automotive Systems beat ThyssenKrupp Drauz Nothelfer from Heilbronn 2:0. Third place went to the Bilstein team from Ennepetal.