NIKOS – Kirchentag

Crowd Management for the 2028 Katholikentag in Paderborn

autonomous reliable cost-effective

NIKOS is not a conventional PA system, but a radio-based public address, alarm and control system for large events, construction sites and crisis situations, which you can rent by the day through certified partners and either integrate into your PA or use on its own.

Challenge

Shared warning and guidance layer for distributed event venues

At the 2028 Katholikentag in Paderborn, services, forums, meeting areas and routes will be spread across different locations throughout the city. Crowd management must operate unobtrusively during normal activities while enabling clear instructions when visitor numbers increase. At the same time, heavy crowds increase the risk of overloaded mobile networks, meaning that mobile-network-based information channels are not sufficient for safety-critical announcements.

Solution

One unified solution for everyday use and emergencies

Announcements, system monitoring, crowd management and device control come together with NIKOS in a single platform independent of the public network. Quickly deployable, radio-based units provide additional announcement points at entrances, squares and temporary waiting areas without the need to install long cable runs across the city. NIKOS [horn]² supplements the audio output at locations without an existing sound system, reducing the amount of material required, cabling effort and the personnel needed to support temporary installations.

FAQ

Information for planners and organisers

Is NIKOS designed to meet the relevant standards for announcements?+
Yes, indeed: NIKOS meets the requirements of DIN EN 50849 for electroacoustic emergency warning systems. The system was developed specifically for safety-relevant announcements and alerting and is technically designed for both everyday operation and emergency situations. DIN EN 50849 represents the relevant reference framework for ELA systems. Unlike mobile network-based systems, NIKOS does not depend on any external network and is therefore immediately ready for use at all times — fully meeting the standard as a result. Other standards known from safety technology, such as DIN EN 54, DIN VDE 0833-4 and DIN 14675 (voice alarm systems), do not apply to NIKOS, as they are not applicable to radio-based public address systems like NIKOS. NIKOS is a public address system for temporary and mobile applications and has been used successfully many times for mission-critical communication tasks since 2017. RADACOM and your regional NIKOS partner will be happy to advise you on the wide range of NIKOS functions and support you in implementing the requirements cost-effectively.
Where can cost savings be achieved in crowd management?+
Depending on the application, NIKOS can be used to implement different functions via a single communication platform. The savings achieved in this way can quickly offset the rental and installation costs of NIKOS. You can find some specific examples of potential savings here. Consistent use of the wide range of functions often not only increases the level of safety and makes work easier for employees, but can also reduce the overall budget. NIKOS mainly reduces the effort required for separate loudspeaker, control and communication solutions. Material requirements and cabling work are reduced, and information and emergency announcements can be made from a single location. In addition, NIKOS can be used to replace personnel in a targeted manner: tasks that would otherwise require several security, reporting or operating posts distributed across the site can be handled from a single location through central announcements and remote control. This allows personnel to be reduced or deployed more effectively at safety-critical points. The greatest savings potential arises at fenced events: security at emergency exit gates can be provided through technical monitoring of the gates with NIKOS, meaning that security posts at emergency exits can be eliminated or deployed more effectively elsewhere. Rental and installation costs can therefore be offset by savings in personnel and other technology. This significantly reduces the costs of planning, installation and operation of safety technology, particularly at temporary events with a limited duration.
Does NIKOS remain operational when networks are overloaded?+
Yes. NIKOS operates via its own autonomous radio network and is independent of public communication networks and their availability. Since NIKOS does not rely on cable connections but communicates via radio, the connection is automatically re-established after an interruption. NIKOS [audio]² has an internal battery with a runtime of up to 16 hours and also supplies connected accessory modules. This means that crowd management for the 2028 Katholikentag remains reliably operational even in the event of a power failure or disruptions to public communication networks.
How can different visitor areas be addressed selectively during the Katholikentag?+
NIKOS [dispatcher]² controls the announcement units as required, targeting individual announcement locations, specific areas or the entire site. NIKOS [audio]² receives the voice transmission on site via radio and outputs it as an analogue audio signal. This ensures that safety-critical announcements reach exactly those areas where visitors need to be guided or informed.
Crowd Management for the 2028 Katholikentag in Paderborn: Where can NIKOS be rented?+
NIKOS is rented by the day through certified partners, including advice, instruction and technical support. Your regional partner coordinates the deployment with you. Find a partner and request a rental

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