Bolt Arena, officially known as Töölö Football Stadium and home to Finnish football club HJK, hosts matches in Finland's Veikkausliiga, National League and Ykkösliiga, among others. In addition to football matches, the stadium also hosts concerts and other public events where different teams and stakeholders must be able to communicate quickly and reliably.

Helsinki Stadion Management, which is responsible for the operation of Bolt Arena, and HJK, which organizes its home matches at the stadium, work together to ensure that events run safely and according to plan. HJK matches and other events can attract more than 10,000 spectators, and delivering a successful event requires a large number of professionals working behind the scenes.

When different aspects of an event are managed in real time, reliable radio communication plays a vital role in both smooth event operations and safety.

Match Operations Is a Matter of Seconds

Teemu Hakkala, Match Operations Manager at HJK, is responsible for the operational delivery of matches held at Bolt Arena. His match day begins approximately five hours before kick-off, as preparations for the upcoming match start throughout the stadium.

As kick-off approaches, the pace intensifies. During the final 30 minutes in particular, the work of multiple teams must be carefully coordinated. The players' and referees' entrance onto the pitch, music, public announcements and the various stages of the opening ceremony appear seamless to spectators, but behind the scenes they require constant coordination.

Hakkala describes one of the most visible moments of a match: "The arrival of the players and referees onto the pitch is one of the most anticipated moments of the match for both players and fans. To spectators, it may look as if everything happens automatically, but there are countless small details that need to fall into place. It's not a matter of minutes but seconds if we want to get the teams onto the pitch at exactly the right time and ensure the experience works from the spectators' perspective as well."

HJK Match Operations Manager Teemu Hakkala is responsible for the operational
delivery of matches held at Bolt Arena. Photo: Aapo Rainio

Using the radios, Hakkala stays in contact with the announcer team, security personnel and the operations center, among others. Time-critical information is continuously communicated throughout the match.

"Radios are a huge part of event operations because we need to communicate a lot of information quickly across different parts of the stadium. One person can't be in several places at once, and that's where radios help us enormously," says Hakkala.

Reliable Communication Even in a Challenging RF Environment

Bolt Arena is located in an exceptionally demanding radio environment, adjacent to both Helsinki Olympic Stadium and Helsinki Ice Hall. It is not uncommon for large-scale events to be held simultaneously at these venues, resulting in significant radio traffic in the area.

Conditions can change rapidly in an event environment, making it essential that
critical information reaches the right people without delay. Photo: Aapo Rainio

With their previous radio solution, interruptions and interference occasionally occurred during overlapping events. This is not merely a matter of convenience. Radio traffic can include safety-related information or emergency notifications that require an immediate response.

For this reason, Helsinki Stadion Management wanted its own radio fleet capable of meeting the requirements of a demanding event environment. The solution also needed to support operational activities at both HJK matches and other events held at Bolt Arena.

We operate next to two other major event venues, Helsinki Ice Hall and the Olympic Stadium, and we often have events taking place at the same time. In previous seasons, we occasionally experienced minor challenges with radio communications during overlapping events. We needed radios that are reliable and perform well in demanding conditions. With Hytera, these issues have been resolved.

Teemu Hakkala,  Match Operations Manager, HJK

A Ready-to-Use Solution for Long Event Days

Accessories have also made a practical difference in daily work. For Hakkala, one of the most noticeable improvements has been the earpiece. The accessories used with the previous radios did not fit comfortably and made communication more difficult.

The earpiece has made my work significantly easier. I can communicate while performing other tasks at the same time, whereas before I often had to choose between using the radio and doing my actual work, Hakkala shares.

When Plans Change, Information Must Move Quickly

Not everything can be predicted during a live event. A concrete example occurred this summer when a thunderstorm approached Bolt Arena during a match.

While Hakkala was working pitch-side, the security operations center monitored the storm's movement through weather radar systems. Real-time updates were communicated to him over the radio, and he relayed the information to the referees. As the situation developed, the match was suspended and spectators, players and officials were directed indoors.

According to Hakkala, lightning struck a building across the street less than thirty seconds later.

The incident demonstrated why reliable communication in an event environment means far more than day-to-day coordination. When circumstances change quickly, the right information must reach the right people without delay.

 HJK CEO Aki Riihilahti emphasizes the same point: 

 We are constantly looking to improve both the matchday experience and the operating models behind it. Reliable communication is one of those fundamentals that must work every single time. 

Events with Thousands of Attendees Require Reliable Communication

Owning its own radio fleet gives Helsinki Stadion Management better visibility into its radio assets and their condition, making lifecycle management easier. At the same time, HJK's event organization has access to a communications solution capable of meeting the demands of the Bolt Arena environment.

When events involving thousands of people are managed in real time, communication must work without interruption. Hytera's radio solution enables Helsinki Stadion Management and HJK's event organization to deliver critical information quickly to the right people while ensuring safe and smooth event operations in all situations.

According to Riihilahti, the benefits ultimately extend far beyond communications technology itself:

"HJK is more than just a football club. It is a community and an emotion. As one of Finland's largest and most successful football clubs, HJK faces high expectations from fans, the media and the wider community. Our responsibility is to ensure that everything surrounding the event works so well that spectators can focus on the match, supporting the team and experiencing the full range of emotions that make football special."

According to HJK CEO Aki Riihilahti, reliable communication is one of the fundamental
requirements of a successful matchday experience. Photo: Aapo Rainio

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