In partnership with Cornerstone Event Management and powered by the EventsAir platform, Touchpoint helped Australia’s largest cybersecurity event scale from 2,000 to 5,000+ attendees without compromising control, speed, or delegate experience.
From a fast-growing conference to a fully scaled convention
When Touchpoint first engaged with CyberCon Melbourne in 2019, the event was on the rise but still operating at a contained scale: around 2,000 delegates, a compact footprint within MCEC’s Melbourne Rooms, and a simple check-in and scanning model designed primarily for attendance tracking.
Touchpoint delivered onsite registration using a modest deployment of four self-check-in stations, four staffed desks and 30 scanning devices, all powered by the EventsAir platform. At that time, only a handful of sessions each day required access control scanning, and most workflows were still heavily dependent on manual processes and small teams of event delivery staff.
Even in their first year working with CyberCon, it was clear that the event was on a growth trajectory.
By 2025, everything is different: Scale, complexity and expectation have redefined the brief
CyberCon Melbourne is now recognized as the largest cybersecurity event in the Southern Hemisphere. Attendance now exceeds 5,000 participants, supported by a program that runs across three days, 30+ concurrent sessions, multiple social functions, and several satellite presentation zones.
Across this expansion, the EventsAir platform combined with Touchpoint’s onsite equipment continues to be the backbone of technology to deliver this prestigious event.
Together with Cornerstone Event Management, Touchpoint evolved the onsite registration footprint and access control scanning model to suit this new operating reality. The registration area now features 12 self-check-in kiosks and 6 staffed desks, designed to handle large-scale arrivals with speed and precision.
QR-based self-service check-in, driven by EventsAir, has become a defining characteristic of the arrival experience: fast, secure, intuitive, and resilient even at extremely high volumes.
Access Control: From a tracking tool to a mission-critical system
Perhaps the most dramatic evolution has been in session scanning.
In 2019, scanning served two core purposes:
- Simple attendance tracking
- Basic access control for approximately four sessions each day
By 2025, scanning is woven into every layer of program delivery:
- 400+ individual program elements scanned and access controlled
- 80+ devices deployed across the venue
- Nearly 50 registration categories processed against live access rules
- Real-time filtering and entitlement logic driven through EventsAir
Instead of being a back-of-house compliance mechanism, EventsAir access control now actively shapes the live delegate experience. Controlling entry to keynotes, restricting exhibition-only passes, honouring “No Media” requests from speakers, supporting remote presentation areas inside the exhibition, and managing evening social events with re-entry permissions enabled.
The re-entry scanning capability, introduced in more recent versions of EventsAir, has been particularly valuable for the large evening networking functions, enabling stronger real-time security and better post event attendance analytics.
People power at a new scale
Operational scale is not only a technical challenge. In the early years, scanning and registration services were delivered by a crew of approximately 20 staff.
Today, CyberCon mobilizes more than 100 volunteers per day to deliver simultaneous scanning across dozens of rooms and presentation zones.
Touchpoint leads a pre-event technology briefing, daily onsite volunteer training and real-time supervision, ensuring consistency, confidence and correct use of EventsAir scanning logic across the entire event footprint. This human layer is what allows the technology to function at its intended precision when the event is live.
Badge evolution: A sustainability shift without losing function
In parallel with operational growth, CyberCon Melbourne has modernized its onsite credential strategy. Traditional plastic badge pouches used in 2019 have now been replaced with pouchless credentials, reducing the use of single-use plastics and encouraging end-of-event recycling.
This change, while simple in execution, has delivered measurable sustainability gain without compromising wayfinding, access control or sponsor visibility.
What this growth demonstrates
CyberCon Melbourne’s transition from a 2,000-delegate national conference to a 5,000-delegate international convention is not just an increase in volume, it is a transformation of operational sophistication.
Over six years, three factors have remained constant:
- EventsAir as the central technology platform – expanding capability as the event’s footprint grew
- Touchpoint’s role translating that capability into live delivery – engineering workflows, check-in, access logic, and onsite execution
- Cornerstone’s event leadership and program management – guiding the operational evolution that supported this growth
Looking forward
CyberCon Melbourne’s trajectory shows how large-scale, high-stakes events can continue to grow without compromising security, speed or attendee experience when delivery partners and technology evolve together.
For EventsAir clients and partners globally, it demonstrates the platform’s capacity not just to manage events, but to enable their expansion provided it is deployed with precision by experienced delivery teams like Touchpoint.
From 2,000 to 5,000+, the proof is not in potential, it is in repeatable, real-world execution.
Testimonial
Working with Touchpoint on CyberCon Melbourne feels effortless. They are not just a partner, they are an extension of our team. From planning to delivery, they collaborate with us every step of the way, making sure everything runs smoothly. Their dedication to creating the best experience for our clients and delegates is a big reason why we love working with them.
Danielle Fitzsimmons, Operations Manager – Cornerstone Event Management
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