5,000 guests · Tier-based operations · OTP · Kiosk · Security audit
International Cultural Summit West Kowloon Cultural District
A guest management and check-in system for a 5,000-guest international summit, covering RSVP, programme access, OTP verification, kiosks, badge printing and security review.
Brief
The summit took place across multiple venues at West Kowloon Cultural District, including the Opening Ceremony, panel discussions at Xiqu Centre, M+ and the Palace Museum, VIP and participant lunches, a Welcome Dinner, and The Party at M+.
Each of the 5,000 guests was assigned to one of 10 tiers. Each tier had its own programme access. There were 16 stakeholder categories, each with its own invitation track. Lunches were zoned by guest type. The Welcome Dinner used a separate OTP-protected RSVP flow.
Before invitations went out, the system also had to pass formal SRAA security assessments with WKCDA.
Background
At this scale, guest information has to be accurate from invitation through check-in. A guest's tier affected which programmes they could attend, which emails they received, where they were seated for lunch, and what appeared on their badge.
The system had to handle those rules before the event and keep working when thousands of guests arrived across multiple venues.
How we approached it
We mapped the guest journey from invitation to arrival and connected the different parts of the process.
Each guest tier controlled their programme access, RSVP options, emails and badge information. The guest's tier controlled programme access, while lunch zoning was assigned using tier and stakeholder category.
For the event itself, staff used a web-based check-in app connected to the backend. Guests could also check themselves in at kiosks using a QR code. Both routes could print badges in real time, while walk-in guests could be registered on site. Check-in data was sent back to the admin panel as it happened.
What we built
RSVP and guest management: tier-based invitations with unique links, bilingual flows, companion registration, dietary and special requests. The admin panel handled guest management, tier changes, programme permission overrides, email campaigns, label preprinting, imports and exports.
On-site operations: a staff check-in web app with QR pairing, guest search, QR scanning and badge printing. A self-serve kiosk with QR scanning, confirmation and badge printing. Walk-in registration and live arrival data.
Security and privacy: the system passed formal SRAA assessments with WKCDA before launch. A post-event survey was also included in the guest journey.
Result
5,000 guests moved through the summit across multiple venues. Guests were routed to the right sessions based on their tier, checked in with printed badges and tracked from invitation to arrival. The kiosks supported self-service check-in on site.
Takeaway
At 5,000 guests, event operations become a software problem. Invitations, access rules, check-in and on-site printing all need to work together, especially when there is no room for manual workarounds.