Cyber Resilience Summit NZ 2026 gathers CISOs at Hilton Auckland to pressure-test incident response

A working day on cyber readiness, not compliance

The Cyber Resilience Summit NZ 2026 runs for a single day on 27 August 2026 at Hilton Auckland, framed by its organiser around a simple argument: cyber defence is more than firewalls and box-ticking, and readiness comes from regularly testing where systems and response plans fall short.

The agenda moves from the geopolitical threat backdrop through security monitoring, detection and assurance, and on to incident response and crisis management, closing with a keynote on insider-threat strategy and networking drinks. Sessions run from 8:30am registration to a 4:00pm close.

Who runs it

The summit is produced by Forefront Events Pty Ltd, a Sydney-based B2B events company that stages strategic summits and roundtables for senior technology, security and risk leaders across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, according to Forefront Events.

The Cyber Resilience Summit is a recurring series for the company. Forefront Events held a 2025 New Zealand edition and has already listed a 2027 edition, alongside sister Cyber Resilience Summits in Australian states such as Victoria.

Who it is for, and what is on the programme

Forefront Events positions the day for Chief Information Security Officers, Chief Information Officers, Heads of Cybersecurity, Heads of Information Security, Heads of IT and Heads of Technology Risk. The organiser describes a delegate mix weighted toward Finance (35%), Utilities and Telecommunications (30%), and Healthcare and Education (20%).

The published programme mixes panels, case studies, interactive table scenarios and workshops. Confirmed speakers include Ivan Reutskiy (General Manager, Security, 2degrees), Jenni McNeil (Head of Security and Infrastructure, Contact Energy), Kevin Moar (Director Regulatory and Advisory, National Cyber Security Centre), Dr Nick Nelson (Senior Lecturer, Massey University), Jean-Pierre Walle (Group Manager, Security Assurance, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora), Cristian Ares (Head of Cyber Security Governance and Compliance, SkyCity Entertainment Group), Frank Samuela (Head of Information Security, AIA) and Andrew Mantle (ICT Security and Operations Manager, Oceania Healthcare). A closing keynote is delivered by Peter Tari (Executive Manager Security Operations, NBN, Australia). Listed partners include Fortinet, Splunk, Google Cloud Security, Cloudflare, Arctic Wolf, Bitsight, Recorded Future and Rubrik.

The venue and getting there

Hilton Auckland sits on Princes Wharf, extending into the Waitematā Harbour on the downtown CBD waterfront. That location puts delegates within walking distance of the Britomart transport interchange, the downtown ferry terminal and the Commercial Bay precinct, which eases movement for a one-day event drawing attendees from across the city.

For out-of-town delegates, the waterfront position keeps a wide choice of CBD accommodation within a short walk, and the site is roughly a 20 to 25 kilometre drive from Auckland Airport, typically 30 to 40 minutes depending on traffic. The compact, single-venue format keeps registration, sessions, catering and closing networking drinks in one place.

Why it matters for NZ MICE

The summit is a clear example of a trans-Tasman conference producer bringing a proven format into Auckland and filling it with local speakers from telecommunications, energy, healthcare, gaming, insurance and government. For the New Zealand MICE market it represents repeat, sector-specific business-event demand for a marquee CBD waterfront venue, anchored by a recurring annual series rather than a one-off.