SPACE

10,000+ users
Simplified the event planning process for over 10,000 users
Built from scratch
Launched a platform from scratch using AWS, Laravel, and React

Client

SPACE

Industry

Event Planning & Marketplace

Client overview

Founded in 2017, SPACE is an online platform for booking event venues and vendors in New York City and Los Angeles. It covers corporate gatherings, product launches, private dinners, and conferences.

Problem statement

Event planning in NYC and LA was fragmented: venues listed in one place, vendors in another, and no central way to compare or book either.

Context

Clients juggled venue hunting, vendor vetting, and logistics across emails, calls, and spreadsheets.

Pain points

Disconnected venue and vendor booking processes
Limited transparency and trust with vendor networks
Inefficient payment and communication systems

Approach

Built SPACE from the ground up as one place to find a venue, book vendors, and pay, instead of three separate hunts.

Technologies used

AWS for infrastructure, Laravel on the backend, React on the frontend.

Implementation details
Phase 1. Platform Design & Architecture
- Designed the browsing and booking flows for venues and vendors
Implementation details
Phase 2. Development & Integration
- Built the backend with Laravel.
- Built the React frontend.
- Set up AWS infrastructure sized for traffic growth.
Implementation details
Phase 3. Deployment & Testing
- Ran user-testing rounds and fixed what they surfaced before launch.
- Integrated payment gateways.

Key outcomes

+All-in-one

Enabled users to search, book, and pay for venues and vendors all in one platform

10,000+ users

Streamlined the event planning process for over 10,000 users in NYC and LA

500+ vendors

Established a trusted network of vendors, improving client satisfaction and repeat usage

Client feedback

Jack Brown

We used to spend weeks chasing venues and vendors separately. With SPACE it was one search and one booking, and we were done in an afternoon.

Tech Stack

Backend
- Laravel (PHP) for REST API, domain logic, and policies
- Queue & cache with Redis (ElastiCache) via Laravel Queues
- Background workers for async jobs (SQS consumers)
- Database migrations, seeders, and versioned schema
- Automated tests with PHPUnit/Pest and coverage gates
Frontend
- Next.js (React) with SSR/ISR for speed and SEO
- SPA-style client routing and form validation
- Image optimization and lazy loading (Next/Image)
- Global state and API layer (fetch/RTK or SWR)
Infrastructure
- Cloud & networking: AWS VPC, subnets, Security Groups
- Compute & routing: EC2 app servers, ALB, Auto Scaling
- Data & cache: Amazon RDS (MySQL/PostgreSQL), ElastiCache
- Storage & delivery: Amazon S3, CloudFront CDN
- CI/CD & config: GitHub Actions, Parameter Store / Secrets Manager
Security
- Identity & auth: Laravel RBAC, session/token hardening
- Access control: IAM least-privilege, SG/NACL boundaries Row-Level Security and strict API route guards
- AppSec: AWS WAF/Shield, input validation, rate limits, alerts
- GDPR: data minimization, DSR workflows, logging & retention, DPAs