For most couples, a wedding day marks the beginning of a new chapter together. For Sharothvarman Gurumurothy and Rachel Joe, it also marked the official launch of a dream they had spent the past 18 months building.
The husband-and-wife duo introduced Evend, an AI- powered event booking platform designed to create safer, smarter and more transparent event transactions, during their wedding celebration. In a symbolic move, they even relied on their own platform to manage their wedding’s RSVP system, guest check-ins, event agenda, and real-time attendance tracking, showcasing the technology in action on one of the most important days of their lives.
Their innovative venture has since earned official recognition from ASEAN Records as the First Verified Venue-and-Vendor Event Booking Platform with Two-Sided Identity Verification, Legally Binding Smart Contracts and Secured Payment Protection, making it a proud milestone for Malaysian entrepreneurship.
Building a Platform Around Trust
Behind Evend lies a simple but ambitious mission, to solve some of the biggest challenges faced by the events industry.
Over the years, organisers and vendors have had to deal with fraudulent bookings, payment disputes, last-minute cancellations and communication gaps. Having experienced the industry’s realities firsthand, the founders envisioned a platform that would make every event transaction more secure and reliable.
Sharothvarman, an ex-investment banker, strategy consultant, and Managing Director of Rock Corporate Advisory, joined forces with Rachel, who has more than 12 years of experience in the events industry through Rsquare Dhol Entertainment. Together, they combined financial expertise, event management knowledge, and technology to build a solution aimed at benefiting both customers and service providers.
How Evend Is Changing Event Bookings
Unlike traditional booking methods that often rely on manual communication and upfront deposits, Evend brings multiple services into a single digital ecosystem.
The platform incorporates AI-powered vendor matching, allowing customers to find suitable venues and service providers based on their event requirements. Both clients and vendors undergo identity verification before transactions take place, while legally binding smart contracts and secured payment protection help reduce risks for both parties.
With milestone-based payments, transparent pricing, booking management tools, and real-time Google Calendar integration, Evend aims to simplify the entire booking journey while creating greater accountability between organisers and vendors. The platform currently features 15 verified vendors and venues across seven event categories, providing customers with trusted options while giving businesses, both established and emerging, an equal opportunity to grow.
A Recognition Beyond Technology
Receiving recognition from ASEAN Records is more than just an accolade for the founders. It reflects a growing confidence in Malaysian-led innovation that addresses real-world challenges through technology.
The ASEAN Records certificate was presented on 23 July 2026 at The Estate on Federal Hill, immediately following the couple’s wedding ceremony, turning what was already a memorable day into an extraordinary milestone for both their personal lives and entrepreneurial journey.
For many aspiring entrepreneurs, the story of Sharothvarman and Rachel serves as a reminder that innovation is not only about creating new technology but also about solving genuine problems while building trust within an industry.
Looking Ahead
As digital transformation continues to reshape businesses across Southeast Asia, Evend hopes to become the trusted infrastructure for secure event transactions, empowering organisers, venues, and service providers through technology.
Reflecting on the achievement, Sharothvarman shared that the recognition represents more than a milestone for the company; it is a milestone for the events industry itself. He said Evend was founded on the belief that every event transaction should be built on trust, transparency, and accountability, with technology serving as a tool to protect businesses, empower customers, and raise the standards of digital event commerce across ASEAN and beyond.
For the newlyweds, launching their company on their wedding day was more than a symbolic gesture. It marked the beginning of two lifelong commitments: one to each other and another to building a platform that could transform the future of the events industry.
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