:Puls. Custom Hybrid Event Management Software​ – from Guest Lists to Logistics

Imagine how difficult it is to coordinate a group of just ten people. Now, multiply that by ten.

For over a decade, our client, Upjet, has organized MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) events for banks, medical institutions, and large enterprises with hundreds of employees. These companies often have multiple regional offices and dozens of departments, each of which requires a personalized program.

Upjet managers used to handle all of this manually: planning transfers and flights, booking hotels, and keeping passport data error-free. They juggled files, spreadsheets, emails, and messenger threads. The process was time-consuming and prone to mistakes.

That's when the idea for :Puls was born. It is event automation software that serves as a centralized hub where managers can oversee every detail of a project, including participants, tickets, and logistics.

We solved several key challenges while providing custom software development services:

• Built an internal interface for employees – a system for managing every stage of organizing a MICE event.
• Organized an admin panel for managing a database of hotels, venues, and contractors.
• Released a separate app for event attendees, giving them access to up-to-date event details and real-time program updates.

Together, these components formed a full-fledged digital ecosystem consisting of three interconnected products.

From the beginning, one thing was clear: Upjet operates in a niche that standard task trackers and CRM systems aren’t built for. Organizing MICE events is very different from traditional travel services. There are more variables and details, as well as constant program updates, which require fast reactions and precise tracking of every change.

Additionally, Upjet planned to offer :Puls as a client-facing solution. This meant that the product had to surpass any off-the-shelf system in terms of features and flexibility. The client was looking for a company that provides custom software development services.

That’s why we built the system from scratch, designing a flexible architecture capable of handling dozens of variables and dynamic scenarios. In a project like this, simply "following the spec" wouldn't work. Instead, we collaborated closely with the client, refining solutions together, adapting to change, and continuously evolving the business logic. This made the certain event automation software effective for the Upjet team and their customers.

Now :Puls is a powerful workspace built around a series of complex data tables. Through this interface, managers guide every stage of an event — from adding participants to coordinating transfers and sending real-time program updates. Any change to an individual’s travel route affects the entire project and is immediately reflected in the manager’s dashboard.

• 6

  interactive tables for real-time event management

• 300

  unique API requests processed concurrently

We were introduced to Upjet by business analyst Alexander Bovtrukevich, with whom we’d previously collaborated on projects for Reso and CarExpo. He was the one who drafted the initial product requirements.

At first, :Puls was conceived as an internal tool to help Upjet manage event logistics more efficiently. However, as the project evolved, the company recognized a greater opportunity: developing it into a comprehensive product to offer clients as part of their service model.

The biggest advantage of platforms like :Puls is process automation. The system reduces manual work by delegating certain tasks to participants, such as filling in passport information or selecting hotel rooms. As a result, Upjet managers and their clients operate within the same ecosystem, making the company's services more efficient and attractive than those of its competitors.

Here’s how we overcame the challenges we faced and met the client’s expectations.

First, we worked with the initial set of requirements provided by the client. After releasing an early version of :Puls, we held a closed demo for the internal Upjet team. During testing, employees pointed out several logic inconsistencies that could affect project management.

Together with the client, we organized focus groups that included stakeholders from different departments who would be future users of :Puls. Their feedback helped us rethink our priorities and refine the scope of the product. Although we had to abandon some original ideas, this process helped us focus on the most valuable functionality.

Since :Puls is centered around data-heavy tables and forms with standard CRUD operations, we chose Laravel as the backend framework. This allowed us to quickly implement core functionality while focusing on business logic rather than technical overhead.

For the frontend, we chose React, which gave us the flexibility to build a responsive and intuitive UI and made it easier to manage and visualize complex user workflows.

Even in the early stages of documentation and prototyping, it was clear that the system would be complex and multi-layered. It would have a wide variety of recurring interface elements, states, and sections. To create a consistent and organized UI, we developed a dedicated design system containing a component library with standardized states and variations for key interface elements.

This system is used across all products, including the manager interface, the client-facing UI, and the attendee's mobile app. It also made future updates and iterations much easier to manage.

When organizing a new MICE event in :Puls, an Upjet manager creates a separate project in the system, specifying the format, location, and event dates. Next, they add participants from different business units of the client company. Each participant receives an invitation from the organizers and downloads the :Puls app. All essential event materials and financial documents are stored in the “Files” and “Estimates” sections.

Once the manager finalizes the list of participants, they mark those who will definitely attend the event. A “Not attending” status is available for those who declined for various reasons. Some participants can also be assigned VIP status.

Once added to the project, participants can view the event agenda, accommodation details, presentations, and other relevant materials. Participants are also required to enter their passport details so the team can purchase tickets, book a hotel, and provide information about existing visas and insurance, if needed.

Now, let’s explore how the Upjet team manages every stage of the event through the staff interface.

The most complex part of planning is organizing air travel. Participants of a single event may depart from different cities and countries, and their participation dates may vary based on their business unit or location.

We also added the ability to track participation intervals — the number of days each participant will actually be present at the event. This feature allows for accurate travel planning, avoids unnecessary expenses, and provides full visibility into each individual's logistics.

In this section, the manager can select a hotel from the reference database, add a new hotel, or attach a check-in guide for participants. The system accounts for attendees arriving and leaving at different times, so their length of stay may not match the event's full duration. To avoid booking errors, we implemented visual aids and automatic arrival/departure time calculations.

The system also supports room quotas, types, and roommate preferences: Participants can choose their own roommates or indicate who they would like to share a room with. All of this information is displayed on the manager’s dashboard, so there is no need to verify everything manually.

We implemented four types of movements to coordinate transfers: from home to the event, between transit points, from the hotel, and between locations within the city. The manager selects the necessary routes and providers, and after clicking the "Assign" button, the system automatically organizes the logistics based on accommodation data, travel routes, and participation dates. For example, there is a transfer from the hotel to a restaurant. All of this information is compiled into a summary table that adjusts according to real-time attendance data.

Once all the details are finalized with participants and organizers, the manager can export the data in Excel format. For example, they can download a list of tickets and send it to the airline or hotel for booking and payment. Each vendor has its own export template, eliminating manual entry and making the process faster and more accurate.

We used our own product, Admiral, a front-end framework for creating admin panels with React, to build the admin panel, which is designed for managing user accounts and project-related lists (cities, countries, carriers, airports, etc.). Admiral includes a wide range of pre-built components and tools that simplify and speed up the development of back-office interfaces.