Event planning has traditionally relied on established methods, but with the rise of new technologies, the sector is evolving to meet the growing demands of modern event organizers. Founded in 2020 by Vishal Puri and Naveen Gupta, Spalba’s mission is to streamline and enhance every step of the event life cycle, from conception to execution, by embracing the power of innovative technology.
The Genesis of Innovation in Event Planning
Spalba started its operations through a fundamental discovery that technology had greatly improved event implementation but traditional venue selection and planning methods proved to be tedious systems. The two-decade IT veteran Vishal Puri observed such contradictions to establish a disruption opportunity after his roles at Tata and Sapient.
Puri reflects on the beginning phases where his goal was to transform how people find venues for their events by delivering extensive database information to help their decision-making processes.
Spalba stands apart because its development did not originate from theoretical market analyses yet instead distilled actual problems directly from practical experiences of its founders. The foundation derived from practical business needs allowed their technical solutions to become highly applicable and effective.
Navigating Pandemic Challenges Through Product Focus
Spalba joined numerous startups born in 2020 during the time it encountered the threatening COVID-19 pandemic. Facing massive hospitality sector shutdowns and furloughs, the Spalba team showed exceptional strength in surviving during that difficult period.
During the worldwide shutdown, they elevated their work on product development to develop a stronger market position when businesses reopened. Spalba dedicated its strategic momentum to building a strong solution that handled the modified market requirements for post-pandemic events, thus rendering the company ready for industry recovery.
The Spalba Solution: A Venue SaaS Marketplace
Through its core structure, Spalba serves as a venue SaaS marketplace that maintains a smooth connection between people and available venues.
The platform’s standout features include
- The addition of Digital Venue Models creates virtual spaces for clients to explore different areas of a venue through interactive presentations.
- AI-Based Design Tools: Featuring 3D customization for detailed event visualization.
- Virtual Reconnaissance gives clients the ability to view events through their chosen spaces before visiting the physical locations in person.
- The system delivers analytical tools that assist stakeholders in checking engagement rates and monitoring progress on each deal.
- Event planning evolved through technological implementations, which now produce both enhanced program understanding and streamlined practices while eliminating stress for planners.
Measurable Impact on Partner Venues
The success of Spalba’s approach demonstrates itself through the positive results achieved by its partner venues.
Major international leasing deals at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel in New Delhi have been successfully concluded despite the absence of physical meetings.
The international MICE bookings at Le Meridien Gurgaon rose from their initial level of 10% to reach 25% the first time the hotel utilized Spalba before achieving 35% MICE conversion in the second year.
GCC Hotel & Club operates 42 event venues that enhance resource management capabilities while bringing in superior quality leads.
Beyond Automation: The Philosophy of Standardization
The founders stress that technology forms the core of Spalba yet maintain that technology alone does not solve every problem the event industry faces.
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Their vision encompasses a more holistic approach:
“Automation is essential for improving processes, but it’s not the sole focus,” they emphasize. “Ensuring that processes are standardized is equally crucial for reducing errors.”
This philosophy recognizes a fundamental truth about efficiency: without standardized processes, individuals often start from scratch with each project, leading to unnecessary stress and inconsistent results. By establishing standard workflows alongside automation, Spalba helps venues and event planners leverage previous learnings effectively.
Returning to Hospitality’s Roots
The authors support traditional hospitality values while maintaining their emphasis on technology through the application of Indian philosophy, which views guests as divine beings (“Atithi Devo Bhava”). Real hospitality strengthens the service industry according to this traditional cultural view.
Machine technology should improve existing human hospitality systems instead of eliminating their core values, which give hospitality services their essential charm. Spalba achieves its goal by using automation for repetitive work, which results in unlocking human potential for creative services that blend personalized guest interactions with genuine hospitality experiences.
Industry Recognition and Future Direction
Spalba received the “Unique Tech Solution of the Year—Hospitality” award at the NB Hospitality Excellence Awards 2024, which confirmed its valuable contribution to the hospitality industry.
The future direction for Spalba includes expansion from software into an interconnected platform that facilitates relationships between venues and event planners and vendors and clients. By introducing extended capabilities and forming strategic alliances with partners, Spalba plans to become the main anchor of the hospitality and events sector.
According to Puri, the hospitality business must use technological advancements as central components that improve operational efficiency while building sustainable practices.
The Next 25 Years: Technology as a Catalyst
The founders recognize the upcoming decades as a transformational period for the economy, which technology will power at its core. The deployment of technology should focus on aspects that do not need human involvement so companies can generate enhanced creativity and personalized services in crucial areas.
Spalba’s convergence of technological advancement with standardized operations and traditional hospitality values provides the industry with an outstanding framework to reduce stress levels and enhance productivity, which will ultimately result in superior experiences for providers and clients during event industry transitions post-pandemic.
By addressing the fundamental challenges of event planning through a thoughtful combination of cutting-edge technology and hospitality expertise, Spalba is not just changing how events are planned—it’s reshaping the entire landscape of the industry.
