Malaysian technology startup Event Me Now (EMN) is taking a different approach to the country’s event industry with a dedicated digital marketplace built around one key principle: Zero Platform Commission.
Founded by Murali Kathegesen, EMN aims to bring Malaysia’s event service providers into one connected ecosystem, allowing vendors to set their own prices, manage customer enquiries and retain their booking earnings without platform commission deductions.
Following its successful soft launch on 1 October 2026, which attracted industry representatives and event service providers, EMN is preparing to open public vendor registration on 1 November 2026.
With more than 80 vendors expressing early interest, the platform is positioning itself as an affordable alternative for Malaysian businesses, from independent freelancers to established companies, with annual subscriptions starting from RM360.
Beyond connecting customers with event vendors, EMN aims to address industry challenges through verified profiles, availability management, transparent quotation processes and milestone payment arrangements.
At its heart, Event Me Now’s ambition is to create a dedicated marketplace where Malaysian event businesses can be discovered, compete fairly and grow, while maintaining control over their pricing and earnings.
KUALA LUMPUR, 10 October 2026 — Malaysia’s event industry brings together businesses of every size, from independent photographers and makeup artists to caterers, decorators, venue operators and event planners. They help bring weddings, celebrations, exhibitions, conferences and corporate functions to life. Yet even experienced vendors face a familiar challenge: reaching the right customers without spending heavily on advertising or relying entirely on social media.
Event Me Now (EMN), a Malaysian technology startup founded by Murali Kathegesen, believes there is room for a different approach. Following its official soft launch at St Giles Boulevard Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, on 1 October 2026, the company is preparing to open public vendor registration on 1 November 2026.
Its proposition is straightforward: a dedicated marketplace where customers discover event services and request quotations, while vendors set their own prices and retain booking earnings without platform commission.
Zero Platform Commission: A Different Way to Do Business
For Event Me Now, zero platform commission is not a temporary promotion. It is central to the company’s business model. Rather than taking a percentage of a vendor’s booking value, EMN plans to generate revenue through annual subscriptions and optional advertising services.
“A photographer invests in cameras, lenses and years of practice. A caterer has to manage ingredients, staff and transportation. A decorator spends hours planning, preparing and delivering the work,” Murali said.
“These are the people providing the actual service. I kept asking myself why a platform should automatically take a portion of their earnings simply because a customer found them there.”
Under EMN’s marketplace model, vendors manage their own prices, prepare quotations and choose which enquiries to pursue. Customers can review services, compare quotations and make the final booking decision. The platform does not assign jobs, determine vendor pricing or choose who should be awarded a booking.
“Our responsibility is to create opportunities for businesses, not to decide who deserves the job. If someone chooses a particular caterer or photographer, it should be because that vendor meets the customer’s needs, not because the platform made the decision,” Murali explained.
Zero commission does not mean every service is free. Subscriptions, quotation fees and applicable payment processing charges are separate from EMN’s commitment not to deduct platform commission from booking earnings.
Beyond Social Media: Finding the Right Customers
Social media is an important marketing channel for Malaysian businesses. It allows service providers to display their work, attract followers and connect with new audiences. But a photographer’s portfolio or a caterer’s promotional post is competing for attention with everything from fashion content and car advertisements to entertainment videos and businesses operating overseas.
For customers, finding a suitable provider can mean browsing numerous profiles, messaging different businesses and waiting for replies without knowing their availability.
“Social media has done wonders for businesses, and I am not here to criticise it,” Murali said. “But imagine being a photographer in Selangor. You are competing for attention with almost every kind of content imaginable, including businesses that may not even be based in Malaysia.”
“Now look at it from the customer’s perspective. If someone needs a photographer in Selangor for a particular date, shouldn’t there be a dedicated place to find suitable local providers, look at their work and make an enquiry?”
EMN is intended to complement social media, not replace it. Vendors can continue using existing channels to build awareness while maintaining an event specific business listing where customers are already looking for services relevant to their plans.
Connecting Different Parts of the Event Industry
Event Me Now brings together ten main service categories: Venue and Event Space; Catering and Beverages; Decoration; Entertainment, Sound and Lighting; Photography; Videography; Makeup and Styling; Tents, Tables and Chairs; Event Planner; and Transport and Car Rental.
Vendors can present their businesses, showcase services and respond to quotation requests, while customers explore providers relevant to the events they are planning.
Its planned features include identity verification, business profiles, availability calendars, genuine customer reviews and milestone payment arrangements. These are designed to address practical challenges such as non serious enquiries, difficulty managing bookings, scattered conversations and concerns around payments.
Businesses offering several services, such as photography and videography, will be able to present their categories under one business listing. Availability management is also being designed to accommodate businesses with multiple teams, event halls or rental vehicles, reflecting the different ways event vendors operate.
“Trust works both ways,” Murali said. “A customer needs confidence in the business they are hiring, while a vendor wants to know that an enquiry is genuine and the requirements are clear. Both sides deserve a more organised experience.”
Affordable Subscriptions Without Booking Commissions
Affordability is another important part of EMN’s approach. Its announced annual subscriptions are RM360 for freelancers, RM660 for enterprises and RM960 for registered companies. That is equivalent to RM30, RM55 and RM80 per month respectively, although subscriptions are charged annually.
“Some of the most talented people in this industry are operating small businesses. They may be photographers working alone, makeup artists building a client base or family businesses that have served their communities for years,” Murali said.
“Not everyone has thousands of ringgit to spend on marketing. I wanted the starting point to be affordable enough that smaller businesses could see an opportunity without feeling that the cost itself was another obstacle.”
EMN also plans optional advertising placements, including featured profiles and geographic promotions, for vendors seeking more visibility.
A Kuala Lumpur Soft Launch and an Encouraging Early Response
Event Me Now’s official soft launch took place on 1 October 2026 at St Giles Boulevard Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, bringing together industry representatives, invited guests and event service providers to hear the company’s vision and business approach.
The programme featured remarks by Nicholas Pereira, Founder and Executive Director of CODE26, the technology development partner behind EMN, and Isaac Mohan Raj, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Association of Hotels. Event Me Now is also an Associate Member of the Malaysian Association of Hotels.
More than 80 vendors expressed early interest across different service categories, although this does not represent paid registrations or confirmed bookings.
Selected early vendors are being offered a sponsored first year of subscription and introductory advertising benefits.
For Murali, the launch was a personal milestone after years of developing the idea.
“Three years ago, Event Me Now was just an idea. There were difficult days, plenty of doubts and moments when things did not go according to plan,” he said.
“Seeing people turn up, hearing the feedback and knowing that businesses are interested in what we are trying to build meant a great deal to me. But a successful launch event is only the beginning. We still have to earn the trust of vendors and customers.”
Malaysia First, With Bigger Ambitions Ahead
Although EMN has attracted interest beyond Malaysia, Murali says the immediate priority is building a strong foundation at home, including opportunities for vendors outside major cities.
“People organise weddings, celebrations, corporate functions and community events throughout Malaysia. There are talented businesses everywhere, including places that do not always receive the same attention as larger cities,” Murali said.
“Of course we are ambitious. There is nothing wrong with that. Every country has an event industry, and the potential to build something that works across markets is exciting. But Malaysia comes first. We need to prove that our approach can work here.”
Murali also wants EMN to evolve into a community, not simply a directory of vendors.
“I do not want Event Me Now to be somewhere a vendor registers and then feels forgotten. Whether someone is starting their first business or has worked in the industry for twenty years, I want them to feel there is a place for them here. Ultimately, I want it to feel like a home for Malaysia’s event vendors.”
Public Vendor Registration Opens on 1 November 2026
Public vendor registration is scheduled to open on 1 November 2026. EMN will focus on expanding its vendor community, refining its marketplace and incorporating early feedback.
“If a small business becomes easier to discover, if a customer finds the service they need and if a vendor can grow without giving up a percentage of their booking earnings to our platform, then we are moving in the right direction,” Murali said.
EMN wants to create a dedicated space where Malaysian event businesses can be discovered and compete fairly, with prices, quotations and final decisions in their own hands.
Your Business. Your Price. Your Earnings. Zero Platform Commission.
This press release has also been published on VRITIMES