From 0 to 150K Visitors in 4 Hours: Scaling a Real-Time Engagement Platform

🌍 Project Overview

• Client: Bank of Georgia

• Occasion: Georgian Independence Day (May 26)

• Goal: Let 63,622 emigrants light up a pixel on a digital Georgian flag displayed live on a massive LED screen in Tbilisi.

• Challenge: Build and scale a real-time platform in just 3 weeks to handle 150K visitors in 4 hours.

🧱 Technical Stack

Backend

• Laravel Cloud: Elastic scaling, zero-downtime deployments

• PostgreSQL: Managed database

• Redis: Caching

• Pusher + Laravel Echo: Real-time broadcasting

• Filament: Admin panel with role-based access

Frontend

• React + Inertia.js: Reactive UI with smooth transitions

• Canvas API: Custom pixel animation

• Tailwind CSS: Rapid styling and responsiveness

⚙️ Architecture Highlights

• Single Laravel app cluster with scalable instances

• IP-based logic for dual experiences:

  • Emigrants: submission form

  • Locals: live flag view and participation stats

• No user accounts or logins—just name and country

🚀 Performance & Impact

• Traffic: 150K visitors from 4 continents

• Submissions: 63,622 in real-time

• Execution: All within a 4-hour campaign window

• Result: A deeply emotional, scalable tribute to the Georgian diaspora