System and method for enterprise event marketing and management automation

• US 7,523,385 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2001
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lanyon Solutions, Inc. (Cvent Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: StarCite, Inc. (old)
• Inventors: Chang, John, Yang, Charles, Peltz, William R., Han, Annie Bei, Chin, Stanley, Kuo, Glen Yan-Kit, Loh, Helen, Thackery, Raymond, Kang, Betty Ku, Nguyen, Justin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Maikhanh
• Application Number:
  US10/007,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20050209914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,722 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/26, 705/4, 705/5, 705/9, 705/10, 715/200, 715/205, 715/234, 715/805, 715/201, 715/202, 715/256, 715751-753, 715/760, 709/203
• US Class Current: 715/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership

Abstract

The present invention is a method and apparatus for providing enterprise event marketing and management automation. A website is provided that includes online tools for event marketing and management. A user in communication with the website is allowed to create and event page and a registration page associated with the event page, utilizing the online tools. The event page includes a link to the registration page. The event page is forwarded to a participant to enable the participant to establish communication with the registration page utilizing the link. The registration page is forwarded to the participant to be completed and returned in response to the communication and a confirmation is communicated the participant in response to receiving the registration page and response. Information received from the participant is communicated to the user in order to allow for further event organization and management.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing enterprise event marketing and management automation comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a website including online tools for event marketing and management;

(b) allowing a user in communication with the website to create a plurality of event pages describing an event and a registration page associated with the event utilizing the online tools, each of the plurality of event pages being targeted to one of a plurality of participant groups, each of the plurality of participant groups comprising one or more participants, the event pages including a link to the registration page;

(c) forwarding a first event page of the plurality of event pages to a first participant of a first participant group to enable the first participant to establish a first communication with the registration page utilizing the link;

(d) forwarding the registration page to the first participant to be completed and returned in response to the first communication;

(e) forwarding a second event page of the plurality of event pages to a second participant of a second participant group to enable the second participant to establish a second communication with the registration page utilizing the link, the first event page being different from the second event page, the first participant group being different from the second participant group;

(f) forwarding the registration page to the second participant to be completed and returned in response to the second communication;

(g) receiving the registration page and in response thereto communicating confirmations to the first and second participants; and

(h) communicating to the user the information received from the first and second participants.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising associating a fee with the event.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the fee for the event is requested from the first and second participants in response to receiving the registration page.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising querying the first and second participants for information associated with participant attendance to the event.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein previously created event pages are utilized for creating at least one of new events and new registration pages.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising storing a contact file of the user.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the first and second participants are selected from the contact file.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the stored file is imported from another source.

9. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising exporting the contact file.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising generating participant parameters, wherein the first and second participants are forwarded the event page according to the participant parameters.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising associating a promotion code with the event in accordance with instructions from the user.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a registration template is utilized to create the registration page.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising grouping a plurality of events under a single event.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the event has a maximum participant capacity associated therewith.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising presenting the first and second participants with the option of being waitlisted where maximum capacity has been reached.

16. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the user receives a notification when a predetermined percentage of maximum participant capacity is reached.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the user is allowed to modify the maximum participant capacity in response to the notification.

18. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the confirmation includes a ticket for admission to the event.

19. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising generating a report about the event for at least one of the user and the first and second participants.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the report includes information pertaining to at least one of budget, expenses, revenues, travel, accommodations, participant information, event details, attendance details, sub-organization, cross-events, profiling, scheduling, registration, change between data conveyed on specified dates, and change between data conveyed at specified times.

21. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the report is generated according to at least one of a schedule.

22. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the report includes at least one of an ad hoc report and a canned report.

23. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing the user with data for tracking at least one of budget, expenses, and revenue.

24. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising grouping one or more events into event categories.

25. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing to the first and second participants at least one of accommodation information and travel information.

26. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising organizing participants into the plurality of participant groups.

27. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising assigning a first type to the first participant and a second type to the second participant.

28. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing at least one of specified travel and accommodations according to participant type.

29. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising assigning a first login to the first participant and a second login to the second participant.

30. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising forwarding a survey to the first and second participants.

31. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving information related to a guest of the first or second participant on the registration page.

32. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein travel can be arranged utilizing an online booking system.

33. A system for providing enterprise event marketing and management automation comprising:

a computer processor for executing a computer program; and

a computer-readable storage medium for storing an executable computer program, the computer program comprising;

(a) means for allowing a user in communication with the website to create a plurality of event pages describing an event and a registration page associated with the event, each of the plurality of event pages being targeted to one of a plurality of participant groups, each of the plurality of participant groups comprising one or more participants, the event pages including a link to the registration page;

(b) means for forwarding a first event page of the plurality of event pages to a first participant of a first participant group to enable the first participant to establish a first communication with the registration page utilizing the link;

(c) means for forwarding the registration page to the first participant to be completed and returned in response to the first communication;

(d) means for forwarding a second event page of the plurality of event pages to a second participant of a second participant group to enable the second participant to establish a second communication with the registration page utilizing the link, the first event page being different from the second event page, the first participant group being different from the second participant group;

(e) means for forwarding the registration page to the second participant to be completed and returned in response to the second communication;

(f) means for receiving the registration page and in response thereto communicating confirmations to the first and second participants; and

(g) means for communicating to the user the information received from the first and second participants.

34. A system as recited in claim 33, further comprising means for associating a fee with the event.

35. A system as recited in claim 34, wherein the fee for the event is requested from the first and second participants in response to receiving the registration page.

36. A system as recited in claim 33, further comprising means for querying the first and second participants for information associated with participant attendance to the event.

37. A system as recited in claim 33, wherein previously created event pages are utilized for creating at least one of new events and new registration pages.

38. A system as recited in claim 33, further comprising means for storing a contact file of the user.

39. A system as recited in claim 38, wherein the first and second participants are selected from the contact file.

40. A system as recited in claim 33, further comprising means for generating participant parameters, wherein the first and second participants are forwarded the event page according to the participant parameters.

41. A system as recited in claim 33, further comprising means for associating a promotion code with the event in accordance with instructions from the user.

42. A system as recited in claim 33, wherein a registration template is utilized to create the registration page.

43. A system as recited in claim 33, further comprising means for generating a report about the event for at least one of the user and the first and second participants.

44. A system as recited in claim 33, wherein the event has a maximum participant capacity associated therewith.

45. A system as recited in claim 44, further comprising means for presenting the first and second participants with the option of being waitlisted where maximum capacity has been reached.

46. A system as recited in claim 44, wherein the user receives a notification when a predetermined percentage of maximum participant capacity is reached.

47. A system as recited in claim 46, wherein the user is allowed to modify the maximum participant capacity in response to the notification.

48. A system as recited in claim 33, wherein the confirmation includes a ticket for admission to the event.

49. A computer program embodied on a computer readable storage medium for providing enterprise event marketing and management automation comprising:

(a) a code segment that provides a website including online tools for event marketing and management;

(b) a code segment that allows a user in communication with the website to create a plurality of event pages describing an event and a registration page associated with the event utilizing the online tools, each of the plurality of event pages being targeted to one of a plurality of participant groups, each of the plurality of participant groups comprising one or more participants, the event pages including a link to the registration page;

(c) a code segment that forwards a first event page of the plurality of event pages to a first participant of a first participant group to enable the first participant to establish a first communication with the registration page utilizing the link;

(d) a code segment that forwards the registration page to the first participant to be completed and returned in response to the first communication;

(e) a code segment that forwards a second event page of the plurality of event pages to a second participant of a second participant group to enable the second participant to establish a second communication with the registration page utilizing the link, the first event page being different from the second event page, the first participant group being different from the second participant group;

(f) a code segment that forwards the registration page to the second participant to be completed and returned in response to the second communication;

(g) a code segment that receives the registration page and in response thereto communicates confirmations to the first and second participants; and

(h) a code segment that communicates to the user the information received from the first and second participants.

50. A computer program as recited in claim 49, further comprising a code segment that associates a fee with the event.

51. A computer program as recited in claim 50, wherein the fee for the event is requested from the first and second participants in response to receiving the registration page.

52. A computer program as recited in claim 49, further comprising a code segment that queries the first and second participants for information associated with participant attendance to the event.

53. A computer program as recited in claim 49, wherein previously created event pages are utilized for creating at least one of new events and new registration pages.

54. A computer program as recited in claim 49, further comprising a code segment that stores a contact file of the user.

55. A computer program as recited in claim 54, wherein the first and second participants are selected from the contact file.

56. A computer program as recited in claim 49, further comprising a code segment that generates participant parameters, wherein the first and second participants are forwarded the event page according to the participant parameters.

57. A computer program as recited in claim 49, further comprising a code segment that associates a promotion code with the event in accordance with instructions from the user.

58. A computer program as recited in claim 49, wherein a registration template is utilized to create the registration page.

59. A computer program as recited in claim 49, further comprising a code segment that generates a report about the event for at least one of the user and the first and second participants.

60. A computer program as recited in claim 49, wherein the event has a maximum participant capacity associated therewith.

61. A computer program as recited in claim 60, further comprising a code segment that presents the first and second participants with the option of being waitlisted where maximum capacity has been reached.

62. A computer program as recited in claim 60, wherein the user receives a notification when a predetermined percentage of maximum participant capacity is reached.

63. A computer program as recited in claim 62, wherein the user is allowed to modify the maximum participant capacity in response to the notification.

64. A computer program as recited in claim 49, wherein the confirmation includes a ticket for admission to the event.