Event management system

• US 20100138246A1
• Filed: 09/22/2009
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 212 LLC
• Original Assignee: 212 LLC
• Inventors: Smith, Ari Beau Staton, Carey, John Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,744,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

An event management system is disclosed. The event management system includes a memory, a computer display, an event creation component, a conversion mapping component that maps passenger data from a user format into an application specific format; a group scheduling component that categorizes passengers into groups, a passenger management component, a vehicle management component, a staff management component, a versioning component, an invoicing component, and a data visualization component. Also disclosed is a computerized method for event planning.

Claims

1. An event management system which includes computer processors for use in the travel industry comprising:

a memory;

a computer display;

an event creation component, wherein a new event is identified including a name of the event, a sponsor of the event, a location and a contact person for the event;

a conversion mapping component, wherein passenger data including names of passengers and flight information is mapped from a user format into an application specific format;

a passenger management component, wherein mapped passenger data is deleted and changed and wherein a new passenger is added;

a vehicle management component, wherein vehicle types are selected and a capacity of passengers for a vehicle type is modified;

a group scheduling component, wherein passenger data, flight information, the vehicle types and the vehicle capacity for a vehicle type are processed and passengers are categorized into groups and placed in a service time;

a staff management component, wherein staff are allocated to an event including greeters and drivers, wherein the staff'"'"'s location and time of service are determined using the groups;

a versioning component, wherein a first and a second version of the event including information on the groups is stored in the memory;

an invoicing component, wherein invoices related to the event are generated; and

a data visualization component, wherein information about the event is formatted for viewing on a computer and a signal carrying output data is sent to the computer display.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a flight validation component.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the flight validation component operates automatically without a user prompt.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the flight validation component makes a call to one or more computer systems over the internet to obtain flight information including flight schedule arrival time, flight status, any changes in flight arrival time, and arrival airport terminal.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the flight validation component periodically checks flight status.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the flight validation component highlights to users passenger flights that have been changed by the flight validation component.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the flight validation component stores the date and time of the last flight check for a particular passenger manifest.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the flight validation component further comprises an airport terminal assignment component, wherein passengers are assigned to airport terminals and airport terminal data is verified.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the flight validation component allows an end user to obtain flight information without leaving the event management system.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a shuttle component that provides shuttle or hourly transportation services to the event.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a terminal logic component that is capable of display airport map and terminal maps within each airport.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a budget and forecasting component that allows creation of a non-real event with various desirable settings, wherein the non-real event information can be used to forecast, budget, estimate and plan events.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising an event management component, wherein the event management component allows access to stored events and editing of stored events and wherein the event creation component works with the event management component.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle management component comprises a rate entry and rate storage component.

15. A computer program product to assist in event management comprising:

a computer readable medium and computer readable code embodied on the computer readable medium for event management, the computer readable code comprising;

computer readable program code devices configured to enable a processor to obtain information about an event including an event name, a sponsor, and a location;

computer readable program code devices configured to enable a processor to convert a passenger manifest from one format to another;

computer readable program code devices configured to enable a processor to change the converted passenger manifest;

computer readable program code devices configured to enable a processor to effect a selection of vehicle types and capacity of vehicles;

computer readable program code devices configured to enable a processor to categorize passengers into groups and identifying an expected service time by processing flight information, the vehicle types, and the vehicle capacity;

computer readable program code devices configured to enable a processor to effect storing of passenger information and the passenger groups;

computer readable program code devices configured to enable a processor to forecast a budget based on a price for the movement of one or more of the vehicle types; and

computer readable program code devices configured to enable a processor to effect the display of the forecast budget and information about the event.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

computer readable program code devices configured to enable a processor to manage staffing of the event.

17. A computerized method for use in event planning comprising:

obtaining information about an event including an event name, a sponsor, and a location;

converting, using a computer, a passenger manifest from one format to another;

processing changes to the converted passenger manifest;

allowing a user to select more than one vehicle type and a capacity for a selected vehicle type;

determining groups for passengers and identifying an expected service time for each group by processing flight information, the vehicle types, and the vehicle capacity;

storing of passenger information and the passenger groups in a database;

forecasting, using a computer, a budget based on a price for the movement of one or more of the vehicle types; and

displaying the forecasted budget and information about the event.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

determining staffing for the event.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

creating more than one version of the event and storing in memory multiple versions of data related to the same event.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

generating a visual display of data relating to the event.