Seating assignment and optimization

A method comprising:

• initiating an individual seating assignment;
• reserving a seat;
• activating an expiry timer for holding the seat, wherein the reserved seat is held until the expiry timer expires;
• generating and sending a notification to an attendee, wherein the notification includes any of information on hall, room, or building location;
• reserved seat location;
• and expiry time of the expiry timer,
• determining whether a time extension request was received from the attendee;
• extending the expiry timer in response to determining a time extension request was received from the attendee;
• determining whether the attendee occupies a reserved seat;
• when it is determined the attendee has failed to occupy the reserved seat within an expiry time limit associated with the expiry timer, releasing the seat;
• updating, in response to releasing the seat, a vacant seat list.

A method comprising:

• initiating a group seating assignment;
• activating an expiry timer for holding seats;
• generating and sending a notification to the group, wherein the notification includes any of information on hall location, reserved seat location and expiry time;
• in response to determining the attendee is a member of a subgroup, splitting the group into subgroups of which the attendee is a member of one of the subgroups;
• generating and sending subgroup seating options;
• receiving confirmation for the subgroup seating options;
• reserving seats for the confirmed subgroup seating options.

A system comprising one or more processors and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform:

• initiating a group seating assignment;
• activating an expiry timer for holding seats;
• generating and sending a notification to the group, wherein the notification includes any of information on hall location, reserved seat location and expiry time;
• in response to determining the attendee is a member of a subgroup, splitting the group into subgroups of which the attendee is a member of one of the subgroups;
• generating and sending subgroup seating options;
• receiving confirmation for subgroup seating options;
• reserving seats for confirmed subgroup seating options.