Creating event with php

ok, this is working for me, but perhaps is not the best way.

// ================
// = Create post =
// ================
$post = array(
  'comment_status' => 'closed', // 'closed' means no comments.
  'ping_status'    => 'closed', // 'closed' means pingbacks or trackbacks turned off
  'post_author'    => 1, //The user ID number of the author.
  'post_category'  => $categories, //post_category no longer exists, try wp_set_post_terms() for setting a post's categories
  'post_content'   => $content, //The full text of the post.
  'post_date'      => $today, //The time post was made.
  'post_date_gmt'  => $todayGMT, //The time post was made, in GMT.
  'post_name'      => $slug, // The name (slug) for your post
  'post_status'    => 'private',
  'post_title'     => $name,
  'post_type'      => 'ai1ec_event',
  'tax_input'      => array( 'taxonomy_name' => array( 'events_categories' ) ) // support for custom taxonomies.
);  

$post_id = wp_insert_post( $post, $wp_error );

$columns = array(
	'post_id'          => $post_id,
	'start'            => $start,
	'end'              => $end,
	'allday'           => 0,
	'contact_name'     => $contact_name,
	'contact_phone'    => $contact_phone,
	'contact_email'    => $contact_email,
	'ical_uid'         => 1
);

$format = array(
	'%d',
	'FROM_UNIXTIME( %d )',
	'FROM_UNIXTIME( %d )',
	'%d',
	'%s',
	'%s',
	'%s',
	'%s',
);

$table_name = $wpdb->prefix . 'ai1ec_events';

if( $post_id )
	{
	if( ! $update ) {
		// =========================
		// = Insert new event data =
		// =========================
		$wpdb->query( $wpdb->prepare(
			"INSERT INTO $table_name ( " .
			join( ', ', array_keys( $columns ) ) .
			" ) VALUES ( " .
			join( ', ', $format ) .
			" )",
			$columns ) );
	} else {
		// ==============================
		// = Update existing event data =
		// ==============================
		$where         = array( 'post_id' => $post_id );
		$where_escape  = array( '%d'                        );
		$wpdb->update( $table_name, $columns, $where, $format, $where_escape );
	}
}