Check name in list and return offset and activity - excel and sharepoint

[Sayth]

Is there an "in" array formula option or equivalent?
So
item in list:
return item

Anyway, for problem I need to check people names against a list of names derived from SharePoint entry and return the offset of them attending(possibly multiple events) and what event.

So say this was the sharepoint return, this is made up can't use company data and the sheet has other KRA data and what not I need to utilise.

[TABLE="width: 675"]
<colgroup><col><col><col></colgroup><tbody>[TR]
[TD]names[/TD]
[TD]event[/TD]
[TD]month[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]tom frowns;#1213; jill smiles;#4324; sam brown;#2143; fred kaboom;#4347;[/TD]
[TD]excel training[/TD]
[TD]june[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]tim cancel;#5123;[/TD]
[TD]coaching[/TD]
[TD]july[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]joan rocket;#9123; bam easyoff;#6123;[/TD]
[TD]people skills[/TD]
[TD]june[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]bam easyoff;#6123; jill smiles;#4324;[/TD]
[TD]powerpoint[/TD]
[TD]june[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

So that if I had this list of names
[CODE[TABLE="width: 110"]
<colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody>[TR]
[TD]names[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]joan rocket[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]jill smiles[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]fred kaboom[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]
][/CODE]

I could create a return list which reflected her attendance and what event, what month and in reality KRA before attendance and post and then I wil take this into a pivottable likely to represent results for deptartments and locations and results from coaching.

[CODE[TABLE="width: 246"]
<colgroup><col><col><col></colgroup><tbody>[TR]
[TD]answer name[/TD]
[TD]answer event[/TD]
[TD]month[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]jill smiles[/TD]
[TD]excel[/TD]
[TD]june[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]jill smiles[/TD]
[TD]powerpoint[/TD]
[TD]june[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]
][/CODE]