Waitlists are a wonderful way to keep an event or activity full. They are geared toward events with a fixed inventory of seats, slots, bunks or a maximum number – say per instructor or per tour guide…things with limited capacity. Waitlists are the digital version of standing in line.
If you want the chance to keep your customers smiling and squeak out a few more dollars for each event, use an online ticketing or registration service offering this feature. It’s a great way to get the most out of fixed inventory. Otherwise when the day is over, it’s lost revenue you’ll never see again.
The good systems allow you to determine how many hours or minutes you will give each waitlisted person to respond before the ticket or registration is released to the next in line. Once the event coordinator has waitlists set up and the maximum tickets or registrations are sold…things just simmer as you wait for your event date.
Unexpectedly plans can change and the ticket holder or registrant has no choice but to cancel. Once that cancellation is made, the waitlist springs into action. An email is sent to the first person in line, who asked to be waitlisted. If they respond by signing up, then the event is back to capacity. If, however, the first person in line didn’t check their emails within the set time limit, or opted not to attend, the next person is given the chance.
If your event has multiple events, you’ll only receive information about your desired event and particular ticket or registration type. You won’t find out there’s an opening for a senior ticket when you want a child’s ticket.
To learn more about event and festival management, check out “Secrets to Successful Events: How to Organize, Promote and Manage Exceptional Events and Festivals.” For those with event planning experience, consider, “Secrets to Successful Events Resource Guide: 42+ Easy-to-Use Tools and Resources.” Both are written by internationally known author and speaker Lynn Fuhler and are available on Amazon and at major booksellers.