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Event session waitlist
Event session waitlist

How to enable and manage waitlists for event sessions.

Callum McFadgen avatar
Written by Callum McFadgen
Updated over a week ago

What is an event session waitlist?

An event session waitlist provides you with a way to obtain contact details from customers who are interested in purchasing tickets for a session that is no longer available, i.e. sold out. These customers can then be contacted at a later date via email if the session becomes available again.

Not only does a waitlist provide you with a second opportunity to sell tickets to your sessions, it also provides you with a useful indication of the potential popularity of a session in the future.

If a session has a waitlist turned on and the session's ticket sales have reached the Maximum tickets available limit, then a Join waitlist button will be displayed on the website instead of the Add to cart button.

When a customer clicks the Join waitlist button, a form will be displayed with fields for the customer to enter the following information:

  • First name

  • Last name

  • Email address

  • Phone number (optional)

  • Organisation title (optional)

  • Number of tickets needed

In addition, you can also add/edit the following information:

  • Internal note (optional)

  • Contacted

  • Contacted date (optional)

How do I turn on a waitlist for an event session?

For a new event session:

  1. Go to Commerce > Events > Events.

  2. Find the event you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  3. Click the Sessions tab under the event title.

  4. Click the Add button in the top right.

  5. Begin to add the session's details.

  6. Tick Show waitlist if sold out under the Waitlist heading.

  7. Finish adding the session details.

  8. Click the Add button

For an existing session:

  1. Go to Commerce > Events > Events.

  2. Find the event you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  3. Click the Sessions tab under the event title.

  4. Find the session you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  5. Click the Edit button in the top right.

  6. Tick Show waitlist if sold out under the Waitlist heading.

  7. Click the Update button.

How do I edit a waitlist?

Currently the only aspect of a session waitlist that can currently be edited is whether to provide customers with a field to enter their organisation name.

  1. Go to Commerce > Events > Settings.

  2. Tick/un-tick Waitlist collects organisation title under the General heading.

  3. Click the Update button.

How do I turn off a waitlist?

  1. Go to Commerce > Events > Events.

  2. Find the event you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  3. Click the Sessions tab under the event title.

  4. Find the session you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  5. Click the Edit button in the top right.

  6. Un-tick Show waitlist if sold out under the Waitlist heading.

  7. Click the Update button.

Turning off a waitlist does not delete the watchlist or any of the people on it, it simply stops offering customers the option to join a watchlist for that session.

Can I add people to a waitlist?

Yes, as well as customers being able to add themselves to a waitlist via your website, you can also add people directly to a waitlist if needed, i.e. in response to a customer phone inquiry.

  1. Go to Commerce > Events > Events.

  2. Find the event you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  3. Click the Sessions tab under the event title.

  4. Find the session you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  5. Click the Waitlist tab under the session title.

  6. Click the Add button to the right of the Waitlist heading.

  7. Enter a First name.

  8. Enter a Last name.

  9. Optionally, enter a Phone number.

  10. Enter an Email address.

  11. Optionally, enter an Organisation title

  12. Optionally, enter an Internal note.

  13. Enter a Number of tickets needed.

  14. Click the Add button.

How do I edit a person on a waitlist?

  1. Go to Commerce > Events > Events.

  2. Find the event you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  3. Click the Sessions tab under the event title.

  4. Find the session you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  5. Click the Waitlist tab under the session title.

  6. Find the person you are looking for under the Waitlist heading and click the Edit button in the Options column.

  7. Update the person's details

  8. Click the Update button.

How do I contact a person on a waitlist?

  1. Go to Commerce > Events > Events.

  2. Find the event you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  3. Click the Sessions tab under the event title.

  4. Find the session you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  5. Click the Waitlist tab under the session title.

  6. Find the person you are looking for under the Waitlist heading and click the Email button in the Options column.

  7. Optionally, edit the Subject.

  8. Optionally, edit the Message.

  9. Optionally, tick/un-tick Send me a copy.

  10. Update the person's details

  11. Click the Send button.

When a person has been emailed, Contacted is set to be true and the Contacted date is set to the current date.

How do I contact multiple people on a waitlist?

  1. Go to Commerce > Events > Events.

  2. Find the event you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  3. Click the Sessions tab under the event title.

  4. Find the session you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  5. Click the Waitlist tab under the session title.

  6. Tick the checkboxes next to the people you want to contact.

  7. Click the drop-down menu below the waitlist.

  8. Select Email.

  9. Click the Go button.

  10. Optionally, edit the Subject.

  11. Optionally, edit the Message.

  12. Optionally, tick/un-tick Send me a copy.

  13. Click the Send button.

When a person has been emailed, Contacted is set to be true and the Contacted date is set to the current date.

How do I delete a person on a waitlist?

  1. Go to Commerce > Events > Events.

  2. Find the event you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  3. Click the Sessions tab under the event title.

  4. Find the session you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  5. Click the Waitlist tab under the session title.

  6. Find the person you are looking for under the Waitlist heading and click the Delete button in the Options column.

  7. Click the Delete button.

How do I delete multiple people from a waitlist?

  1. Go to Commerce > Events > Events.

  2. Find the event you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  3. Click the Sessions tab under the event title.

  4. Find the session you are looking for and click the View button in the Options column.

  5. Click the Waitlist tab under the session title.

  6. Tick the checkboxes next to the people you want to delete from the waitlist.

  7. Click the drop-down menu below the waitlist.

  8. Select Delete.

  9. Click the Go button.

  10. Click the Delete button.

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