Waiting lists

Waiting list

To activate waitlists for events, follow these steps:

1. Go to your event and edit it, open the authorisation groups.
2. Select "Registration and access settings" and activate the waitlist (automatic or manual).
3. Ensure that there is a limit in the booking options and the number of spots for the waitlist is specified.

‍

Timeframe for final confirmation

When selecting automatic waitlists, you can define the timeframe within which individuals on the waitlist have time for a final booking. Once the time has elapsed, the next person on the waitlist is invited.

‍

Process for automatic waitlists

A potential guest signs up for the waitlist via the event website and receives a confirmation email for the waitlist spot. When a confirmed booking is canceled, the contact on the waitlist automatically receives an email invitation to confirm or decline the booking definitively.

‍

Process for manual waitlists

A potential guest signs up for the waitlist via the event website and receives a confirmation email for the waitlist spot. When a spot becomes available, the event organiser reviews the waiting registrations and can take one of three actions: invite, confirm option, or cancel booking on the waitlist.

Waitlists are a great way to ensure you don't miss out on fully booked events. By using the waitlist functionalities correctly, you can increase your chances of participating in sought-after events.

‍

Contact and booking status for waiting lists

Depending on where a contact is in the waiting list process, their status is displayed differently:

• Booking with waiting List: If a booking has at least one option on the waiting list, the booking status remains "confirmed" because the booking as a whole is valid, even if one option is still on the waiting list. If the contact has multiple options in a booking, they can have different statuses (e.g., one confirmed, one on the waiting list).
• Waiting list only: If the contact is only on the waiting list and has no confirmed option, their status is displayed as "waiting". As soon as at least one option is confirmed, their status changes to "confirmed".
• Invitation when a spot becomes available: When a spot becomes available, the contact receives an invitation, and the status of the option changes to "invited". The contact's overall status remains either "waiting" or "confirmed", depending on their previous status.
• Invitation accepted or declined: If the contact confirms the invitation within the deadline, the option is marked as "confirmed". The contact status also changes to "confirmed", if it wasn’t already. If they decline or the deadline passes, the option is marked as "canceled". If this was the only option in the booking, the booking status also changes to "canceled". If other options are still confirmed or on the waiting list, the booking status remains "confirmed". If the canceled option was the contact's only one, their status reverts to "accessed" (or "open" if the contact never visited the event website and the booking was created by the admin).

‍

‍

Frequently asked questions

• The waitlist isn't working. What can I do?
  - Is the waitlist activated in the desired authorisation groups?
  - Was confirmation chosen by the person responsible for the event instead of automatic confirmation? The event organiser must then manually invite contacts.
  - Is the number of spots on the waitlist defined in the booking options?
  - Has a registration deadline been configured under authorisation groups, and if so, has it already passed?
  - Are the dates of the booking options in the future?
  ‍
• A guest who was on the waitlist received a cancellation confirmation via email. The guest is sure they didn't cancel their booking. What happened?
  ‍When a guest is invited via automatic waitlist, they have the timeframe defined in the configuration (default is 72 hours) to confirm the booking. If the guest doesn't respond within this time, their booking is canceled from the waitlist after the deadline expires, and the next guest is invited.
  ‍
• I have additional spots available for my event. What happens to the waitlist spots if I increase the capacity on a booking option?
  If the capacity on a previously fully booked option, which already has contacts on the waitlist, is increased, invitations are sent to the contacts on the waitlist (if the waitlist is set to automatic). As many invitations are sent simultaneously as there are spots available and on the waitlist.
  ‍
• What happens if bookings are canceled after the registration deadline? Are waitlist invitations still sent?
  No, after the registration deadline, no more automatic waitlist invitations are sent. However, guests from the waitlist can still be manually confirmed by the event admin.