How to Create Reserved Seating for Event

Step 1: Get Your Official Venue Map or Floor Plan

Before touching any software, you need a precise map of your venue. This must include all fixed elements: the stage, aisles, exits, restrooms, and, most importantly, the exact location and numbering of every seat, row, and section. A high-resolution PDF or image file is ideal.

Step 2: Define Your Ticket Tiers and Pricing

Reserved seating allows you to implement **tiered pricing**, which is a powerful revenue tool. Determine which areas of your venue will correspond to different price points:

• Premium/VIP: Closest to the stage/action.
• Standard/General: Central, good visibility.
• Value/Economy: Farther back or with partial obstruction.
• ADA Seating: Clearly mark accessible seating areas.

Tip: Don't forget to factor in seats you need to hold back for special guests, media, or last-minute box office sales. These are called "Holds" or "Comp Tickets."

Step 3: Create the Venue Map in Your Software

Log into your ticketing platform and select the option to create a **Reserved Seating** event. Most systems will let you either:

• Upload a floor plan image and trace the sections over it.
• Use a blank canvas and drag-and-drop pre-made elements (rows, tables, stages, aisles) to build the map from scratch.
• Import a map if you've used the venue before.

Crucial Task: Ensure the digital map's row and seat labels match your physical venue's labels *exactly* (e.g., Row A, Seat 101).

Step 4: Assign Ticket Tiers to Seats (Categorization)

Once the layout is built, you need to tell the system which seats belong to which price category. Use the selection tool to:

1. Select all seats in a specific area (e.g., the front-center block).
2. Assign the **"Premium"** ticket tier to that selection.
3. Repeat this process until every sellable seat is assigned a ticket type (Premium, Standard, etc.).

The seats will typically change color on the map to reflect their assigned tier, making it easy for you to visualize the pricing structure.

Step 5: Define "Focal Point" and Seat Selling Order

If you plan to offer a "Best Available Seat" option to buyers, the system needs to know which seats are "best."

• Set a Focal Point: Mark the Stage or main point of interest.
• Selling Logic: The software will then automatically prioritize seats based on proximity to the focal point, usually working from the center-front outward. Review this logic to ensure it aligns with your preferences.

Step 6: Apply Seat Holds

Use the **"Holds"** feature in your seating map editor to temporarily block off seats you do not want sold to the general public. This is perfect for:

• VIP guests/Sponsors.
• Media/Press.
• Venue staff use.
• Buffer seats for social distancing (if applicable).

You can often generate a unique access code to release these holds to specific individuals later.

Step 7: Test the Buyer Experience

Always test your final seating map before publishing! View your live event page and go through the ticket-buying process. You should confirm:

• The map loads quickly and is clear on both desktop and mobile.
• Clicking on a seat accurately selects the correct ticket type and price.
• Your held seats are correctly marked as unavailable.
• The total price at checkout is correct.