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Registration: Capacity limits and wait lists
Registration: Capacity limits and wait lists

Learn best practices for managing registration capacity and creating wait lists.

Updated over a week ago


Events often need to limit restriction capacity. Reasons for restricting capacity range from physical space restrictions, venue capacity (e.g. fire code), seating restrictions, or logistical considerations. 

In ClearEvent, separate capacity restrictions can be set for each registration form. This is helpful when you want to set different capacities depending on the type of registrant (VIPs, Exhibitors, Attendees, Speakers, Volunteers, etc.)

When a registration form reaches capacity

When your registration form reaches capacity, registrants will no longer be able to register for your event. They will receive a message indicating that registration is sold out.

What to do when registration reaches capacity

When a the capacity is reached for a registration form you'll want to consider what to do about registrants still wishing to sign up for your event. You could:

  1. Do nothing. By default, registrants will not be allowed to register if the capacity is exceeded.

  2. Increase capacity. Make arrangements to increase the capacity of your event to allow more registrations. This may involve creating an overflow area, or simply making arrangements with your venue to book more space.

  3. Create a wait list. Add registrants to a waiting list in case existing registrants cancel.

The following sections outline these approaches to help deal with over capacity events:

Do nothing

By default, once a form's registration capacity is reached, registrants are automatically blocked from registering for your event. In most cases, this is the desired behavior.

Increase capacity

This approach is useful when you have the flexibility to increase the number of people permitted to attend your event. For example, you book a larger room in your venue, add an extra heat to your competition, create an overflow area, change to a larger venue, order a larger bus, etc...

Here's how:

  1. Go to the Event Manager App > Registration section > Forms tab.

  2. Edit the form you wish to adjust the capacity for.

  3. In the Form Designer > Settings tab, increase the Target/Capacity settings to the desired values.

Create a wait list

When registration capacity is reached, you can simulate a wait list in ClearEvent by changing the registration form's Approval Mode setting to "Manual Approval", and then increasing the registration form's Capacity setting beyond the initial capacity limit.

This approach allows you to continue to receive registrations beyond your original capacity, and then only approve registrations as space becomes available.

Here's how:

  1. Go to the Event Manager App > Registration section > Forms tab.

  2. Edit the registration form that has reached capacity.

  3. In the Form Designer > Settings tab:

  4. Set the Approval Mode setting to "Manual Approval".

  5. If the form accepts payments, set the Manual Approval Payment Mode setting to "Charge registrants on approval" so that registrants are only charged if you approve their registration.

  6. Adjust the form's Confirmation Message to indicate that the event is full, that a waiting list has been started, and that their registration will be approved (and possibly charged) only if space becomes available.  

  7. In the Registration section > Registrants tab:

  8. As registrations are received, they will be marked as "Pending" (wait listed). You can then approve any pending registrant to accept them from your wait list.

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