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Choosing the Right Event Type in SimpleTix

SimpleTix offers three main event types: Flex Pass, General Admission, and Reserved Seating. This article will help you understand these options and select the best type for your needs.

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Overview

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Flex Pass

• Key Benefit: Can allow multiple scans (unlimited or a fixed amount).
• Common Use: Ideal for farms, festivals, or any event where a pass grants entry multiple times (e.g., “come as many times as you want”).
• Capacity?: No built-in capacity limits.
• Season Tickets?: Flex pass offers multiple entry tickets which can give customers a certain number (or unlimited) entries on the same ticket. Think you can come to the farm every day this season - not you have a ticket to each day the farm is open.
• Scans: Can be configured as single-scan or multi-scan tickets.

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General Admission (GA)

• Key Benefit: Suitable for most events that don’t require assigned seats.
• Common Use: Conferences, concerts, timed entry for museums, or recurring timeslots.
• Capacity?: You can set capacity limits for the entire event or per timeslot.
• Season Tickets? Yes, can be set up for multiple occurrences (e.g., a baseball season pass that includes all home games).
• Webinar Subset: A Webinar event is essentially a GA event without a physical location (integrated with Zoom or other streaming).

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Reserved Seating (RS)

• Key Benefit: Attendees choose specific seats from a seating chart.
• Common Use: Theaters, stadiums, or any event requiring seat selection.
• Capacity?: Determined by the number of seats on your chart.
• Season Tickets? Yes, can be set up for multi-date or multi-performance passes with assigned seats for each performance.
• Complexity: More complex to set up and maintain than GA. Generally recommended only if you truly need seat-level control.

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Decision Tree

Below is a quick decision tree to guide you in choosing the best event type.

1. Flex Pass

   • Use this if…
     • You need unlimited (or multiple) re-entry on a single pass.
     • You do NOT need seat selection or capacity limits.
     • You’re running a farm attraction, a pumpkin patch, or a festival with come-and-go access.
   • Not for you if…
     • You want to bundle multiple events (like a series of different dates in a baseball season).
     • You need to manage seat assignments.

2. General Admission (GA)

   • Use this if…
     • You’re hosting a one-day event, a recurring event, or multiple time slots without seat assignments.
     • You need to enforce capacity or handle recurring sessions (like daily museum entry).
     • You want “Season Tickets” for multiple distinct performances/games.
     • You want to do a “webinar” event (i.e., no fixed location).
   • Not for you if…
     • You need multi-scan / come-and-go unlimited re-entry (that’s Flex Pass).
     • You require seat selection at checkout.

3. Reserved Seating (RS)

   • Use this if…
     • You need patrons to choose specific seats on a seating chart.
     • You are selling tickets for a venue where exact seat locations matter (theaters, stadiums, arenas).
     • You want Season Tickets that assign the same seat for each performance.
   • Not for you if…
     • You don’t actually need seat-level control. (GA is simpler!)
     • You prefer a simpler or faster setup process.

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Additional Considerations

• Multi-Scan Tickets:

  • Only Flex Pass can handle multi-scan tickets (unlimited or limited re-entry).
  • GA or RS can’t offer unlimited re-entry on a single ticket.

• Season Tickets for Multiple Dates/Games:

  • Only GA or RS support true “Season Tickets,” allowing each pass holder to access every game/performance in a season (and optionally have assigned seats).

• Webinars (Online Events):

  • A Webinar is a specialized form of GA event that has no physical venue — designed for virtual attendees.

• Reserved Seating Complexity:

  • Setting up a reserved seating chart requires extra steps.
  • We generally recommend using GA unless you specifically need attendees to pick seats at checkout.

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Example Scenarios

1. A Farm Running a Corn Maze All Month

   • Recommended: Flex Pass, with multi-scan enabled for unlimited visits throughout October.

2. A Weekly Cooking Class, 20 People Max per Session

   • Recommended: General Admission, set to recurring weekly sessions with a capacity of 20.

3. An Annual Theater Season with Ticketed Seating

   • Recommended: Reserved Seating, optionally bundled with a Season Ticket (one seat per performance).

4. A Webinar Series with No Physical Venue

   • Recommended: General Admission (Webinar subset), integrated with Zoom.

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Conclusion

Selecting the right event type ensures smoother setup and a better attendee experience.

• Use Flex Pass for flexible, unlimited-entry style passes with no capacity requirements.
• Use General Admission if you need capacity limits, multiple timeslots, or plan to offer Season Tickets without seat assignments. (Also for webinars!)
• Use Reserved Seating if you truly need seat selection or want to offer Season Tickets with specific seats.

Still not sure or have a unique use case? Reach out to our SimpleTix Support team, and we’ll be happy to guide you!