Reserved Seating events thrive on effective seat usage. This article addresses:
  1. Preventing Orphan Seats
  2. Blocking and Unblocking Seats
  3. Marking Seats “On Hold” or “Sold” for VIPs/comps
  4. Keeping track of seat assignments and order details

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Preventing Orphan Seats

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Overview

  • Orphan seats are isolated single seats that remain between booked groups.
  • When Prevent Orphan Seats is turned on, SimpleTix blocks customers from leaving a single seat stranded.

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Enabling Orphan-Seat Prevention

  1. Log in to your SimpleTix Manager Portal.
  2. Select your event and go to Times & Tickets.
  3. Click on the event time you want to modify.
  4. Under Advanced Options locate the Prevent Orphan Seats toggle and switch it on.
  5. Save changes.
Tip: This setting helps improve sales by minimizing partial row occupancy that could deter prospective buyers.

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Seat Management & Holds

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Accessing Seat Management

  1. Log in to your SimpleTix Manager Portal.
  2. Select your event and go to **Times & Tickets **on the left menu.
  3. In Times & Tickets, click on your event time, then select Mark Seats On Hold.
  4. This opens the Seating Chart with an interactive view of each seat.

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Blocking/Unblocking Seats

  • Block (Hold) a seat: Click any available seat; it becomes blocked from public sale.
  • Unblock a seat: Click a blocked seat again to restore it for sale.
  • Seats already sold cannot be blocked; you can only place a hold note if you need them temporarily locked post-sale.

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The 10 “Apply Changes” Limit

  • You can submit (Apply Changes) up to 10 times per day.
  • Blocking or unblocking multiple seats at once counts as a single action.
  • Unblocking seats often doesn’t count against the daily total, but confirm your version’s rules if unsure.

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Viewing Order Details & Manual Holds

Hover over any sold seat to see:
  • Order number
  • Buyer’s name
  • Ticket type
This helps you identify seats that have been purchased or are on hold for VIPs, comps, or special reservations.
Manual Holds: If you must reserve seats for sponsors or donors, you can click to hold them at no cost, or use a specialized “comp ticket” type.

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Best Practices

  • Batch Changes: To avoid hitting the 10-operation limit, block/unblock seats in groups before clicking Apply.
  • VIP & Sponsor Seating: Consider creating complimentary ticket types for large-scale holds or advanced seat reservations.
  • Orphan-Seat Prevention + Manual Blocks: Use both features together for maximum seating efficiency.
  • Check for Overlaps: If you set an event with different time slots, ensure your seat holds don’t conflict across times.
To maximize seating efficiency:
  • Always enable orphan-seat prevention to avoid isolated seats.
  • Organize manual seat changes in batches to prevent exceeding daily limits.
By leveraging orphan-seat prevention and effectively blocking/unblocking seats, you maintain high occupancy rates and ensure a smooth experience for both organizers and attendees.

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