Staff users can add contacts to event waitlists for registration options and program items, when either reaches maximum capacity. When Allow non-staff registrants to add themselves to waitlist is enabled, public users can add themselves to the waitlist for an event. The waitlist option is triggered only when event program items or registration options are full. A message is displayed when capacity is reached, allowing staff users to either add registrants to a waitlist, or continue to register users for the event.
Capacity for an event program item or registration option takes the number of registrants on the waitlist into account.
Example: If the registration option has a capacity of 5, and there are 5 registrants, the event registration option is full. If staff overbooks the registration option by 2, so that there are 7 registrants, it is full - with 2 overbooked registrants.
If 3 registrants are waitlisted, the registration option is full, with 2 overbooked registrants and 3 waitlisted registrants.
If the registration option capacity is increased from 5 to 8, only 1 of the 3 waitlisted users is released (in the order they were added), as 2 of the spaces would be taken by overbooked registrants.
When a registrant is registered from the waitlist for a registration option or program item, the Event registered from waitlist notification system task (when enabled) sends a notification email to the registrant. For more information, see Creating and using scheduled tasks.
Note: Waitlisting can only be applied to event program items and registration options. The event itself cannot be waitlisted. If a registrant is on the waitlist for a registration option, that registrant cannot register for any program items for that event. If registration options are not full but the event is full, public users cannot register and add themselves to the waitlist.
When a staff user adds a registrant to the waitlist for a program item or registration option, an On Waitlist message is displayed showing that the registrant has been successfully added to the waitlist.
A similar message is also displayed in the shopping cart in the Items section, following the waitlisted event program item or registration option. The Cart Charges will display the waitlisted amount as part of an advisory following the Transaction Grand Total. This amount will not be charged until the registrant is removed from the waitlist by being registered.
The registrant will see that they have been added to a waitlist for the program item or registration option when the registrant views the event page. An On Waitlist message will be displayed along with the event details.
Adding a registrant to a waitlist as a staff user
Staff users can waitlist an event registrant for single or multi-option events that have reached capacity.
Note: An event's capacity is updated after registrations are purchased. For example, your Annual Conference event only has two more available spots before being at-capacity. Someone is currently registering for the conference and is purchasing three tickets. That person will successfully purchase the three tickets, and the event will be over booked by one person. The next person who goes to register for the Annual Conference will see that the event is at its capacity.
Note: If the event has only a single registration option, the choice to register or be put on a waitlist will be offered on the Register Someone Else page when using that option.
To waitlist a registrant, do the following:
- Open the event.
- Click Register Someone Else and choose a contact.
- Select the at-capacity registration option or program item.
- Click Add, and then choose Add to waitlist or Register.
- Satisfy any remaining requirements. For example, if the event has associated questions, enter your responses.
- Click Proceed to Checkout and complete the purchase to add the registrant to the event waitlist.
Note: If a registration option is full, the staff user must register the registrant to be able to select any program items associated with that registration option. Staff users can book over capacity for a registration option without any limit.
Staff users can add guests to the waitlist for a registration once they have been registered, if the option is available. Staff users can also register guests on the waitlist.
Public users adding themselves to the waitlist
Public users can waitlist themselves for an event registration for single-option events that have reached capacity. There is no waitlist for an overall event.
- From the staff site, open the event and click Edit.
- Enable Allow non-staff registrants to add themselves to the waitlist.
- Click Save and Exit.
- On the Member site, click Waitlist Myself.
- Click Proceed to Checkout and complete the purchase to be added to the event waitlist.
- The registration status will say Waitlist pending checkout until the public user is off the waitlist and registered for the event.
Note: Program items are not available while on the registration waitlist
The user will not be charged for the event right away, and the amount will be zero.
Note: If there is a waitlist, you can add yourself to the waitlist. However, you will not be able to add a guest as a waitlisted registrant. If you are fully registered, you can add a guest to the registration option waitlist.
Staff and public users cannot waitlist more than a quantity of one for a given program item that has reached capacity.
Automatic registration from the waitlist
Waitlisted registrants can be automatically registered from the waitlist when space becomes available because of a cancelled registration or an increase in the event's capacity.
The event configuration setting, Automatically release registrants from the waitlist when spots become available, must be enabled for waitlisted registrants to be automatically registered. The setting is enabled by default out-of-the-box. See Defining an event for more information on creating an event and event configuration options.
When a waitlisted registrant is automatically registered, they will be notified of the status change by email. Waitlisted registrants will also be charged the unpaid amount of the registration option and/or program item once they are automatically registered.
Sending an automatic email to waitlisted registrants
A communication is automatically sent to waitlisted registrants after they are taken off the waitlist if the associated task is enabled. Do the following to enable the Event registered from waitlist notification system task:
- From the Staff site, go to Marketing > Communication templates > Templates > Samples.
- Copy and customize the Event Registered from Waitlist Notification communication template, such as removing and replacing the sample ASI and iMIS content. For more information about customizing communication templates, see Customizing the out-of-the-box templates.
- Save the modified template.
- Go to RiSE > Process automation.
- Locate the Event registered from waitlist notification task, and open it for edit.
- Click the Actions tab.
- Select the pencil icon.
- From the Communication line, Remove the existing template, then Select the template you just created.
- Click Save.
- To enable the task and begin sending out emails immediately, select Enabled.
- Save & Exit.
Viewing waitlisted registrants
Staff users can view event waitlist details from the event-specific dashboard. The details include the number of registrants waitlisted for an event’s registration options and program items. Waitlisted registrant details including the registrant’s name, organization, title, date waitlisted, whether they are a guest, the order number, and the name of the event registration option or program item are also available.
Staff users can also view the number of registrants waitlisted for each function of a selected event, as well as the number of openings that remain for that function.
Viewing waitlists from the Dashboard tab
Staff users can view the number of waitlisted registrants from the Dashboard tab of the event-specific dashboard.
The Registration options tab of the event-specific dashboard features a waitlisted count for all registration options associated with the event. The Program items tab also displays the number of waitlisted registrants for the event’s associated program items.
Viewing waitlisted registrants from the Registrants tab
Waitlisted registrants can be viewed from the Registrants tab of the event-specific dashboard. To view waitlisted registrants, select one of the following options from the Select a query drop-down:
- Waitlist for program items: For waitlisted registrants of the event’s program items.
- Waitlist for registration options: For waitlisted registrants of the event’s registration options.
If there are waitlisted registrants, you can export and email the results.
