Possible uses for event waiting lists

This tutorial will provide you with information about when it may be a good idea or beneficial for you to offer a waiting list option for your events. As you explore the following 3 case scenarios, you will learn how a waiting list feature can be put to best use.

To learn how to use the waiting list feature on Corsizio, refer to the help doc Events with a waiting list.

One of the most overlooked, yet useful scenarios for using a waiting list feature applies to new or small businesses. Teachers or event organizers who are just starting out may not think that a waiting list would be applicable for their needs but it can actually provide several benefits. Consider the example below:

Rohan is a newly graduated health coach and nutrition educator who wishes to offer public classes around the city of Vancouver. He is just starting out and does not have experience in knowing what kinds of events would be of most interest and in which areas of the city. He also cannot invest lots of money into marketing or renting out large public spaces at this time.

To meet his needs effectively and start his business successfully, Rohan can create many different events, in different areas, which are catered to very small groups. This way he can easily get small and cost-effective spaces to host them. By using the waiting list feature, Rohan can then gauge interest by allowing people to continue registering. Not only can he then use the attendees on the waiting list to create more events, but this can help him better plan future events and gain experience by knowing what topics, what price ranges, and what locations are most popular amongst his potential audiences.

One of the most obvious cases for which a waiting list would be valuable, if not essential, is for events that are very popular and in high demand, usually from established businesses. This is common for situations such as the following:

Lisette and William run a large creative arts children's school in Brisbane, which has been consistently growing in popularity since it first opened 7 years ago. They have many monthly and quarterly classes that regularly fill up. 

A waiting list can help ensure that this organization is meeting the needs of its community and interested parties effectively and not turning away potential business. Based on the data they gather from their events and waiting lists, they can then modify the most popular events for the future, either by making the class sizes bigger or running them more often. Knowing whether they have one or several interested attendees, can also prompt them to expand the capacity of the current event, or simply squeeze in and accommodate that extra individual that may be on the waiting list. Likewise, if any registered attendees should cancel their place, a waiting list ensures that the next interested person gets a spot in a highly sought-after event.

Finally, there is one more common case scenario that can greatly benefit from using a waiting list feature, this being exclusive or limited custom events, such as the example below:

Caroline is the owner of an upscale culinary school in New York and offers many general cooking classes and programs. Every few months, she also offers a private group cooking retreat in a popular restaurant. This cooking retreat is highly sought after, with much more interest than available spaces allow, and preference is given to students that have taken previous classes.  

By using the waiting list feature, Caroline can easily collect registrations beyond the limited amount of spaces and have ongoing lists from which to choose and best organize participant groups for her future private cooking retreats.