As an event manager, you know that not every seat is for public sale. You need to hold seats for the press, reserve a section for VIPs, or block out space for a soundboard. So how do you manage this on your seating chart? We’re excited to introduce a professional new tool to solve this exact problem: “Block Seats.” This feature makes it incredibly easy to reserve seats for events directly from your visual builder.
This tool gives you the fine-grained control that professional venues need. It’s sometimes called a “seat hold” or “kill seat” in the industry. Our simple, user-friendly interface makes this powerful feature accessible to everyone.
What is the “Block Seats” Feature?
The “Block Seats” tool allows you to make any individual seat unavailable for public purchase without permanently marking it as “sold.” It’s a temporary, reversible action that gives you total control over your inventory.
You can use this feature to:
- Hold seats for VIPs or special guests.
- Reserve a block of seats for press or media.
- Block out seats that have an obstructed view.
- Make space for technical equipment like cameras or a sound mixing desk.
- Keep a few seats in reserve for last-minute troubleshooting.
In short, it’s an essential tool for professional event and venue management.
How to Block and Reserve Seats in the Builder
We designed this feature to be fast and intuitive. It’s all handled within a special editing mode in the Seating Plan Builder.
Here’s the simple, three-step process:
- Activate Block Mode: Click the new [Block Seats] button in the builder controls. The button will turn blue, and your cursor will change when you hover over seats.
- Click to Block: Simply click on any available (green) seat. It will instantly turn grey, marking it as blocked and unavailable for sale.
- Click to Unblock: Need to release a seat? Just click on a grey, blocked seat, and it will turn green again, making it available for purchase.
When you’re finished, click the [Block Seats] button again to exit the mode. All your changes are saved automatically. This workflow is incredibly efficient for managing your seat inventory. For more on best practices in venue management, see these insights from BizBash.
A Clear Experience for Your Customers
This feature is completely seamless for your customers. Any seat you have blocked will simply appear as “booked” or “unavailable” on the frontend map. They won’t be able to click or purchase it. This prevents confusion and ensures they only see the seats that are actually for sale.
This new tool brings another layer of professional-grade control to your fingertips. Ready to manage your venue like a pro? Update your Live Event Seating for WooCommerce plugin today!