Selling out of tickets is often considered an achievement, but it's not the finish line. The moment event booking capacity is reached, you start wondering about things that could go wrong: inevitable last-minute cancellations, interested attendees who missed their spot, and seats that stay empty despite being sold.
In short, your event is sold out, but it still could go short on full attendance and maximum revenue.
That's exactly where we're helping with the new ticket waitlist feature in Zoho Backstage. Your organizing team can keep the event demand alive even after the tickets sell out. Instead of losing potential attendees, you get to convert interest into opportunity—ensuring no seat goes empty and no revenue slips away.
The importance of waitlist tickets
High-demand events are a good problem to have—until they become a missed opportunity. A waitlist gives you a simple and automated way to:
Maximize revenue by filling seats from cancellations
Improve event turnout and reduce empty seats
Give an opportunity to engage eager attendees
And for waitlisted attendees, it replaces the disappointment of missing out with hope that they still have a shot.
What's possible with ticket waitlists in Zoho Backstage
Recover tickets automatically
Once a ticket class sells out, attendees can immediately join the waitlist directly from the registration page—no manual intervention needed. As soon as cancellations occur or additional tickets are released, the system automatically assigns those newly available spots to the next person in line on a first-come, first-served basis.
All of that heavy lifting, from confirmation to communication, is handled by Zoho Backstage so you can continue capturing revenue and filling seats without operational effort.
Control demand with full visibility
Through a dedicated Waitlist tab, you gain complete transparency into who’s waiting and what their status is, right in one place. Attendee records can be viewed, edited, refunded, or canceled individually or in bulk, giving you full control over your event tickets.
Moreover, waitlisted tickets are clearly marked in the software to prevent mix-ups. This ensures the organizers know exactly who is confirmed and who is waitlisted.
Give attendees a more fair experience
From the moment tickets run out, attendees are guided through a clear process that tells them their options and what to expect next. Confirmation emails keep them informed, while automatic upgrades ensure that anyone who gets a spot receives their ticket promptly.
Even in RSVP scenarios, guests can express their intent to attend and are seamlessly moved into confirmed status when space becomes available.
Good things come to those who waitlist
A ticket waitlist helps you transform unpredictable behavior like cancellations into predictable results like higher attendance, happier audiences, and healthier bottom lines. It ensures every ticket finds a home, every seat gets filled, and every fan feels valued.
With the ticket waitlist and several ticketing enhancements launched earlier this year in our 3.0 release, event ticketing has never been better on Zoho Backstage.
So the next time your event sells out… don’t stop selling.
Check our help guide to learn how to enable waitlists for your event ticket classes.
Questions? We're here to help. Contact our team to explore how you can use waitlist to sell more tickets in your next event!
Comments