The Empty Seat Paradox at "Sold-Out" Events
Every fest organizer has witnessed this frustrating paradox: Online registrations sold out in 48 hours. On event day, 25% of registered attendees fail to show up due to exams, travel conflicts, or personal reasons. * Meanwhile, hundreds of eager students who wanted to attend were turned away because the form was closed.
Closing a registration form completely when capacity is reached guarantees empty auditorium seats.
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1. The Spark Automated Waitlist Queue
In Spark (20260930000000_event_waitlist_and_gate_logs.sql):
1. Automated Cutoff: The moment confirmed_registrations >= capacity, Spark automatically transitions the public registration button to `Join Waitlist`.
2. Queue Rank Tracking: When an attendee joins, the procedure (join_event_waitlist) assigns their queue position (e.g., Rank #14 in Line).
3. No Overbooking: Waitlisted attendees cannot pay or claim a ticket until an official spot is offered.
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2. Timed Reservation Offers (12-Hour Claim Window)
When registered attendees cancel, or when the committee decides to release an extra 50 seats:
The organizer opens the Waitlist Tab and triggers `offer_waitlist_spots`.
Spark selects the top waiting attendees in strict FIFO order, generates a secure cryptographic token (claim_token), and emails them a direct reservation link:
``
https://spark.clstr.in/events/hackfest-2026?claim_token=WLT-88192A
``
The attendee has 12 hours to claim and pay for their ticket.
If they fail to claim the ticket within 12 hours, the reservation expires automatically, and Spark offers the seat to the next student in line.
This dynamic replenishment cycle guarantees that every available seat is occupied on event day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Spark's waitlist work when an event sells out?
When confirmed registrations reach event capacity, the registration button automatically switches to 'Join Waitlist'. Attendees join a FIFO queue and receive live rank updates.
How do organizers offer spots to waitlisted attendees?
Organizers trigger offer_waitlist_spots in the dashboard, generating unique 12-hour claim tokens that grant temporary permission to bypass capacity limits.
Topics covered in this guide:
Next Step: Configure Event Waitlists
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