A workshop list with three different handwritings
The wreath-making workshop has twelve places. There is a sheet by the till with names written by three staff members. Two people booked by phone and paid on the till. One person emailed and was told 'yes, you're on the list', but nobody wrote them down. On the night, fourteen people arrive, and you do not have enough materials for two of them.
Next week there is an author evening, and a customer asks whether they can reserve a signed copy without attending. Nobody is quite sure how to note that.
Events are run outside your shop systems
Events are a big part of what makes an independent shop feel like a community, and they bring people through the door. But they are usually run on paper, beside systems that handle everything else.
- Bookings arrive by phone, in person, by email and on social media.
- Payments go through the till with no link to the booking.
- There is no waiting list, so cancellations leave empty seats.
- No reminders go out, so some people forget to come.
- Pre-orders for signed books or kits are noted separately, if at all.
Ticketing services such as Eventbrite can handle the booking side well, and for some shops that is enough. The gaps are usually with the till, pre-orders and knowing who your event customers are afterwards.
What informal event booking costs
Overbooked events leave people disappointed or short of materials. Underbooked events, where cancellations were never refilled, waste a precious evening. No-shows at free events are common when there are no reminders, which is hard on an author who has travelled to your shop.
The biggest missed chance is the customer list. People who come to your events are your most engaged customers, yet their details often live on a sheet that is thrown away.
How we build event booking for a shop
- Each event has a page on your website with date, capacity, price if any, and what is included.
- Customers book and pay online, and staff can take bookings at the counter on the same system, so there is one list.
- When an event fills, a waiting list opens, and cancellations offer the place to the next person automatically.
- Reminders go before the event, with directions and anything to bring, and a link to cancel if plans change.
- Pre-orders, such as a signed copy for someone who cannot attend, are taken on the event page and appear on the attendee list.
- On the night, a simple list on a tablet ticks people in, and afterwards attendees who agreed are added to your customer mailing list.
| Booking route | Before | With event booking |
|---|---|---|
| Online | Email to the shop | Booked and paid on the event page |
| At the counter | Name on the sheet | Staff book on the same system |
| Phone | Name on the sheet if remembered | Staff book on the same system |
| Cancellation | Seat stays empty | Offered to the waiting list |
Payments taken on the till for events can be matched to the booking, or you can take all event payments online, whichever suits your shop.
Event nights with the booking in place
You know exactly who is coming, what they have paid and what materials to prepare. Cancellations are refilled from the waiting list without phone calls. People turn up because they were reminded. Signed copy pre-orders are ready to be signed on the night.
Afterwards you have a list of people who enjoy your events and have agreed to hear about the next one.
Signs your events need this
- Event bookings are on a sheet by the till.
- You have had more people arrive than you had places for.
- Cancellations leave empty seats.
- No-shows are common at free events.
- You do not keep in touch with people who came to your events.