Every great show deserves a full house, and every attendee in those seats deserves the best experience possible. For community theatre groups, offering reserved seating is a game-changer for your ticket purchase process. Best of all, with the right ticketing platform, you can affordably build the perfect seating chart and start selling tickets – no matter the size of your venue!

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about reserved seating for community theatres, from how it works to why it’s beneficial, along with practical tips for using TicketLeap to bring this feature to your next production.

What is reserved seating?

Reserved seating lets your audience choose their exact seats during the ticket purchase process, so they know exactly where they’ll be sitting during the show. It’s the opposite of general admission, where it’s first-come, first-served when the doors open. Thanks to reserved seating, theatre-goers can choose the best available seats to fit their preferences (and budget!), making their experience smooth from the very start.

Why your community theatre should use reserved seating

Reserved seating has long been a must-have of larger venue ticketing, but it’s becoming increasingly accessible for community theatre groups – thanks to platforms like TicketLeap! Here are some key benefits of adopting reserved seating for your shows:

1. Provide a more comfortable event-day experience

Knowing exactly where they’re sitting ahead of time helps guests relax and enjoy the evening. No need to line up early to get the best seats on a first-come, first-serve basis. Plus, a ticketing platform like TicketLeap will show attendees the “Best Available” seats to ensure they get the best spot in the house!

2. Upgrade your ticketing experience

Even small-scale productions feel more “official” when guests can purchase their assigned seats from a professional-looking ticketing platform. It’s a simple upgrade that enhances your brand as a quality theatre company!

3. Maximise your ticketing revenue

Assigning seats allows you to implement tiered pricing for your front row VIPs and other premium seating areas, helping you generate more revenue to fund future productions.

4. Manage your crowds with ease

You’ll have a clearer picture of how many people are coming and where they’ll be sitting. That makes everything from ushering to concessions easier to manage. You can also reserve specific seats for press and other special guests coming to the show.

5. Improve planning for groups

Families, friends, and theatre lovers coming as a group can ensure they all sit side by side. That means there’s no need to arrive early and save seats.

6. Offer enhanced accessibility

Reserved seating enables you to clearly label DDA-accessible spots, ensuring inclusivity for all your attendees.

How to set up reserved seating for your theatre venue

Whether you perform in a local high school auditorium, a repurposed church hall, or a black box space, you can easily create a custom seating chart that reflects your venue. Curious how to get started? With just six simple steps, your theatre will be ready to offer a seamless event ticketing experience in no time!

1. Set up for your ticketing platform

First things first, create your free account on TicketLeap to start using our intuitive event ticketing platform. It’s totally free to use every inch of our reserved seating features, with no contracts or restrictive tiers, making it a perfect fit for small theatres. 

2. Map out your venue layout

Walk around your space and sketch out your seating layout. Take note of aisle placements, rows, and any unique features that should be reflected in your seating chart. You can upload this sketch or an official map of your venue into your seating chart creator to build on top of.

3. Build your venue’s seating chart 

TicketLeap’s drag-and-drop seat chart creator makes it a breeze to design a custom seating map of your venue. Upload an image of your theatre layout, add your main stage, place each row within the builder, then assign your seating categories and price levels to each seat. Make sure to add a focal point on your stage, since this will be used to determine what the “Best Available” seats will be for ticket buyers. You can even label DDA-accessible seats, restrooms, and concession areas.

4. Create a branded event page 

With TicketLeap, you can create a perfectly branded ticketing page that reflects your show and your theatre’s personality. Add images, videos, brand colours, and an event description to promote your production and give audiences a preview of the magic they’ll experience. 

5. Launch your ticket sales 

Once your event is set up, you’re ready to start selling tickets online! TicketLeap allows your audience to reserve their seats directly from your branded event page using desktop or mobile devices. Our seamless interface makes it easy for theatregoers to select the best seats for their experience in just a few clicks. 

6. Save seats for special guests 

Need to save select seats for sponsors, media representatives, or other special guests? Use TicketLeap’s box office reservation feature to block off specific sections or seats so they won’t appear in your online inventory. 

7. Welcome your attendees 

On the day of the show, scan in your attendees with TicketLeap’s free check-in app and greet them knowing that their seating will be smooth! You can also easily sell tickets at the box office for any walk-ins. Thanks to reserved seating, attendees can enter your venue with confidence and enjoy the show, while your team can focus on delivering an exceptional experience.

Why TicketLeap is the best fit for your theatre 

TicketLeap stands out as the go-to event ticketing platform for smaller theatres looking to improve their ticket sales on a budget. Here’s what makes TicketLeap the perfect partner for your productions:

• Full Access for Free: TicketLeap’s free event ticketing tools mean small and local theatre groups get instant access to our full suite of features the moment you sign up! No upcharges or additional fees, ever.
• Easy-to-Use Platform: With an intuitive drag-and-drop seat chart builder and simple event setup options, you can create a sleek ticketing page with reserved seating for your performances without needing advanced tech skills. 
• Mobile-Friendly Ticketing: Theatregoers can easily select and book their seats from any device, offering them the smoothest ticket purchase experience possible. Plus, with our mobile-first platform, you can manage your ticket sales on the go by logging in from your phone!
• Scalable to Your Event Needs: Whether you have 50 seats or 500, TicketLeap adapts to your venue’s needs. Simply adjust seating layouts, pricing tiers, event details, and more whenever you need to.

Final curtain call

Whether you’re hosting a local rendition of Shakespeare or a brand-new musical written by a passionate playwright in your community, your theatre deserves a platform with powerful reserved seating features that revolutionises your ticketing. TicketLeap makes it easy to upgrade your event ticketing, whether you're a first-time organiser or a seasoned director. Start selling your reserved seating tickets on TicketLeap, and give your guests the VIP treatment they deserve – one seat at a time!