Small-event capacity and waitlist checklist
Bonder · Published
Set your guest capacity from the space you can actually offer, count people rather than replies, and explain what the waitlist means before sending invitations. On Bonder, Going responses use places for the whole party. Maybe and pending approval do not reserve them.
Start with the venue, then set guest places
The venue’s total occupancy and your RSVP capacity are different numbers. If a room has space for 16 people and you need four places for hosts and staff, an illustrative guest limit is 12. Confirm the real occupancy with the venue, and include guests arriving through other channels. Bonder’s RSVP limit cannot count unrecorded walk-ins.
Set the three rules guests need to know
- Open Unlimited spots, enter Max spots, then turn on Waitlist if you want to accept waiting responses. A waitlist needs a capacity.
- Under Event Settings → RSVPs, set Limit +1s. This number includes the person replying: 1 means no plus ones; 2 means that person and one guest.
- Decide whether to require guest approval. Pending approval is not a confirmed place; review requests before telling guests they are in.
- Tell guests that Going counts their full party, Maybe does not reserve places, and a waitlisted reply is not confirmed.
Worked example: 12 guest places
This is an illustrative calculation, not an observed event. Guest approval is off and the waitlist is on. The guest count includes plus ones.
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| Five Going replies, each for two people | 10 people use places; 2 places remain. |
| A new party of three asks to go | The whole party waits; it is not split into confirmed and waiting guests. |
| A party of two replies later | It can take the two free places because the waiting party of three does not fit. |
| One confirmed party of two cancels | Two places open, but the waiting party of three still does not fit. |
| One more confirmed guest withdraws | Three places are available, so that waiting party can move to Going. |
What does first in line mean?
Bonder considers waiting replies in order and admits a whole party when it fits. A larger party can be passed over while a smaller party takes the available places. New replies do not take places ahead of an existing waiting party that fits. Hosts can also manage the list. Tell guests to check their actual status before travelling; do not promise a fixed time or an email notification.
Before, during and after the event
- Confirm the venue’s permitted total occupancy with its operator. Reserve space for hosts, staff and anyone attending outside Bonder before setting guest capacity.
- Ask confirmed guests to update their response if plans change. Review the guest list after cancellations and changes in group size.
- Check the list before closing registration. Existing guests can still reduce or withdraw their response; closing registration does not freeze the headcount.
- Keep the guest list, any external ticket list and people admitted at the door in sync. An RSVP limit is not a physical occupancy control.
- On the day, verify the latest reply status and required tickets. Do not assume an RSVP or a waitlist position guarantees admission.
- After the event, compare confirmed guests with actual attendance only if you recorded check-in. Keep those measures separate.
An RSVP is not a ticket or an attendance count
For externally ticketed events, keep the ticket requirement visible. A Going response records a plan to attend; it does not establish a ticket purchase or prove arrival. Closing registration stops new attendance requests and increases in party size, while existing guests can still reduce or withdraw their reply.
These instructions describe Bonder’s current capacity and RSVP rules. Confirm the settings on your own invitation before sharing; this guide is not a report of a hosted event.