The booking system
A booking system is the thing that stops two people being given the same place, which turns out to be most of what it is for.
A booking system records who has which place at which moment and refuses to give the same one away twice. A reservation system for events works on capacity per date or per slot, rather than on individual resources, which makes it simpler than a system built around rooms or staff diaries.
What a diary cannot do
A shared calendar is fine while one person makes all the entries. It fails the moment two people take bookings at once, because neither of them sees the other's entry until it is already written and the same place has gone twice.
It also cannot say no on its own. A booking system knows what the limit is and stops at it without anyone watching, which is the difference between a system and a note-keeping habit.
What to expect from one
Three things: a place that is actually held while somebody pays, a confirmation that reaches the visitor, and a list that can be read by whoever is on duty rather than only by the person who took the booking.
Everything beyond that is preference. Seating plans, deposits, reminders and rules about changes are useful to some organisations and unnecessary complication for others. Start with the three and add only what a real problem asks for.
How Passavo holds a place
A place is held while the buyer is paying and released again if they abandon the checkout, so a hesitant visitor does not block a seat for the rest of the evening. Everything sold, from any route, comes out of the same number.
Bookings are visible to anyone you have given access to, on a phone as well as a laptop. Confirmations go out immediately, with the details the visitor needs.
Also searched for as
- reservation system
- booking software
- place management
- bookings tool
Common questions
Is it a seating plan?
No. Passavo counts places rather than allocating seats, which is simpler for everyone and fits most events, tours and visits.
What happens if someone abandons the checkout?
The held place is released after a short window and goes back on sale, so an unfinished order does not quietly keep a seat empty.