At a Glance • Key Takeaways
- Automated Efficiency: Streamline online bookings, live availability scheduling, and customer communication without manual intervention.
- Live Capacity & Conflict Prevention: Prevent double-booking across staff, rooms, activity sessions, or rental fleet assets in real time.
- 0% Platform Booking Fees: SmartBookings does not charge transaction fees or take percentage cuts of your ticket sales or customer payments.
1. What is a Category (Session Type)?
In SmartBookings, a Category (also referred to as a Session Type) represents an overall activity offering at your venue.
Real-World Category Examples Across Industries:
- Soft Play Centres: "General Soft Play (2 Hours)", "Toddler Morning (Under 4s)", "SEN Calm Play Evening"
- Mini Golf & Adventure Golf: "18-Hole Pirate Adventure Golf", "Twilight Glow Golf", "Family Foursome Tournament"
- Trampoline & Inflatable Parks: "Open Bounce Jump Session", "Junior Inflatable Play", "After-Dark Disco Bounce"
- Laser Tag & Combat: "30-Minute Tactical Laser Mission", "Unlimited Thursday Battle"
- Farm Attractions & Zoos: "Day Admission & Petting Barn", "Lamb Feeding Experience"
- Seasonal Attractions: "Breakfast with Santa", "Halloween Pumpkin Carving Trail"
Golden Rule: You only create ONE category for an activity. You do not create a new category for every date or time slot. All individual dates & times (e.g. 10:00 AM every Saturday and Sunday) are scheduled under the category in the Dates & Times tab.
2. Creating a New Activity Category
1 Go to Sessions > Categories in the left menu.
2 Click the green Add New Session Type button in the top right.
3 Fill out the fundamental details:
- Title: The public-facing name of the activity (e.g. 18-Hole Adventure Golf or Open Soft Play).
- Visible: Tick this so the category appears on your public booking calendar.
- Enabled: Must be ticked for customer bookings to be accepted.
- Directions / Notes: Helpful visitor arrival notes, rules, or equipment guidelines (e.g. "All mini golf equipment is provided at the club kiosk. Please arrive 10 minutes before your tee time." or "Grip socks are compulsory on the play frames.").
4 Click Save Session Type. You can then immediately configure ticket pricing options.
3. Adding Ticket Options to a Category
Once a category exists, you define the selectable tickets and attendee tiers for customers to choose from:
Industry Ticket Tier Examples:
- Mini Golf: Adult (16+) (£9.50), Child (4–15) (£7.00), Senior / Student (£7.50), Family Ticket (2 Adults + 2 Kids) (£28.00).
- Soft Play: Child (3+) (£11.50), Toddler (1–2 yrs) (£7.50), Baby (Under 1) (£1.50), Adult Spectator (£1.50), Table Reservation (£0.00).
- Laser Tag: Single Mission Cadet (£6.50), Double Mission Veteran (£11.00).
1 Go to Sessions > Prices (or click the Prices tab while viewing the category).
2 Select your category from the dropdown.
3 Under Add new price option, enter:
- Option title: Name displayed to customers.
- Price: Baseline price (e.g.
9.50). Enter 0.00 for free spectator tickets or table reservations.
- Include in Qty: Must be ticked if this ticket uses a place in the session or course capacity!
- Places used: The number of capacity places consumed per ticket (typically
1). For a Family Foursome golf ticket or a 4-person table reservation, set this to 4.
- Min Qty / Max Qty: Set booking boundaries (e.g. Min 1, Max 8 per booking).
Capacity Rule: Whenever an option is marked Include in Qty, always ensure Places used is set to 1 or higher. This ensures each booking accurately deducts from the live session capacity.
4. Quick Navigation Tabs
When managing any category in Events.aspx, use the convenient top pill bar to navigate:
- Details: Edit title, notes, minimum order values, and booking rules.
- Dates & Times: View and manage all scheduled calendar sessions.
- Add Dates: Add new single or recurring dates for this activity.
- Prices: Configure ticket pricing options and age bands.
- View Live Booking Page: Preview exactly what customers see on mobile and desktop!
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I create different ticket pricing for adults, children, and toddlers?
In SmartBookings, navigate to Sessions > Ticket Options (EventTicketOptions.aspx) and add distinct options under your parent category. For example, configure Adult (Age 16+), Child (Ages 1-15), and Under 1s / Toddlers. You can assign different prices, set age boundaries, and configure 'Places Used' for each tier so infant bookings accurately track venue capacity.
Can I set a minimum and maximum number of tickets per booking in SmartBookings?
Yes. In Sessions > Categories and Ticket Options, you can define order quantity constraints. For instance, you can set MinQty = 1 and MaxQty = 10 to prevent bulk scalping, or require at least one paying adult to be added whenever junior tickets are selected.
How does the 'Places Used' setting prevent overbooking in soft play centres and golf courses?
The 'Places Used' field specifies how many physical spaces a ticket deducts from your total session capacity. Standard individual tickets deduct 1 place. A Family Ticket (2 adults + 2 children) can be set with Places Used = 4. This ensures that a single family booking immediately reserves four spaces on the live calendar, making overcrowding impossible.
How do table bookings work for children's birthday parties?
For birthday party bookings, create a specialized ticket option such as 'Party Table Package' with Places Used set to your party room capacity (e.g., 10 or 15 children). When a parent books a party slot, the entire table or room capacity is reserved, locking out other customers for that time window.
Can ticket categories be restricted to certain days of the week or school holidays?
Yes. You can assign categories to specific weekly timetables in Timetable Templates (tickettemplates.aspx). For example, configure an 'After-School Meal & Play Deal' valid only Monday to Thursday after 15:30, or an 'Unlimited Holiday Pass' available exclusively during school half-terms.
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