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. How Sports Class Scheduling Works
Sports academies, martial arts dojos, and fitness studios operate on structured weekly timetables (e.g. Mondays & Wednesdays 18:30 Adult Muay Thai, Saturdays 09:30 Junior Karate). Instead of manually entering hundreds of individual dates, SmartBookings provides automated weekly timetable generation and recurring schedules.
2. Using Weekly Timetable Templates (Recommended)
The fastest way to publish a complete season or year of fitness classes is with Timetable Templates (tickettemplates.aspx):
1 Go to Sessions > Timetable Templates in your admin menu.
2 Define your weekly schedule day by day:
Example Martial Arts Dojo Timetable:
- Monday 17:00 – 17:45: Little Ninjas Karate (Capacity: 16 mats)
- Monday 18:00 – 19:15: Adult Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Capacity: 24 mats)
- Tuesday 18:30 – 19:30: Boxing Conditioning & Heavy Bag (Capacity: 20 bags)
- Thursday 19:00 – 20:00: Vinyasa Core Yoga (Capacity: 18 mats)
- Saturday 10:00 – 11:30: Open Mat / Sparring Clinic (Capacity: 30 participants)
3 Click Generate Timetable to Dates and select your date range (e.g. 1st September to 31st December).
4 The system automatically populates every class date, start time, end time, and participant cap across the entire period in seconds!
3. Setting Strict Class Capacity Caps
Overcrowded fitness classes ruin the participant experience and present serious health and safety risks. On each class session, configure:
- Maximum Places (Capacity): The exact physical limit of your studio (e.g. 15 Reformer beds, 20 spin bikes, 24 tatami mat squares). Once reached, online booking automatically closes with a "Class Full" badge.
- Cut-Off Time: Prevent last-second drop-ins by closing bookings 30 or 60 minutes before class start so instructors can print or review the attendee roster.
Instructor Notes: Use the session title or description to indicate the assigned coach (e.g. 18:30 Spin — Coach Sarah). If a substitute coach steps in, edit the session note instantly in EventDates.aspx.
4. Bank Holidays & Dojo Closures
Need to cancel classes for a Bank Holiday weekend, coach competition travel, or studio deep clean?
- Single Session Deletion: Go to Sessions > Dates, find the date, and click the red trash icon to cancel that specific time slot.
- Mass Time Shifts: Use Bulk Updates (
BulkUpdateEvents.aspx) to shift class start times across an entire month.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I publish an entire year of recurring weekly sports classes in minutes?
In Sessions > Timetable Templates (tickettemplates.aspx), configure your club's standard weekly routine across Monday through Sunday. Then click 'Generate Timetable to Dates', select your season dates (e.g. September to June), and SmartBookings generates every class date and time slot in seconds.
How do studio mat capacity caps protect athlete safety during high-contact classes?
Every session includes a 'Max Capacity' limit (e.g. 24 mat spaces for BJJ or 20 bags for boxing). Once this limit is reached, online booking automatically closes with a 'Class Full' badge, preventing overcrowded and unsafe training environments.
Can I set an online booking cut-off time before class commences?
Yes. You can configure sessions to close online bookings 30 or 60 minutes before start time. This gives coaches time to review the digital register and print mat-side run-sheets before stepping onto the mats.
How do I cancel classes for coach competition travel or bank holiday weekends?
To cancel single classes, locate the date in Sessions > Dates (EventDates.aspx) and click the delete button. For whole-facility closures, use HolidayEVs.aspx to blackout the entire weekend across all timetables.
Can I assign specific coach names to scheduled class sessions?
Yes. Include the coach or sensei's name in the session description or title (e.g. '18:30 Boxing Technique -- Coach Marcus'). If a substitute coach fills in, you can update the session note instantly in EventDates.aspx.
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