Build the hall with its real rows and numbers
Guests look for the row and number on the chair, so the plan must match the building. Place straight or curved rows, set the row letter and first seat number, and edit single seats where the hall is irregular. Name the sections as the venue does: stalls, dress circle and boxes in Britain; orchestra, mezzanine and balcony in the US.
- Start from the small theatre template (10 curved rows) or the large theatre template, with orchestra and balcony.
- Import the venue’s floor plan as SVG.
- Pick the hall from the shared catalogue of theatres and auditoriums.
- Draw it on a blank canvas.
Hold back the seats you cannot give out
Before inviting anyone, take out every seat that must stay empty. The brush changes a whole block at once.
- Disable broken seats, the seats lost to the sound desk or technical booth, and camera positions.
- Mark the hall’s wheelchair spaces as wheelchair-accessible and keep the next seat for a companion. The building fixes where they are, often at row ends.
- Paint the protocol rows, the press block and the seats for the cast or jury as a sensitive area.
Seat invited guests by row and zone
Import the guest list from Excel (.xlsx or .xls), one row per person, and choose what each column is. Seats are assigned afterwards, on the seat map. Our Excel guest-list template is a good start.
| Event | Who sits where | In Seating Crowd |
|---|---|---|
| Premiere | Cast and director in the centre stalls, press near an aisle, sponsors in the balcony front row | Colour seats by guest type |
| School graduation | Graduates by class at the front, families behind or upstairs | Seat each class in its own section |
| Award night | Nominees on aisle seats near the stage steps, jury in the protocol rows | Search each nominee by name and drag them in |
| Company function | Each department in its zone, guests of honour in front | Colour by department to check the zones |
Drag guests onto seats; if one is taken, swap or replace the occupant. Filter by seated, unseated or any column to see who is left.
Fill the remaining seats with the AI agent
With protocol rows and named seats set, the rest is often a long list of people who just need a seat in the right zone. With the AI add-on you write “seat everyone who doesn’t have a seat yet” and the agent places them. Check the result, then undo it or move guests by hand.
Export door lists and check occupancy
Statistics show occupancy, free seats and a breakdown by every column, such as family members per class.
-
Export to Excel
Download the list with each guest’s row and seat.
-
Make one list per job
Sort by surname for the welcome desk and by row for the ushers.
-
Print and keep it current
Print from Excel. After any change, update the map and export again.
What it costs for a theatre or school hall
One event costs €29 with up to 1,000 guests and every feature. Venues with a season use Pro (€14 a month, 10 events at once, up to 500 guests each) or Ultra (€24 a month, 20 events, up to 1,000). Larger audiences need an Enterprise quote. Annual billing costs 10 months for 12, taxes are added at checkout, and there is no free plan.
For banquets and gala dinners, see event seating charts; venues that plan events for clients have a page for planners.
Frequently asked questions
Can Seating Crowd sell tickets for our show?
No. It assigns seats to guests already on your list and has no ticket sales or attendee payments. Sell the public seats through your ticketing system and plan the invited block here.
How much does it cost for a theatre or auditorium?
One event costs €29 with up to 1,000 guests. Pro is €14 a month for 10 events of up to 500 guests, and Ultra €24 a month for 20 events of up to 1,000. Annual billing costs 10 months, and there is no free plan.
Our hall has more than 1,000 seats. Which plan fits?
The one-event plan and Ultra cover up to 1,000 guests per event, and Pro up to 500. For a larger invited audience, ask for an Enterprise quote.
Can I recreate our exact seat numbering?
Yes. Each row starts from the row label and seat number you choose, and you can edit any single seat, so irregular rows and odd-and-even numbering both work.
How do I handle wheelchair spaces and seats that can’t be used?
Mark wheelchair spaces as wheelchair-accessible and disable seats you can’t give out, such as a broken seat or a camera position. The brush changes a whole block at once.
Can guests see their seat online?
No. There is no guest-facing seat finder or invitation sending. Export the list with rows and seats to Excel for door lists, ushers or your own emails.