Enrolling Priority Users When an Event Is Fully Booked and a Waiting List Is Enabled

Process description

This article explains how to enroll priority users into a SharePoint Sapiens event that is already fully booked and has the waiting list enabled.
Because of the way enrollment priority and waiting lists are enforced (first come, first serve), priority users must first exist on the waiting list before they can be promoted into available seats. Direct enrollment after increasing capacity is intentionally blocked by the system.

Prerequisites

• An event with:

  • Maximum enrollments reached

  • Waiting list enabled

• Permission to manage event settings and enrollments

Step-by-step instructions

Correct and supported approach

1. Add priority users to the waiting list

   • Open the event.

   • Enroll the priority users normally.

   • Because the event is full, they will be placed on the waiting list.

2. Disable the waiting list

   • Open the event form.

   • Temporarily disable the waiting list.

3. Increase the maximum number of enrollments

   • Adjust the Max. enrollments value so that additional seats are available.

   • Save the event form.

4. Open Manage Enrollments

   • Go to the Manage Enrollments view of the event.

5. Promote priority users from the waiting list

   • Select the priority users who are currently on the waiting list.

   • Click Enroll selected users.

   • The users are now moved from the waiting list into confirmed enrollments.

Important behavior clarification (why this is required)

What does not work:

• Disabling the waiting list

• Increasing the maximum enrollments

• Then trying to enroll priority users directly

This fails because:

• Users who are already on the waiting list have priority over new enrollments

• The system blocks direct enrollment as long as waiting list users exist

Key rule:

Only users already on the waiting list can be nominated for newly available seats, regardless of their position on the waiting list.

Once users are on the waiting list, they can be promoted manually to confirmed seats, even if other users are ahead of them.

Tips and best practices

• Always add priority users to the waiting list first, even if you plan to expand capacity.

• Waiting list order does not matter when manually promoting users via Manage Enrollments.

• Temporarily disabling the waiting list is safe as long as promotion is done immediately afterward.

• This behavior is by design and ensures fair handling of existing waiting list users.

• Document this process internally to avoid confusion during last-minute event changes.

Next steps

• Re-enable the waiting list if required after enrolling priority users.

• Inform organizers about the priority enrollment process to avoid failed enrollments.

• Review enrollment limits and waiting list usage when planning high-demand events.