Glossary
Secret Tier Allotment
A secret tier allotment is an event ticket tier that does not appear on the public event page and can only be accessed by guests holding a private code, link, or invitation. The tier has its own capacity, price, and access rules but is invisible to the general public. Secret tiers are used for sponsor allotments, artist guest lists, label industry seats, VIP comps, and inner-circle access where the host does not want the tier's existence publicly visible.
How it works
A secret tier behaves like a normal ticket tier in every respect except visibility. The host configures the tier with a name (e.g., "Sponsor Allotment"), capacity (e.g., 20 seats), price (e.g., $0 for comps or full price for paid sponsor seats), and a private code or link that unlocks it. When a public visitor views the event page, the tier does not appear in the ticket-tier list. When a guest enters the private code, the tier becomes available alongside any public tiers, and they can register against it. Capacity decrements as registrations come in; once the secret tier is full, the code stops working. Sales for secret tiers route through the same payment infrastructure as public tiers, so attribution, payouts, and check-in all work identically.
Where it applies
Secret tiers are most common in three categories. (1) Sponsorship — a sponsor commits to buying or comping N seats; the host gives them a private code so they can distribute the seats internally without publicly disclosing the sponsorship structure. (2) Artist / talent — for music shows and conferences with talent, the artist or speaker often gets a secret allotment of comp seats for their team, label, or family. (3) Inner circle — recurring event hosts (founder breakfasts, masterminds) often reserve a small allotment for their tightest network at a different price or with priority access, hidden from the public flow.
Platforms that ship this
Secret tiers ship natively with visibility:"secret" on every ticket class. Excluded from public schema.org Offer markup so hidden allotments never leak via crawlers.
Eventbrite
Supports password-protected ticket tiers; the tier appears with a password prompt on the public page. Less private than fully-hidden tiers.
Luma
Free-RSVP-shaped; no native concept of secret paid allotments at parity with the use cases above.
Common questions
Is a secret tier the same as a private invite-only event?
No. A private invite-only event has no public page; only invited guests see anything. A secret tier lives inside an otherwise public event — the event itself is public; the tier within it is hidden.
Can secret tiers be free, paid, or both?
Both. Free secret tiers are typical for comp seats (artists, press, sponsors). Paid secret tiers are used when the price differs from public tiers, or when the host wants the tier's pricing structure private.
How do guests find out about a secret tier?
Out of band — the host shares the code or unlock link via email, DM, sponsor agreement, or printed material. The tier is invisible until the unlock action is taken.
Related terms
SocialLoop is the AI event management platform from A to Z — built for hosts running recurring ticketed events with affiliate / community-partner distribution.
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