This is Your One Guide to Seat Fillers in South Florida!

Shh - Don't Tell Anyone

South Florida Seat Fillers Know Something You Might Not

By Lu, OTL City Guides & Seat Fillers

If you think seat filling is just for awards shows or TV tapings, you might want to know what some South Floridians do - you can be a seat filler. It's a well-kept secret, but seat fillers in South Florida are on undercover missions, claiming free pairs of tickets to shows, events, and activities throughout the great Miami-Fort Lauderdale area.

The local concept is a win-win for both seat fillers and the promoters and local venues who extend the invitations:

  1. OTL Seat Fillers receive free pairs of tickets to local shows and events.
  2. The South Florida arts and entertainment community benefits from a free, private, and easy way to expand the audience and introduce themselves to new patrons.
free tickets for seat fillers, benefits of being a seat filler

So, Why Be a Seat Filler in South Florida?

Allow me to ask you a few questions before I answer, “why should I be a seat filler in South Florida?” Your answers will make a difference.

  • Are you a fan of live plays, musicals, and comedy shows?
  • Do you enjoy a wide variety of shows and events?
  • How do you feel about treating your family and friends to free tickets?
  • Would you be open to last-minute outings instead of planning for weeks or months ahead?

Did You Answer Yes Four Times?

If you're nodding, yes, yes (yes, yes), then I'll make a bold prediction that seat filling is for you, and you will love it!

Instead, if you answered no because you're a devoted concert-goer, or you want to plan your entertainment calendar months in advance, then, even though we'd love to have you, we don't want to waste your time. Instead, you might want to check out the South Florida Events Calendar on OTLCityGuides.com powered by Evvnt to purchase tickets directly from venues. Even though free tickets are great, and South Florida seat fillers receive them, the what's and when's are always a surprise.

South Florida Seat Fillers

Here are the reasons why I posed those questions.

One: South Florida Seat Fillers attend various live shows and events with free pairs of tickets, so they can treat family and friends, too.

Two: There might be the occasional concert from time to time, but local seat filling is all about plays, musicals, and other theatrical events. OTL also receives quite a few invitations from comedy clubs. Additionally, other surprise tickets are common, like burlesque, dance, sports, escape rooms, classes, etc.

Three: Miami-Fort Lauderdale Seat filling is more about last-minute opportunities. Venues privately offer comp tickets when they know they’ll have some open spots. So, notice tends to be more like a few days rather than several weeks or months.

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Events for South Florida Seat Fillers

Most people who are new to OTL and local seat filling are curious about the types of ticket opportunities. We're always asked about specific shows or theatres that participate.

Privacy to Shows

However, you probably know the saying, “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” and that applies to seat fillers in South Florida as well. The reason why the local seat filling concept has worked so well for more than seven years now is because of a policy called “privacy to shows.”

What privacy to shows means is that OTL, the management team, and its members never publicize or publicly discuss the names of its entertainment partners or specific shows.

Why Keep Things Quiet?

Because that defeats the purpose of the venue selling tickets, and the club would shut down.

As a seat filler, you can cancel your membership at any time. So, if you knew that OTL had a batch of $50 tickets to a show you wanted to see, why wouldn’t you just join the club for $13.99, reserve two tickets valued at $100, and then cancel your membership?

We’re here to support South Florida shows, events, and activities, not to detract from regular ticket sales. That's why seat fillers jump in at the last minute and help venues by occupying seats, buying drinks, etc.

Different Shows and Ticket Value

Over the years, though, OTL has provided club members with some incredible opportunities. While some tickets might be in the $5 or $10 range, others have been $50, $100, or even more. We even had a $1,000 class a few years back! (no, that's not typical, though)

When it comes to the most common opportunities, plays and musicals top the list. But, anything goes these days as seat fillers have enjoyed virtual events, escape rooms, conferences and expos, dinner shows, you name it!

Plus, again, don't forget that members treat their guests through two and four-seat membership options.

How Can I Be Seat Filler in South Florida?

If you’re excited to be a South Florida seat filler, you'll be happy to know that you can become a free tickets VIP in less than five minutes.

To get the ball rolling, go to OTL’s pricing page and select one of the “preferred” memberships, as South Florida is one of OTL's top ten locations. You’ll have your choice of the following:

  • Premiere Preferred – two seats per show
  • Grand Preferred – up to four seats per show
  • Special Preferred – a discounted Premiere for seniors, military, first responders, teachers, and college students

OTL’s low membership dues are all-inclusive - you never pay for tickets. So, if you have a $13.99 a-month Premiere plan, you can reserve up to two seats for any (or all) of the shows and events that pop up, based on availability. Sometimes there might not be anything, and other times you might have a few options. But, when it's go-time, you also get to share your secret seat filling VIP privileges with family and friends without worrying about the cost.

Free Pairs of Tickets? Did I Miss Something?

I can't say that there isn't a catch to being a seat filler in South Florida. There are actually a few membership rules. Regardless, I still think you'll find everything to be super simple, affordable, and fun. Oh, and well worth it!

Three Rules of the Road (or Membership!)

1. The first thing to consider is that there’s no guarantee as to the number of shows or specific ones. That’s the entire premise of OTL seat filling, though.

It’s fun to see what pops up, but that means one month, it could be one show, and the next, you might have five or six open for reservations. I've brought this up a few times, I know. But we really like all wannabe seat fillers to understand that OTL isn't a ticket broker. As a seat filler, you have to be patient and open to the element of surprise.

2. A second “catch” is that South Florida seat fillers must show up to anything they choose to reserve.

Choose is the operative word, as there are no mandatory events to attend. But, when you make a reservation, you can’t no-show. OTL’s partners count on those seats being filled, and you might have also wasted valuable tickets that other members could have used.

3. Oh, and I guess there is a third catch, but it’s easy, too.

OTL South Florida seat filler memberships auto-renew monthly. But you can cancel at any time without jumping through hoops. Just click a few buttons in your private member area. We want OTL to be an enjoyable, stress-free experience with few rules and plenty of fun!

seat filler invitations, invite seat fillers, seat filling invitations

How Do South Florida Event Promoters Extend Seat Filling Invites?

While I've focused on the fun of seat filling for Miami-Fort Lauderdale area members, I'd be remiss if I didn't touch on how OTL works for event marketers and promoters, too.

It’s an excellent tool to have in your promotional toolbox, as OTL is a private, free, and easy way to fill some seats and broaden your audience. And it doesn’t have to be a traditional show with assigned locations. Seat Fillers have gone virtual and also love activities and out-of-the-box opportunities. They’ve been to escape rooms, filmings, festivals, classes, and more.

If you’re interested in learning more about OTL for South Florida event promoters, we have an entire section on OTLSeatFillers.com for you!