Organizer guide: Setting up season pass renewals
Learn how to configure seasons, manage the renewal window, and ensure season pass holders can smoothly transition from one season to the next — with their seats intact.
Overview
Season pass renewals let your existing pass holders keep their seats for the next season before they’re released to the general public. During the renewal window, members can choose to renew at the same level, upgrade or downgrade their tier, or opt out. Once the renewal deadline passes, any unrenewed seats become available to new buyers.
The renewal process is fully self-serve for both you and your members:
- ✅ Members renew from their Showpass dashboard — no need for organizers to process renewals manually.
- 🠱 Members retain their exact seats (or choose different ones) during renewal.
- 📬 Members receive automatic reminder emails as the deadline approaches.
- 📅 You can add new seasons and manage renewal settings without contacting Showpass support.
- 📊 Renewal activity and member status are trackable through your membership reports.
Key terms
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Season | The full duration a pass is valid, with its own start/end dates and renewal settings (e.g., “2025/26 Season”). |
| Display dates | The visible date range shown to buyers during purchase — what members see when they look at the membership. |
| Season sale start | The date when the new season becomes available for purchase. |
| Season sale end | The last day the new season can be purchased. |
| Renewal deadline | The cutoff date for existing members to renew and retain their current seats. After this date, unrenewed seats are released to the public. |
| Renewal window | The period between when the new season opens and the renewal deadline — the exclusive period for existing members to secure their seats. |
| Revenue realization | A setting that distributes season pass revenue across all included events. Required to enable single game exchanges. |
How the renewal timeline works
Here’s a typical flow for transitioning between seasons:
- Current season ends — the membership group’s active season expires on its end date.
- New season is added — you add the upcoming season to the existing membership group with its dates and renewal settings.
- Renewal window opens — existing pass holders receive an email notification and can log in to renew, upgrade, downgrade, or decline.
- Renewal deadline passes — any seats not renewed are released to the general public. The new season goes on sale publicly.
- New season is live — new and renewing members can purchase. Ticket batches are created to distribute individual game tickets.
💡 Tip: Members receive automatic renewal reminder emails at 1 month, 2 weeks, 1 week, and 1 day before the renewal deadline — so they have multiple opportunities to act.
Adding a new season
Seasons are managed within the existing membership group — you don’t need to create a new membership each year.
- Go to the Memberships section of your dashboard.
- Open the relevant membership group and click Edit.
- Scroll to the Seasons section and click Add new season.
- Fill in the season details:
- Season name: e.g., “2025/26”.
- Season start date and season end date.
- Display dates (what buyers see at purchase).
- Season sale start — when the season becomes purchasable.
- Season sale end — last day it can be purchased.
- Renewal deadline — cutoff for existing members to renew and retain seats.
- Click Save.
⚠️ Important: The issue tickets benefit must be re-added for each new season before any memberships are sold or renewed. This links new members to the correct season’s ticket batches and must exist first.
Managing renewals
From the membership group page, you can:
- Activate or pause season renewals — use this to control whether the renewal window is currently open.
- Monitor renewal activity — see how many members have renewed, declined, or not yet responded through membership reports.
- Handle seat changes — upgrades, downgrades, or seat reassignments requested by members before the deadline should be handled through the organizer dashboard or by contacting Showpass support.
What members experience
When the renewal window opens, members receive an email with a link to their membership. From there, they can:
- ✅ Renew at the same level — keep their current seats and tier.
- 🔄 Upgrade or downgrade — change their membership level if other tiers are available.
- ❌ Decline renewal — their seat is released and their benefits end at season close.
For step-by-step renewal instructions from a member’s perspective, see Ticket buyer guide: Accessing and renewing your membership.
FAQs
What happens if a member doesn’t renew before the deadline?
Their seat is released back into general inventory and is available for new buyers to purchase. The member will not retain access for the new season unless they purchase a new membership.
Can members change their seats during renewal?
Members can edit their seat selection during the renewal process if they choose to modify their order. Seat availability during renewal is limited to currently unrenewed seats.
Do I need to create a new membership each season?
No. You add a new season to your existing membership group — all your membership levels, benefits, and member history stay in place.
When should I add the issue tickets benefit for a new season?
Before any memberships for that season are sold or renewed. The benefit links members to the correct season’s ticket batches and must exist first.
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