Learn Every Feature. Run a Tighter Venue.

Create Your Account

Head to holocron.scot and click Get Started. Enter your venue name, email, and a strong password (12+ characters with uppercase, lowercase, number, and symbol). A payment card is required at signup to activate your 14-day trial - no charge is applied during this period. Your account is live immediately.

Choose Your Plan

Holocron has three tiers: Core (£89/month) for single-venue core ops, Professional (£169/month) for full compliance and analytics tools, and Enterprise (£299/month) for multi-venue management with API access. All plans include a 14-day free trial. You can upgrade or downgrade at any time from Settings > Account.

Configure Your Venue

Go to Settings > Venue Details. Enter your venue name, physical address, licensed capacity, and standard operating hours. Your licensed capacity should match what appears on your premises licence - this is the baseline for occupancy alerts and compliance reporting. If you operate multiple rooms or floors, enter the total licensed capacity for the premises.

Invite Your Team

Navigate to Settings > Team. Click Invite Member. Enter a username, display name, and temporary password. Assign a role: Owner has full access including billing and settings. Admin can manage data, run reports, and invite staff. Staff can log data (attendance, incidents, drinks) but cannot access settings or exports. Permissions are enforced on every action - no exceptions.

Customise Your Dashboard

Go to Settings > Dashboard. Toggle the widgets you want to see on your main dashboard view: attendance, ticket revenue, drink revenue, incidents, social engagement, drink categories chart, traffic card, and combined revenue. The dashboard is your operational overview - configure it to show what matters most for your trading nights.

Run Your First Live Session

Open the Dashboard. Your venue is now live. Start logging attendance from the Attendance page, record incidents as they happen via the Incidents page, and track drink and ticket sales in real time. Every entry is timestamped and attributed to your user account. After closing, check Reports to review your first night summary.

Understanding Attendance Tracking

The Attendance page shows three key figures: tonight's current count, your weekly average, and your licensed capacity. The weekly trend chart shows attendance over the past 7 days. All data is stored permanently and can be exported for licensing reviews or internal analysis.

Logging Attendance

Click Log Tonight on the Attendance page. Enter the date, headcount, capacity figure, and the area being tracked (e.g. Main Floor, VIP, Terrace). Each log entry is timestamped and attributed to your account. You can log multiple entries per night for different areas or time intervals.

Capacity Alerts

Configure capacity alerts in Settings > Notifications. Set a threshold percentage (e.g. 85%) and Holocron will alert you when attendance reaches that level. Alerts can be delivered via email, SMS, or push notification. This is critical for compliance - exceeding your licensed capacity is a licensing condition breach.

Attendance Comparison

The Attendance page includes a period comparison metric that shows your average attendance versus the previous period. Use this to identify trends - declining attendance may indicate programming issues, while consistent near-capacity nights validate your booking strategy.

Exporting Attendance Data

Attendance records can be exported as part of your Night Report (Reports page) or via the API. The export includes date, time, headcount, capacity, area, and the user who logged the entry. These records are structured for presentation to a licensing authority if required.

Why Incident Logging Matters

Under the Licensing Act 2003, venues are expected to maintain records of incidents that occur on their premises. When a licensing authority reviews your operation - whether for a routine inspection, a complaint-driven review, or a licence renewal - the quality and completeness of your incident records directly affects the outcome. Holocron replaces paper logs, WhatsApp threads, and scattered spreadsheets with a single, structured, timestamped record.

Logging an Incident - Full Form

Navigate to Incidents and click Log New Incident. Complete the form: select a type (Altercation, Medical, Noise Complaint, ID Issue, Theft, Property Damage, Ejection, or Other), set the severity (Low, Medium, High, Critical), describe what happened, specify the location within the venue, and record the date, time, and staff involved. Every field is stored immutably - once logged, the record cannot be altered or deleted.

Quick Log - For Mid-Shift Use

The Quick Log modal is designed for speed under pressure. Click the Quick Log button on the Incidents page. Select the incident type from a visual grid, set severity, pick a preset location (Main Floor, Bar, Entrance, Toilets, VIP, Stage, Outside, Other), optionally add staff names and a brief note (up to 200 characters). The entire process takes under 30 seconds. Use this during a live shift when speed matters more than detail - you can add further notes to the incident record after the night.

Incident Statuses & Resolution

Every incident moves through a status pipeline: Open (just logged), In Progress (being handled), Resolved (action taken, awaiting review), and Closed (fully resolved and reviewed). Updating the status creates a timestamped entry in the incident timeline. Resolution times are calculated automatically - the Incidents dashboard shows your average resolution time across all incidents. This metric is valuable for licensing reviews and internal performance tracking.

Incident Analytics

The Incidents page shows four analytics views: incident types (pie chart showing the distribution of altercations, medical, ejections, etc.), incidents by hour (bar chart covering the 10pm-3am window), incidents by location (which areas of your venue generate the most incidents), and a period comparison showing total incidents versus the previous period. Use these to identify patterns - if most incidents happen at the same location and time, that's an operational problem you can address.

Exporting for Licensing Reviews

Click Export CSV on the Incidents page to generate a full incident export. The export includes every field: date, time, type, severity, description, location, staff involved, status, and resolution notes. This is the format you present to a licensing board. You can also include incident data in your Night Report (PDF format) from the Reports page. These exports are your evidence trail - structured, timestamped, and audit-ready.

Printing Incident Records

Click Print on the Incidents page to generate a printable view of your incident log. This is formatted for physical handover - useful when a police officer requests records on-site, or when you need a paper trail for an internal investigation. The printout includes all fields and the full timeline for each incident.

Understanding the Pipeline

The Shows Pipeline tracks every booking through its lifecycle. Status stages are: Hold (date pencilled, not confirmed), Offered (terms sent to artist/promoter), Countered (negotiation in progress), Confirmed (deal agreed), Production (event logistics in progress), Settled (financial settlement calculated), Paid (all payments made), and Cancelled. Each status change is logged with a timestamp.

Creating a New Show

Click + New Show on the Shows page. Fill in the required fields: title and event date. Optional fields include room/stage, door time, start time, end time, initial status, hold rank (if multiple holds on the same date), promoter name, and notes. Click Create Show to add it to your pipeline. You can update any field later from the show detail page.

Show Detail View

Click any show to open its detail view. Six tabs organise all information: Overview (event details, current status, lineup), Offers (financial offers to artists - created once artists are confirmed on the lineup), Production (logistics tasks and checklist), Timeline (chronological history of all changes), Guest List (manage guest entries with check-in tracking), and Settlement (revenue, expenses, artist fees, and net venue take).

Managing Offers

The Offers tab tracks financial arrangements with artists and promoters. Offers are created once artists are confirmed on the lineup. Each offer records the terms, amount, and status. Use this to maintain a clear paper trail of all financial commitments for each show.

Production

The Production tab is your pre-event logistics checklist. Add tasks for technical requirements, hospitality riders, security briefings, marketing deadlines, and anything else that needs to happen before doors open. Mark tasks as complete as they are actioned. This ensures nothing falls through the cracks between confirmation and event night.

Guest List Management

The Guest List tab tracks all guest entries for a show. View total entries, total people (including plus-ones), and check-in count. Add entries manually or import from a spreadsheet. On the night, use this tab to check guests in as they arrive. Guest list data feeds into your attendance figures automatically.

How Settlements Work

The Settlement Engine lives inside each show's detail view under the Settlement tab. It calculates: gross ticket revenue, total tickets sold versus capacity (sell-through rate), itemised expenses, gross revenue, total expenses, net revenue, per-artist fees, and final venue net. All figures are calculated from data already in the system - ticket sales, drink revenue, and manually entered expenses.

Adding Expenses

Click Add Expense on the Settlement tab. Enter a description and amount for each cost line - sound hire, security, marketing spend, rider costs, venue hire, or any other expense associated with the show. Each expense is stored against the show and included in the settlement calculation automatically.

Calculating Settlement

Click Calculate to run the settlement. Holocron computes gross revenue, deducts all expenses, calculates artist fees based on the agreed terms from the Offers tab, and produces your net venue take. The settlement is initially in Draft status - review all figures before finalising.

Finalising a Settlement

Once you have reviewed the figures and are satisfied they are correct, click Finalise. This locks the settlement - figures become read-only and the settlement is marked as Finalised with a timestamp. Finalised settlements cannot be edited. This is by design: a finalised settlement is your auditable financial record for that event.

Exporting Settlement Data

Settlement data is included in your Night Report and can be exported via the API. The export includes all line items: gross revenue, each expense, artist fees, and net figures. Use this for your accounts, your accountant, or for presenting financial summaries to promoters and artists.

Logging Ticket Sales

Navigate to Tickets and click Log Sale. Enter the event name, date, ticket type (e.g. Early Bird, Standard, VIP), number of tickets sold, and revenue in GBP. The Tickets page shows three summary stats: tickets sold this week, total revenue, and average ticket price. If you use Skiddle, ticket data can sync automatically - contact Skiddle to enable Partner API access for your account.

Logging Drink Sales

Navigate to Drinks and click Log Sale. Select the date, choose a category (Cocktails, Beer, Spirits, Wine, Soft Drinks, Other), enter the item name, quantity, and revenue in GBP. The Drinks page shows tonight's revenue, your top seller, and total items sold. The category breakdown chart gives you a visual split of sales by drink type.

Revenue on the Dashboard

The main Dashboard shows two revenue widgets: Drink Revenue (7 days) and Combined Revenue (Tickets + Drinks, 7 days). These give you a rolling view of your venue's financial performance. For per-event breakdowns, use the Settlement Engine on individual shows.

Integration with Square & Skiddle

If you connect Square (Settings > API Connections), drink and POS transaction data syncs into your revenue dashboard. If you connect Skiddle, ticket sales data populates without manual entry. Once connected, data flows in automatically as transactions are processed.

Social Media Dashboard

The Social page shows three headline stats: total followers across all connected platforms, engagement rate, and weekly reach. The follower growth chart tracks changes over the past 7 days, broken down by platform. Use this to monitor the impact of your programming and marketing on audience growth.

Engagement Tracking

Track post performance, follower growth, and reach across your connected platforms. Holocron pulls engagement data automatically once your accounts are connected - likes, comments, shares, and impressions are aggregated per platform and surfaced in your Social dashboard. Use this to understand which events and announcements resonate with your audience.

Connecting Social Accounts

Connect your social accounts in Settings > API Connections. Instagram and TikTok connect via OAuth. Once connected, Holocron automatically pulls follower counts, engagement metrics, and post performance data. Facebook Page connections are managed through the Meta integration.

Generating a Night Report

Navigate to Reports. The Night Report card shows what is included: attendance figures, ticket and drink revenue summary, and a complete incident log for the selected night. Click Generate & Print to produce the report. The report opens in a print-ready format that can be saved as PDF or sent directly to a printer.

What the Report Contains

Each Night Report includes: date and venue name, peak and closing attendance figures, total ticket revenue and tickets sold, total drink revenue by category, a full incident timeline with all details (type, severity, location, description, staff involved, status, resolution), and settlement figures if applicable. This is a complete operational record for a single trading session.

Using Reports for Licensing

Night Reports are structured to be presented directly to a licensing authority. If you receive a request for records - whether from the licensing board, police, or environmental health - generate the relevant Night Reports and present them as-is. The structured format, timestamps, and attributed entries demonstrate professional record-keeping that meets the expectations of the Licensing Act 2003.

Roles & Permissions

Holocron uses three roles: Owner (full access to everything - data, settings, billing, team management, exports), Admin (can log data, run reports, invite staff, and manage incidents - cannot access billing or venue settings), and Staff (can log attendance, incidents, and sales - cannot access reports, settings, or team management). Only Owners can manage team members.

Inviting a Team Member

Go to Team and click Invite Member. Enter a username, display name, and a temporary password (minimum 12 characters with complexity requirements). Select their role (Staff or Admin - Owner role can only be assigned by existing Owners). Optionally set granular permissions for specific modules. The new member can log in immediately with the credentials you provide.

Managing Existing Members

The Team page shows all current members with their role and status. Owners can change roles, reset passwords, or remove members. When a team member is removed, their historical data entries remain in the system - attributed to their name - but they can no longer access the platform. This preserves your audit trail.

API Connections

Settings > API Connections lets you link external services: Skiddle (ticketing), Square (POS), Meta (Instagram/Facebook), TikTok, and Google Analytics. Each service requires an API key or OAuth authorisation. Enter your credentials, click Save, then Test to verify the connection. Connected services sync data automatically.

Venue Details

Settings > Venue Details stores your venue name, licensed capacity, location, and operating hours. These details are used across the platform - capacity for occupancy alerts, operating hours for report generation, and venue name on all exports. Keep these accurate and up to date, especially the licensed capacity.

Dashboard Layout

Settings > Dashboard lets you toggle individual widgets on and off. Available widgets: Attendance, Tickets Sold, Drink Revenue, Incidents, Social Engagement, Drink Categories Chart, Traffic Card, and Combined Revenue. Enable only what you need - a cleaner dashboard means faster decision-making on busy nights.

Notifications

Settings > Notifications configures your alert preferences. Toggle incident alerts (notified when a new incident is logged) and capacity alerts (notified when attendance hits your threshold). Set your capacity threshold percentage. Choose an email digest cadence: daily, weekly, or off. Select notification channels: email, SMS, or push.

Account & Security

Settings > Account lets you update your display name and change your password. Password requirements: minimum 12 characters, uppercase letter, lowercase letter, number, and symbol. Password changes take effect immediately - all other sessions are terminated. If you forget your password, use the account recovery flow via your registered email.

Browsing Your Roster

The Artists page displays all artists associated with your venue. Use the search bar to find artists by name, or filter by genre using the dropdown. Each artist card shows their name, genre, and booking history with your venue. The roster is specific to your venue - other tenants cannot see your artist data.

Adding Artists

Artists are added via the Holocron API. Use the POST /api/v1/artists endpoint with the artist's name, genre, contact details, and any notes. See the API Reference in the Documentation section for the full endpoint specification.

Linking Artists to Shows

Once an artist exists in your roster, they can be linked to shows via the Shows Pipeline. When you add an artist to a show's lineup, their booking history is updated automatically. Over time, this builds a complete record of every artist who has played at your venue - useful for rebooking decisions and promoter conversations.

Why Compliance Matters for Venues

Every licensed premises in England and Wales operates under the Licensing Act 2003. In Scotland, the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 applies. Both require venues to operate in a manner consistent with the licensing objectives: prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, prevention of public nuisance, and protection of children from harm. When a licensing authority reviews your operation, they assess whether you are meeting these objectives. Your records are your evidence.

What Holocron Records Mean for Your Licence

Holocron gives you a structured, timestamped record of every incident, every attendance count, every night's trading activity, and every staff action. When a licensing authority asks what happened on a particular night, you can produce a complete, attributed record in under 90 seconds. This is the difference between a licence review that goes smoothly and one that results in conditions, suspensions, or revocations.

Requirements Tracking

The Compliance module lets you track your active licensing requirements against your operational record. Each requirement can be marked as met, in progress, or at risk. Use this to maintain a live view of your compliance posture rather than discovering gaps when a review is already underway.

Martyn's Law & Protect Duty Readiness

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 requires qualifying venues to have documented counter-terrorism plans in place, with phased implementation deadlines in 2026. Holocron's compliance tracker includes a Martyn's Law readiness checklist covering staff training, evacuation procedures, communication protocols, and threat assessment records. Use this to build and evidence your preparedness against the implementation timeline.

Training Records

Log staff training completions directly in the compliance module - door supervisor certifications, first aid training, conflict management, licensing awareness, and any other requirement tied to your premises licence conditions. Training records are timestamped and attributed to named staff members, giving you an auditable trail of who was trained and when.

Incident-to-Regulation Mapping

Holocron maps logged incidents to relevant licensing objectives automatically. An ejection for disorder maps to the prevention of crime and disorder objective. A medical incident maps to public safety. This context makes it easier to assess your compliance risk and demonstrate to a licensing board that you understand and actively manage your obligations.

Compliance Alerts

Proactive compliance alerts notify you of risks before they become problems - a certification expiring next month, a licensing condition you have not evidenced recently, or a spike in incidents that warrants a documented review. Alerts are delivered via email or your notification preferences in Settings. Owners and Admins receive compliance alerts by default.

Incident Records for Licensing Reviews

Your incident log is your most important compliance tool. Each incident record includes: type, severity, timestamp, location, description, staff involved, and resolution status with timeline. These records are immutable - once logged, they cannot be altered. This is by design. A licensing board needs to trust that your records have not been edited after the fact. Export your incident log as CSV or PDF from the Incidents page.

Night Reports as Evidence

The Night Report combines attendance, revenue, and incident data into a single document for each trading night. This is the document you hand to a licensing officer, a police constable, or your solicitor when they ask for a summary of a specific night. It is structured, professional, and complete. Generate it from the Reports page in under a minute.

Data Retention & Legal Requirements

Holocron retains all data for the lifetime of your account. Audit logs are retained for a minimum of 2 years. If you cancel your account, data is preserved for 30 days before permanent deletion. For compliance purposes, we recommend exporting your records before cancellation. UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 govern how personal data within these records is handled - see our Privacy Policy for full details.

Log Incidents in Real Time

The single most important habit. Log incidents as they happen, not the next morning. The Quick Log modal exists for exactly this purpose - it takes under 30 seconds. A timestamped, mid-shift incident record is infinitely more credible to a licensing authority than one logged 12 hours later. If your team only adopts one habit from this guide, make it this one.

Record Attendance at Regular Intervals

Log attendance counts at consistent intervals throughout the night - every hour, for example. This creates a clear attendance curve that shows how occupancy changed over time. A single end-of-night count tells a licensing authority very little. Regular interval logging demonstrates active capacity management.

Review Your Night Report Before Leaving

Before you leave the venue after a trading night, generate and review the Night Report. Check that all incidents are logged, attendance figures are complete, and revenue numbers are correct. It is much easier to fix a gap or add a missing incident while the night is still fresh in your memory. Once you leave, details fade quickly.

Use the Settlement Engine Immediately

Run settlements within 48 hours of an event. The longer you wait, the more likely you are to miss an expense or misremember a detail. The Settlement Engine is designed to be used while the event is fresh - input expenses, calculate, review, and finalise. A finalised settlement is your locked financial record.

Train All Door and Bar Staff

Every staff member who logs data in Holocron should understand what they are logging and why. The incident log is only as good as the people filling it in. Brief your door team on incident types and severity levels. Brief your bar team on drink logging. Five minutes of training prevents hours of cleanup and ensures your compliance record is complete.

Export Monthly, Even If Nobody Asks

Generate and archive Night Reports and incident exports on a monthly basis. Store them in a folder outside of Holocron - a shared drive, Dropbox, or even a physical file. If your account is ever inaccessible, or if a licensing authority requests records from months ago, you have an independent backup. Compliance is not about responding to requests - it is about always being ready for them.