Anime NYC's event reservation system broke due to overwhelming demand

ANYC this year chose to implement event reservation for select anticipated events. On November 1st, panel reservations were to open for the Hajime Isayama (Attack on Titan creator) panel, followed by the rest of the RSVP events the next day. But the site broke due to thousands of fans hammering it, which led to an apology and the reservation system being delayed to next week.

What are your thoughts on event reservations (RSVP) in general? Personally, I think they're a great idea, and I think ANYC and other major cons should consider doing it for all events. Have all panels with reserved seating, then have a second rush line outside each room for anyone who is hoping to fill no-shows. Film festivals commonly do this. Maybe the panels could also declare how many seats have been requested for each panel, too.

But wait, you say. Isn't that just the same as the premium pass idea? Sort of, but standard pass holders should be able to access the event RSVP system, too. The only reason why it hasn't been done is the logistics involved in doing so, but the major conventions have grown large enough that they should be able to come up with a logistical solution for this. At Otakuthon this year, certain popular panels were in such high demand, the line spilled out into the hallways, and it was very difficult to navigate.