Platform overview

The Maison Doclar seating platform consists of two applications that work together to deliver a complete event seating experience — one for the operator team and one for the host.

ESLA is the planning engine. Salle is the host's world. They share a single database but are completely separate applications — the host never sees ESLA and is never aware of its existence.

How an event flows through the platform

1. Admin creates a project in ESLA for the event
2. Admin imports the guest list via CSV or syncs from Nucleus
3. Admin designs the venue layout on the canvas — adding tables, fixtures, and zones
4. Admin assigns guests to tables, either manually or using the auto-allocator
5. Admin publishes the layout, making it visible to Salle
6. Admin issues a magic link and sends it to the host (and optionally the planner)
7. Host opens Salle, reviews the plan, makes any final adjustments
8. Host approves the plan — the layout locks and the download becomes available

Roles and access

Signing in

Admin — ESLA

1. Open https://esla.maisondoclar.com
2. Enter your email address and password
3. Click Sign in
4. You will land on the Projects page

Host and Planner — Salle

1. Click the magic link sent to you by the event admin
2. Salle opens directly — no password required
3. Your session lasts 72 hours from the time the link was issued

Projects

A project in ESLA represents a single event. It holds everything — the guest list, layouts, assignments, credentials, and audit history.

Creating a project

1. Sign in to ESLA
2. Click New project on the Projects page
3. Enter the project name and optional description
4. Set the assignment mode: Table only (guest assigned to a table) or Seat level (guest assigned to a specific seat number)
5. Click Create project

Project statuses

Guest management

The guest list is the foundation of the seating plan. Guests can be imported via CSV, synced from Nucleus, or added individually by admin.

Viewing guests

From the project dashboard, the guest panel shows all guests. Filter by status, VIP tier, or search by name. Switch between List view and By Table view using the toggle at the top of the panel.

Guest statuses

Adding a guest manually

1. Go to the project dashboard
2. Click + Add guest manually in the guest panel
3. Enter first name, last name, and optional fields: preferred name, VIP tier, Nucleus guest ID, email, allocator notes
4. Click Add guest

Hiding a guest

Open the guest record and use the hide action. The guest moves to HIDDEN status and disappears from Salle. This is reversible from ESLA — hidden guests can be unhidden at any time.

Guest relationships

Set seating preferences between guests — Must seat together, Prefer together, or Separate. These are used by the auto-allocator and shown as coloured lines on the canvas relationship overlay.

CSV import

The fastest way to get a full guest list into ESLA is to import a CSV file. The import is additive — existing guests are updated if a matching guestImportKey is found, new guests are created if not.

How to import

1. Go to the project dashboard
2. Click Import guests (CSV) in the guest panel
3. Select your CSV file
4. Review the result: guests created, updated, and skipped are reported
5. Any errors are listed below the result — fix the rows and re-import if needed

Re-importing

You can import as many times as needed. If a guest already exists (matched by guestImportKey), their record is updated rather than duplicated. Protected fields — guestImportKey, firstName, lastName, vipTier, accessibilityNeeds — are never overwritten by a re-import once set.

CSV format reference

The CSV contract is fixed — 12 columns in exact order, UTF-8 encoding. The first row must be the header. A comment row beginning with # is allowed as the second row and is ignored during import.

guestImportKey,firstName,lastName,preferredName,tableName,tableNumber,seatNumber,zoneLabel,vipTier,accessibilityNeeds,dietaryRequirements,allocatorNotes

Example row

key-001,Adaeze,Okonkwo,Ada,Table 1,,1,VIP,VIP_PRINCIPAL,Wheelchair access required,Halal,Seat near entrance please

Layouts

A layout is the visual floor plan for an event. A project can have multiple layouts (e.g. alternative arrangements), but only one is published to Salle at a time.

Creating a layout

1. From the project dashboard, click New layout
2. Enter a name and set the canvas dimensions (in pixels — 1px typically represents 10cm)
3. Click Create layout — you are taken directly to the canvas

Layout statuses

Publishing a layout

Change the layout status to Published from the layout settings. This makes the layout immediately visible to the host in Salle. You can continue editing a published layout — changes are reflected in Salle in real time.

Snapshots

Save a named snapshot of the current layout state at any time using the Snapshot button in the canvas toolbar. Restore a snapshot to roll back canvas changes without affecting guest assignments. Useful before making major structural changes.

Canvas

The canvas is the interactive floor plan where you design the venue, place tables, and manage the seating arrangement.

Navigation

Canvas toolbar

Minimap

The minimap in the lower-right corner of the canvas shows the full layout at a reduced scale. Click anywhere on the minimap to jump to that area. The highlighted rectangle shows the current viewport.

Tables

Adding a table

1. Click Add table in the toolbar
2. Choose the table shape from the picker
3. The table appears at the centre of the canvas — drag it to position

Table shapes

Editing a table

Click a table to select it. The Table detail panel opens on the right with these options:

• Label — rename the table (e.g. "Table 12" or "The Okonkwos")
• Capacity — set the maximum number of guests
• Type — change the shape
• Zone — assign to a zone
• Lock — prevent the table from being moved in Salle
• Notes — add internal notes visible to admin, host, and planner

Moving and resizing tables

Drag a selected table to move it. Drag the resize handles to change its dimensions. Hold Shift while resizing to maintain aspect ratio. Use Rotate in the context menu (right-click) to rotate the table.

Locking tables

Locked tables cannot be moved, resized, or rotated by anyone — including the host and planner in Salle. Lock tables like the stage, bar, or any fixed fixture-adjacent element after positioning them.

Fixtures and zones

Fixtures

Fixtures are non-table elements that represent physical features of the venue. They appear in Salle as labelled reference elements that cannot be moved by the host.

Adding a fixture

1. Click Add fixture in the toolbar
2. Choose the fixture type
3. Position and resize as needed
4. Double-click the fixture label to rename it

Zones

Zones are named regions on the canvas — VIP, General, Dining, Cocktail, Accessibility, Staff, Reserved, Entertainment. They provide visual grouping and can be focused in Salle (tapping a zone name dims everything outside it).

To add a zone: right-click on empty canvas → Add zone. Set the zone type and label. Resize the zone rectangle to cover the relevant area. Assign tables to zones by selecting a table and choosing its zone in the detail panel.

Guest assignments

An assignment links a guest to a table (and optionally a seat in seat-level mode).

Assigning a guest manually

Two methods:

• Drag and drop: In the guest panel, drag a guest chip and drop it onto a table on the canvas
• Assignment panel: Click a guest in the guest panel → the assignment flyout opens → select a table from the dropdown → Save

Moving a guest to the waiting area

Drag a guest chip off a table onto the canvas background, or use the Move to waiting area option in the guest assignment panel. The guest returns to UNASSIGNED status.

Waiting area

Guests not yet assigned to a table appear in the waiting area — the Unassigned tab in the guest panel. The count is shown in the project summary. Clear the waiting area before publishing for host review.

Auto-allocator

The auto-allocator suggests table assignments based on VIP tier, guest relationships, accessibility requirements, and table capacity. It saves time on large events.

How to run it

1. From the project dashboard or canvas, click Auto-allocate
2. The allocator generates suggestions — shown as pending assignments in gold on the canvas
3. Review each suggestion in the Suggestions tab of the guest panel
4. Accept individual suggestions, or click Accept all to confirm them all at once
5. Decline any suggestions you disagree with — the guest returns to the waiting area

Validation

Use the Validate function (available in the layout toolbar) to check for issues before publishing — over-capacity tables, unassigned VIP guests, accessibility conflicts, and similar problems are flagged with descriptions.

Exports

Export the seating plan from the canvas toolbar → Export.

Host review links (Salle access)

Issue a magic link to give the host or planner access to Salle.

Issuing a link

1. Go to the project → Settings
2. Scroll to Salle access links
3. Enter the recipient's display name (e.g. "The Adeyemis" or "Sarah — Event Planner")
4. Select the role: Host or Planner
5. Optionally set an expiry date
6. Click Issue link
7. Copy the link and send it securely to the recipient

Revoking a link

Find the credential in the list and click Revoke. The link immediately redirects to the expired page on next use. Active sessions are not instantly invalidated — they expire within 72 hours or when the signing secret is rotated.

Admin mirror

Go to Project → Mirror to see a live view of exactly what the host is seeing in Salle. The status bar shows the current version, approval status, number of active credentials, and last interaction time. Use this to support a host without interrupting their session.

Salle configuration

Configure the look and feel of the host surface from Project → Settings → Salle theme.

Theme

Choose the visual theme for Salle. The default is Maison Doclar — true black background, Maison Gold accents, ivory text. The theme is delivered server-side so there is no flash of unstyled content when the host loads Salle.

The host can toggle between the theme's dark and light modes using the circle icon in the Salle header. Their preference is remembered on that device.

Host review toggle

Enable or disable host review from project settings. When disabled, issued magic links will still work but the approval flow is hidden from the host.

Nucleus sync

ESLA can sync guest data from Nucleus — the Maison Doclar guest master system — via the API Gateway.

Connecting a project to Nucleus

1. Go to Project → Settings
2. Find the Nucleus event ID field
3. Paste the UUID of the corresponding Nucleus event
4. Click Save

Pull sync (admin-triggered)

Once the Nucleus event ID is set, click Pull from Nucleus in project settings. ESLA fetches the full current guest list from the Gateway and upserts all guests. The result shows: total guests, newly created, and updated.

Push sync (automatic webhooks)

When guests are created, updated, or deleted in Nucleus, the Gateway sends a webhook to ESLA which processes it automatically. Webhook events are logged and visible in Project → Webhooks.

Webhook log

Access from Project → Webhooks. Shows all inbound events received from the Maison Doclar API Gateway.

Use the status filter to show only failed events. Common causes of failure: Nucleus event ID not set on the project, or the webhook secret not matching.

Audit log

Access from Project → Audit log. Every significant action is recorded.

Admin sees the complete trail including all ESLA and Salle actions. Planners see only their own Salle actions. Hosts see nothing from the audit log directly.

Filter the log by action type, entity type, and date range. Use this to reconstruct exactly what happened and when if there is ever a dispute.

Project settings

Access from Project → Settings.

Accessing Salle

The host and planner receive a magic link from the event admin. Clicking the link opens Salle and establishes a secure 72-hour session. No password is required.

Once in Salle, your session lasts 72 hours from the time the link was issued — not 72 hours from when you first opened it. Save the Salle URL after first access and you can return without re-clicking the link during that period.

Room view (canvas)

The canvas is the default view when Salle opens. It shows the full venue as a warm, atmospheric floor plan.

Navigation

Table indicators

• The table name and occupancy (e.g. 8/10) are shown on each table
• Small gold dots along the bottom edge represent the most VIP guests at that table
• Tables with a gold border are in the VIP zone
• A gold glow on a table means it was recently updated

List view

Tap List in the header to switch from canvas to list view. All tables appear as cards with their guest rows below.

• Tapping a table card opens the table detail panel
• Tapping a guest name navigates to their table in canvas view
• Both views stay in sync — changes made in one are immediately reflected in the other

List view is particularly useful on mobile when you need to scan the full guest list quickly.

Working with tables in Salle

Opening a table

Tap any table in canvas view or any table card in list view. The detail panel slides in from the right.

Renaming a table

In the table detail panel, tap the table name at the top. It becomes an editable field. Type the new name and press Enter or tap away. The canvas updates immediately with a gentle shimmer animation.

Changing table shape

In the table detail panel, the shape picker shows all available types. Tap the desired shape to convert. The table reshapes on the canvas with a smooth animation.

Moving a table

In canvas view, drag a selected table to reposition it. Tables marked as locked by admin cannot be moved.

Adding a note to a table

In the table detail panel, tap + Add note at the bottom. Type your note and tap Save. Notes are visible to both host and planner, and to admin in ESLA.

Adding areas to the canvas

Tap and hold on an empty area of the canvas to add a label — Bar, Exit, Photo Booth, Lounge Area, and similar. These are decorative context markers, not fixtures.

Working with guests in Salle

Viewing guests at a table

Open a table's detail panel. The guest list shows all guests assigned to that table with their name and VIP designation.

Moving a guest

In the table detail panel, tap the arrow icon next to a guest's name. The guest moves to the holding area. From there, select a destination table and use Seat here to complete the move.

VIP designations

Holding area

The holding area contains guests who are not currently assigned to a table. The count appears in the Salle header (e.g. · 3 unplaced).

Tap the unplaced count to open the holding area drawer. To seat a guest from the holding area: select a table in canvas view first, then tap Seat here next to the guest in the holding area.

Finding guests

The search bar is always visible in the Salle header. Type at least 2 characters to search by first name, last name, or preferred name.

Selecting a result does two things simultaneously: the canvas flies to that guest's table with a smooth animated pan, and the table detail panel opens. The guest's chip is briefly highlighted.

If the guest is in the holding area (unassigned), the holding area opens instead.

Notes and conversation

Tap Notes in the Salle header to open the notes panel. This provides a shared conversation thread between the host and planner.

• Messages appear as a chat-style thread
• Host messages appear on the right, planner messages on the left
• Send with Enter or the Send button
• Notes are asynchronous — neither party needs to be online simultaneously
• New messages arrive via real-time sync when both parties are active

Notes are visible to both host and planner in Salle. Admin sees the complete thread in ESLA via the audit log.

Planner collaboration

The planner has access to all the same views and interactions as the host, with one important difference: all planner writes are proposals, not direct changes.

How planner proposals work

1. Planner makes a change — moves a guest, renames a table, changes a shape
2. Instead of applying immediately, it is sent to the host as a suggestion
3. The suggestion appears in the host's Notes panel under Suggestions from your planner
4. Host taps Accept — the change is applied
5. Host taps Decline — the change is discarded

Approval and versioning

Approving the plan

1. When satisfied, tap Review & approve in the Salle header
2. A full-screen modal appears — read the summary
3. Tap Approve this plan
4. Confirm on the next screen
5. The plan is approved, the layout locks in ESLA, and the download becomes available

Requesting changes instead

In the approval modal, tap Request changes. Describe what you would like changed. Your note is sent to the planner as a conversation message and flagged in the ESLA audit log.

Versioning

Once a plan is approved, any further change automatically opens a new version. The version number increments and the approval resets — you must approve again.

The prior approved version is preserved as a snapshot. If needed, admin can restore from it in ESLA.

Download

The download button appears in the Salle header. It is greyed out until the host has approved the plan.

After approval, tapping Download exports a PDF of the complete seating plan — guest names, VIP designations, and table assignments — in a clean Maison Doclar-styled document.

The filename includes the event name and version number.

Ask anything — AI assistant

Tap the ✦ Ask anything button in the Salle header to open the assistant panel.

The assistant knows the complete Salle feature set and your specific event context — guest count, table count, approval status, and your role. Ask it anything about how to use Salle, how to find a specific guest, or what happens when you approve the plan.

The assistant speaks in the voice of a knowledgeable event concierge — warm, precise, and never technical. It will not mention databases, APIs, or internal system details.

Example questions

• "How do I move a guest to a different table?"
• "Where is Adaeze sitting?"
• "Can I add a cocktail table near the bar?"
• "What happens after I approve the plan?"
• "How do I rename Table 12?"

Light and dark mode

Salle defaults to the mode configured by admin in the project theme settings.

Toggle between light and dark mode using the circle icon in the top-right of the Salle header. Your preference is saved on this device and persists across sessions.

The colour palette — gold accents, specific background shades — is set by admin and does not change when you toggle mode. Only the overall luminance changes.

VIP tiers

VIP tier affects the auto-allocator (principal guests are placed first), the canvas chip colours, and the display in Salle's table detail panel.

Status reference

Project statuses

Layout statuses

Guest statuses

Keyboard shortcuts

These shortcuts work in the ESLA canvas.

Troubleshooting

I cannot sign in to ESLA

Confirm you are using the correct email address. Passwords are case-sensitive. If you have forgotten your password, contact Atelier at kglaw@maisondoclar.com for a reset.

My Salle link shows "link is no longer active"

The link has expired (72-hour limit) or been revoked by admin. Contact your event manager and ask for a fresh link.

Salle shows no tables or guests

The layout may not have been published yet. Ask admin to publish the layout from ESLA → Project → Layouts → change status to Published.

Changes I make in Salle are not saving

Check the offline indicator — a small dot in the header. If you are offline, changes are queued and will sync when your connection returns. If online, try refreshing the page.

The auto-allocator placed guests incorrectly

Check that guest relationships are set correctly (Must seat together / Separate). Decline the incorrect suggestions and move guests manually. The allocator respects relationships — if none are set, it allocates purely by VIP tier and capacity.

CSV import shows errors

Common causes: missing required columns (firstName, lastName), invalid VIP tier values (must be exactly VIP_NONE, VIP_STANDARD, VIP_PRIORITY, or VIP_PRINCIPAL), or formula injection in cell values (values starting with =, +, -, or @ are sanitised automatically but may cause parse errors).

Nucleus sync returns an error

Confirm the Nucleus event ID is set correctly in project settings — it must be a valid UUID. Confirm ESLA is registered with the Gateway. Contact Atelier if the error persists.

The PDF download is slow

PDF generation uses a headless browser — on large events (200+ guests) this can take 5-10 seconds. This is expected behaviour. The download begins automatically when generation is complete.

The AI assistant says "currently unavailable"

The assistant requires an Anthropic API key configured on the server. If you see this message, contact admin.

Contact and support