Event ticket latest features and questions

[abrokenangel]

We are selling tickets again for dinner events after a pandemic break. I previously had an item set up to do this, but it's been a number of years and I can't seem to figure out how I did it before (maybe something changed). I'm spending way too much time on it and running into a number of issues. Even with the new "events" category, the process has not been at all straightforward.

1. If I create an event with several variations (adult, child 6-11, child 5 and under) and link directly to it from my external website (our main website in on SquareSpace), once a choice is made the customer is taken directly to the Square checkout item, but with no way to add additional items. We have some families, so having to register and pay twice just to add the kiddos is a less than elegant solution. Otherwise, I would do the above.
2. I thought maybe I could get around this by creating an Events "website" in the online area and adding the item there. I've done that and it is now easy to add additional tickets to the order before checkout. But in this view, the option to use a gift card is prominently displayed. The gift cards are for our food trailer, not for events. Is it possible to turn that option off, even temporarily?
3. Ideally, I would like a short form to collect information from guests like the names of all ticket holders, special requests, etc. I can create forms in other places like my SquareSpace website, but then I'd have to pay extra to set up ecommerce through them and connect to Square, which is way more than we need just to add a few form fields to an item.

Why is this not easier? Any advice? I did read through other "event" topics in this forum. Thank you!

[JJ_]

I can agree with you @abrokenangel. There are many improvements to the way Events are currently handled. I don't see what other suggestions I could offer that you haven't already explored or even possibly tried. However, I recommend you submit a Feature Request here. Doing so will help our product team get visibility and track other Sellers with similar interest in your request. 

Important: When submitting a request, make sure to include the desired feature, and provide the details of how this feature will help your business succeed (how would you use it and what you expect from it).