The phrase I am confused about is "Select Seating Only." Does it mean that the audience can only choose seats that's already preselected by staff? An image of the ad is included and the phrase is on the bottom right corner. Thanks.
Your flyer is basically telling you that you have to pay a fee (i.e., you choosing a seat) in order to attend the seminar. But the speaker will cut you a break (not really) and maybe let you sit in the front row (the "upgrade") if you agree to buy merchandise in addition to paying for the privilege of sitting down and listening to him speak.
Mamie is right. The asterisk is on the 30% off phrase. It means that if you pay for the most expensive seats, you'll get 30% off and a seating "upgrade". In other words, they've reserved the best seats to use as an incentive to get you to pay more.