How to Run Members-Only Events in WordPress (Free + Paid Options)

Working members-only occasions in CMS generally is a highly effective solution to interact your neighborhood, generate income, and supply unique experiences. By limiting entry to particular content material and actions, you possibly can create a way of exclusivity and loyalty amongst your members.

That stated, CMS doesn’t include a built-in choice to create occasions and restrict them to sure customers. To arrange members-only occasions, you will have to make use of an occasion calendar plugin alongside a membership plugin.

At WPBeginner, we’ve examined and used a number of calendar and membership plugins. Based mostly on our expertise, Sugar Calendar is the best choice for including occasions to your website. From there, you should use MemberPress or Paid Memberships Professional to limit entry to occasions.

On this article, we are going to present you easy methods to run members-only occasions in CMS. We’ll go over each free and paid choices to accommodate each funds.

Why Run Members-Solely Occasions in CMS?

Including unique occasions to your website is an effective way to strengthen your relationship along with your viewers and create a extra loyal buyer base. It encourages a way of neighborhood and belonging amongst members.

Plus, it helps enhance engagement, as you possibly can supply members distinctive content material and actions not accessible to the general public. This encourages customers to maintain coming again to your website and luxuriate in unique content material.

Since solely subscribers can entry these occasions, you can too generate extra revenue by occasion registrations and memberships. In addition to that, you can too promote occasion tickets that solely your members can entry.

That stated, let’s take a look at easy methods to add unique occasions to your website and limit them to members solely. We’ll cowl completely different strategies for creating memberships, so you possibly can click on the hyperlinks under to shortly soar forward to any part:

Including Members-Solely Occasions to Your CMS Online presence

The simplest means so as to add a number of occasions to your website and create a calendar is through the use of Sugar Calendar.

It’s the finest calendar plugin for CMS and is beginner-friendly to make use of. Plus, it offers you a number of customization choices. You’ll additionally be capable to create a number of calendars, sync with Google Calendar, use an addon for promoting occasion tickets, and extra.

To study extra about its options, chances are you’ll need to see our Sugar Calendar overview.

First, you’ll want to put in and activate the Sugar Calendar plugin. For those who need assistance, then please see our information on easy methods to set up a CMS plugin.

As soon as that’s performed, head to Calendar » Settings from the CMS dashboard and enter your license key.

You’ll find the license key in your account space. After that, merely click on the ‘Confirm Key’ button.

Subsequent, you possibly can create a brand new calendar in your unique occasions. Nonetheless, Sugar Calendar provides a calendar by default to your website. You should utilize that or add a brand new one for members-only occasions.

To get began, merely head to the Sugar Calendar » Calendars web page and click on the ‘+ Add Calendar’ button.

Then, enter a reputation in your new calendar.

There are additionally choices to vary the slug, add an outline, choose a guardian calendar, and select a colour.

When you’ve completed inputting this info, merely click on the ‘Add New Calendar’ button.

Subsequent, you possibly can go to the Sugar Calendar » Occasions web page and click on the ‘+ Add New Occasion’ button.

After that, you’ll must enter the main points of your occasion.

Right here, you possibly can add an occasion identify, begin/finish time, date, occasion frequency (‘Recurrence’), location, and value (if you happen to’re promoting occasion tickets).

While you’re prepared, merely choose the calendar the place the occasion will probably be displayed after which click on the ‘Publish’ button.

Subsequent, you possibly can add your calendar to a brand new or current web page. Merely open the content material editor and click on the ‘+’ icon so as to add the ‘Occasions Calendar’ block.

You’ll now see a preview of your calendar within the content material editor.

Go forward and publish or replace your web page. Then, you possibly can go to your web site to see the occasions calendar in motion.

You may additionally need to see our information on easy methods to create a easy occasion calendar with Sugar Calendar to study extra customization choices.

Now that your occasions and calendars are prepared, the subsequent step is to limit them to members solely.

Prohibit Occasions for Members Utilizing MemberPress (Really helpful)

Plenty of membership plugins allow you to limit your occasions for subscribers. However MemberPress is the best choice we’ve examined. It presents an entire platform for promoting limitless membership ranges and subscriptions.

You possibly can learn our full MemberPress overview to study all about its options and advantages.

This methodology is nice for anybody searching for an all-in-one membership plugin that has all the pieces it’s essential create, promote, and handle every kind of memberships.

For those who’re simply getting began, then chances are you’ll need to see our final information to making a CMS membership website.

First, you’ll want to put in and activate MemberPress in your website. For those who need assistance, then please see our information on easy methods to set up a CMS plugin.

Upon activation, it’s essential go to the MemberPress » Settings web page and click on on the ‘License’ menu choice to enter your license key.

You’ll find the important thing in your account on the MemberPress web site. After coming into the important thing, merely click on the ‘Start License Key’ button.

Subsequent, you’ll must arrange a cost gateway in your members-only website. You are able to do this by choosing the ‘Funds’ tab after which clicking the ‘Add Cost Methodology’ button.

After that, you possibly can choose completely different cost gateways in your website to arrange.

The plugin helps widespread providers, together with Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.internet.

You possibly can merely choose a cost methodology from the ‘Gateway’ drop-down. From right here, you’ll want to offer the required credentials or comply with the onscreen directions to attach your most popular gateway.

Subsequent, you will have to create membership ranges that customers can subscribe to and entry members-only occasions.

To create a membership stage, it’s essential go to the MemberPress » Memberships web page from the CMS dashboard. After that, click on the ‘Add New’ button on the high.

Subsequent, you possibly can enter a title in your membership plan and supply particulars within the submit editor.

On the precise hand aspect, you’ll see an choice to enter the value in your membership plan. It’s also possible to choose the plan to be both one-time or recurring.

After that, you possibly can scroll down and alter completely different membership choices.

For instance, MemberPress enables you to edit the registration settings, just like the button textual content, enabling a customized thanks web page, custom-made cost strategies, and extra.

For those who swap to the ‘Worth Field’ tab, then you definately’ll discover choices to edit the looks of pricing plans.

You possibly can change the title, add heading textual content, listing the advantages, and extra.

After coming into these particulars, you possibly can merely publish the membership plan. Now, repeat this step to create as many membership ranges as you need.

Subsequent, you’ll want to go to MemberPress » Guidelines from the CMS dashboard. Right here, you possibly can create guidelines to limit entry to occasions that solely registered members can see.

Begin by clicking on the ‘Add New’ button on the high.

On the subsequent web page, you’ll must set the situations and affiliate them with a membership plan to run members-only occasions in your website.

To begin, you possibly can enter a reputation in your rule on the high. After that, click on the dropdown underneath ‘Protected Information.’

For this tutorial, we are going to choose the ‘A Single Occasion’ choice and lock a particular occasion. Nonetheless, there’s additionally an choice for ‘All Occasions,’ which can limit all occasions to members solely.

From right here, you’ll want to pick an occasion that solely members can view. Merely enter the identify of the occasion and choose it when it seems within the dropdown menu.

Subsequent, you possibly can set the situations underneath the ‘Entry Circumstances’ part. You possibly can choose ‘Membership’ from the dropdown menu and select the membership customers must must view the occasions.

If you would like extra memberships to view the occasion, then merely click on the ‘+’ icon and add different membership ranges.

When you find yourself performed, don’t neglect to click on the ‘Save Rule’ button.

That’s it! You’ve efficiently created a membership website the place solely subscribers can view your occasions.

If somebody who shouldn’t be registered tries to view the occasion, then they may see an unauthorized entry web page.

Prohibit Occasions for Members Utilizing Paid Memberships Professional (Free Possibility)

One other means you possibly can limit entry to occasions in your website is through the use of the Paid Memberships Professional plugin. It presents an Occasions addon that allows you to create members-only occasions. Plus, it integrates with widespread calendar plugins, together with Sugar Calendar.

This methodology is nice for customers who need a free answer to create easy membership ranges and lock completely different occasions. Nonetheless, if you happen to’re searching for an all-in-one membership platform with highly effective guidelines for limiting content material, then MemberPress is a greater answer.

For this tutorial, we are going to use the Paid Memberships Professional’s free model. There are additionally premium pricing plans that you should use for added options and integrations.

First, you’ll want to put in and activate the Paid Memberships Professional plugin. For those who need assistance, then please see our information on easy methods to set up a CMS plugin.

Upon activation, it’s best to see the plugins’ dashboard and welcome display.

Subsequent, you possibly can go to the ‘Add Ons’ tab on the high.

From right here, merely navigate to the ‘Occasions’ addon and click on the ‘Implement’ button.

After that, you possibly can create new membership ranges by going to the Settings » Ranges tab within the plugin menu.

Go forward and click on the ‘+ Add New Stage’ button.

A brand new popup window will now open, displaying you completely different membership ranges.

As an example, you possibly can create free, month-to-month, annual, lifetime, or one-time memberships. For this tutorial, we are going to select the ‘Annual’ choice.

Subsequent, you’ll must enter particulars in your membership stage.

Begin by coming into a reputation and an outline.

For those who scroll down, then there are extra choices in your membership stage.

You possibly can enter a affirmation message and add billing particulars.

The plugin presents extra settings, like defending pages and posts, enabling membership expiration, disabling new signups, and extra.

While you’re performed making modifications, merely click on the ‘Save Stage’ button on the finish.

Now you can repeat this step to create as many membership ranges as you need.

Subsequent, you possibly can head again to Sugar Calendar occasions and choose which membership ranges can view your occasions.

Merely go to Sugar Calendar » Occasions from the CMS admin panel after which click on on any occasion within the calendar. From right here, click on the ‘Edit’ choice.

After that, it’s best to see a ‘Require Membership’ meta field on the right-hand aspect within the occasion editor.

Go forward and choose the membership ranges that may entry the occasion.

While you’re performed, merely click on the ‘Replace’ button.

Now you can go to your web site and test who can entry the occasion. If somebody doesn’t have the required membership, then they’ll be requested to subscribe earlier than viewing the occasion.

We hope this text helped you discover ways to run members-only occasions in CMS. You may additionally need to see our information on easy methods to host a digital occasion in CMS and easy methods to add a free trial subscription in CMS.

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