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EVNT PLNR

July 6, 2023
Multi-Vendor Marketplace for Expert Consultations

EVNT PLNR was a custom-built multi-vendor marketplace that connected clients with Vancouver’s top wedding and event planners for on-demand virtual consultations via Zoom. Built entirely on WordPress and WooCommerce, the platform enabled curated experts to sell bookable 40-minute video sessions — no contracts, no long-term commitments — while the platform handled scheduling, payments, and Zoom meeting delivery automatically.

ClientEVNTPLNRYear2022Share
EVNT PLNR

Project Overview

The core challenge: WordPress has no native capability to run a multi-vendor marketplace where independent sellers offer bookable video meetings. This required combining and customizing over 30 plugins, writing custom integration code, and engineering a seamless user experience across what was essentially a purpose-built SaaS platform running on WordPress infrastructure.

The Problem

Event planning is traditionally an all-or-nothing engagement — hire a full-service planner or go it alone. EVNT PLNR’s client identified a gap: people who just need expert guidance for a specific question, a budget review, or a vendor recommendation, without committing to a $5,000+ planning package.
The platform needed to:
  • Allow multiple independent event planners to list their own bookable Zoom sessions
  • Handle real-time calendar availability and time-zone-aware scheduling
  • Process payments via Stripe with automatic commission splits (70/30 vendor/platform)
  • Generate and deliver Zoom meeting links automatically upon purchase
  • Provide each vendor with a branded storefront, profile page, and self-service dashboard
  • Support a vendor application and onboarding pipeline
  • Deliver a polished, luxury-adjacent front-end that matched the caliber of the planners on the platform

Technical Architecture

Platform Stack

  • CMS / Framework: WordPress
  • E-Commerce Engine: WooCommerce
  • Multi-Vendor Marketplace: WCFM (WooCommerce Frontend Manager) — Ultimate + Multivendor Marketplace modules
  • Booking System: WooCommerce Bookings (calendar-based availability and time slot management)
  • Video Conferencing: Zoom API integration via “Video Conferencing with Zoom” + custom WCFM–Zoom bridge plugins
  • Payment Processing: WooCommerce Stripe Gateway (Google Pay, Stripe Link, standard card)
  • Page Builder / Design: Divi + DiviFlash
  • Forms & User Registration: Gravity Forms with User Registration, Mailchimp, and reCAPTCHA add-ons
  • Email Marketing: MailPoet + Gravity Forms Mailchimp integration
  • SEO & Analytics: Yoast SEO + Google Site Kit
  • Security & Access: Content Control, LoginWP (role-based redirects), User Switching (admin/vendor testing)
  • DevOps & Maintenance: MainWP Child, Advanced Cron Manager, WP Mail SMTP Pro, Imagify, Redirection

Key Integrations Built

  1. WCFM + Zoom Bridge — Custom plugin code connecting the multi-vendor storefront system (WCFM) with Zoom’s API so that each vendor’s bookings automatically generated unique Zoom meeting links, sent to both parties. This was the most technically complex piece — WCFM and WooCommerce Bookings don’t natively talk to Zoom, and the integration required handling per-vendor Zoom authentication, time zone conversion, and meeting lifecycle management.

  2. Vendor Onboarding Pipeline — Gravity Forms powered a vendor application flow that fed into WCFM’s membership system, allowing planners to apply, get approved, and immediately access a frontend dashboard to manage their profile, availability, and bookings — all without touching the WordPress admin.

  3. Role-Based Access & Routing — LoginWP configured post-login redirects so vendors landed on their WCFM dashboard, customers on their booking history, and admins on the backend. Content Control restricted page visibility by role.

  4. Commission & Payout Architecture — WCFM Marketplace handled the 70/30 split automatically on every sale, with Stripe processing the initial charge and WCFM managing vendor ledgers and withdrawal requests.

  5. Booking Calendar System — WooCommerce Bookings provided per-vendor calendar availability that customers could browse in their own time zone, select a date/time, and purchase — all in a single product page flow.

Features Delivered

For Clients (Buyers)

  • Browse a curated directory of 9+ expert event planners with detailed profiles, photo galleries, and specialties

  • View real-time availability via an integrated booking calendar

  • Book and pay for 40-minute Zoom consultations in one seamless flow

  • Multiple payment methods: credit card, Google Pay, Stripe Link

  • Automatic Zoom meeting link delivery post-purchase

  • Account dashboard with booking history

  • Follow favorite planners and leave reviews/ratings

  • Blog with event planning resources across categories (Weddings, Corporate, Birthday Parties)

  • Mobile-responsive design

For Vendors (Planners)

  • Self-service frontend dashboard (no WordPress admin access needed)

  • Full control over profile, bio, photo gallery, specialties, and pricing

  • Calendar management — set availability windows and block dates

  • Automatic Zoom meeting creation for each confirmed booking

  • Commission tracking and withdrawal requests

  • Customer review management

For the Platform Owner

  • Vendor application and approval pipeline

  • Automated 30% commission on every transaction

  • Email marketing integration (MailPoet + Mailchimp)

  • SEO-optimized with Yoast and Google Site Kit analytics

  • Centralized site management via MainWP

  • Custom admin branding (AME Branding Add-on)

Design & Branding

The site featured a luxury-adjacent aesthetic with a deep forest green and cream color palette, elegant serif headlines paired with clean sans-serif body text, and high-quality lifestyle photography throughout. The brand tone was premium but approachable — “Timeless, Chic, Elevated” — designed to match the caliber of Vancouver’s top event planners while remaining accessible to everyday clients.
Key pages included:

  • Homepage with hero section, featured planner carousel, testimonials, how-it-works flow, and dual CTAs for clients and vendors

  • PLNR Directory with hero slideshow and planner grid

  • Individual Vendor Profiles with bio, gallery, services, map, reviews, and booking CTA

  • Product/Booking Pages with integrated calendar and Stripe checkout

  • FAQ, About Us, Blog, Vendor Registration

Plugin Ecosystem

  • Multi-Vendor Marketplace: WCFM Core, WCFM Ultimate, WCFM Multivendor Marketplace, WCFM Store Categories, WCFM Membership

  • E-Commerce & Booking: WooCommerce, WooCommerce Bookings, WooCommerce Stripe Gateway

  • Zoom Integration: Video Conferencing with Zoom, Zoom Integration for WCFM, Zoom Integration for WooCommerce and Bookings, WCFM + Zoom Modifications (custom)

  • Forms & Registration: Gravity Forms, GF User Registration, GF Mailchimp, GF reCAPTCHA

  • Email & Marketing: MailPoet, WP Mail SMTP Pro

  • Design & UX: DiviFlash, Say What? (string customization), Content Control

  • SEO & Analytics: Yoast SEO, Yoast Duplicate Post, Google Site Kit

  • Admin & DevOps: Admin Menu Editor Pro, AME Branding, Advanced Cron Manager, MainWP Child, User Switching, LoginWP, Redirection, WP Help, ToDo Block

  • Performance: Imagify, Media Library File Size

  • Dev/Testing: Preview E-mails for WooCommerce

Outcome

EVNT PLNR launched with 9 curated Vancouver-area event planners offering sessions priced between $150–$200, covering weddings, corporate events, fundraisers, galas, birthday parties, and career consulting. The platform demonstrated that WordPress + WooCommerce can be engineered far beyond a standard e-commerce store — into a fully functional, multi-sided marketplace with real-time video conferencing, automated scheduling, and commission-based payouts.

Skills Demonstrated

  • WordPress Architecture — Designing a complex multi-plugin ecosystem where 30+ plugins work together cohesively

  • WooCommerce Customization — Extending WooCommerce beyond standard e-commerce into a bookable services marketplace

  • Multi-Vendor Marketplace Development — Configuring WCFM for vendor onboarding, storefronts, commission management, and frontend dashboards

  • API Integration — Bridging Zoom’s API with WooCommerce Bookings and WCFM for automated video meeting creation

  • Custom Plugin Development — Writing custom code to connect systems that don’t natively integrate (WCFM + Zoom bridge)

  • Payment Architecture — Implementing Stripe with automated commission splits and vendor payouts

  • UX/UI Design — Crafting a cohesive, luxury-market brand experience using Divi and DiviFlash

  • Role-Based Access Control — Engineering multi-role user journeys (admin, vendor, customer) with appropriate permissions and redirects

  • Email & Marketing Systems — Integrating Gravity Forms, MailPoet, and Mailchimp for transactional and marketing email flows

  • SEO & Performance Optimization — Yoast SEO configuration, image optimization (Imagify), and cron job management

+1 840 841 25 69
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