Running events, whether online webinars, in-person workshops, or large conferences, is a fantastic way to engage your audience, generate leads, and build community. If you’re using WordPress for your website and Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) for your CRM and marketing automation, you know the power of having streamlined systems. But how do you seamlessly connect your event registration process on WordPress with your Keap contacts and campaigns?

The key is choosing an event management system that plays nicely with both platforms. A good integration ensures registrants are automatically added to Keap, tagged appropriately, and can trigger relevant automation sequences (like welcome emails, reminders, and post-event follow-ups). This saves you countless hours of manual data entry and ensures a smooth experience for your attendees.

So, which event systems are best for this WordPress + Keap combo?

Why Integrate Your WordPress Events with Keap Anyway?

Before diving in, let’s quickly recap the benefits:

  1. Automated Lead Capture: New registrants automatically become Keap contacts.
  2. Targeted Communication: Tag contacts based on the event they registered for, allowing for segmented email campaigns.
  3. Streamlined Follow-up: Trigger Keap campaigns for registration confirmations, event reminders, post-event surveys, and future promotions.
  4. Centralized Data: Keep all your contact interactions, including event attendance, in one place (Keap).
  5. Sales Opportunities: Easily track event leads and move them through your sales pipeline in Keap.

Now, let’s look at the systems that make this happen.

The Top 5 WordPress Event Systems for Keap Users

1) The Events Calendar & Event Tickets (by StellarWP)

  • Overview: This is arguably the most popular events plugin ecosystem for WordPress. The Events Calendar provides the core calendaring features, while Event Tickets (and the premium Event Tickets Plus) handles registration and ticketing.
  • WordPress Integration: Excellent. Deeply integrates with WordPress, offering various views (list, month, day), widgets, blocks, and extensive customization options via themes and add-ons.
  • Keap Integration: Primarily achieved through Zapier. You can set up Zaps to trigger when a new attendee registers via Event Tickets, then create/update a contact in Keap and apply relevant tags. For more advanced, direct integration (like bi-directional sync or applying tags based on check-in status), tools like WP Fusion are often used.
  • Pros: Highly flexible, scalable (free core, numerous premium add-ons), large community support, feature-rich.
  • Cons: Keap integration usually requires a paid Zapier plan or a separate middleware plugin like WP Fusion. Can become expensive with multiple premium add-ons.
  • Best For: Users needing a robust, customizable, and widely supported event solution directly within WordPress, who are comfortable using Zapier or middleware for Keap connection.

2) Event Espresso

  • Overview: A powerful, dedicated event registration and ticketing plugin for WordPress, built specifically for event managers. It offers features like multiple ticket types, customizable registration forms, attendee management, and payment gateway integration.
  • WordPress Integration: Solid native WordPress plugin experience. Manages everything within your WP dashboard.
  • Keap Integration: Event Espresso offers an official Infusionsoft (Keap) Integration add-on (premium). This provides a more direct connection than relying solely on Zapier, potentially allowing for smoother tagging and contact creation upon registration. Zapier is also an option if the direct add-on doesn’t meet specific needs.
  • Pros: Feature-rich for complex events, dedicated support, offers a specific Keap integration add-on.
  • Cons: Can have a steeper learning curve than simpler plugins. The core plugin and integrations are premium.
  • Best For: Businesses running frequent or complex events requiring detailed registration options and preferring a potentially more direct Keap integration add-on.

3) WP Event Manager

  • Overview: A lightweight, scalable, and user-friendly event management plugin for WordPress. It has a free core plugin with essential features, and numerous premium add-ons for advanced functionality (like ticketing, calendars, attendee information).
  • WordPress Integration: Smooth integration using shortcodes and widgets. Designed to work well with most WordPress themes. Frontend submission is also a popular feature.
  • Keap Integration: Primarily relies on Zapier. The “Sell Tickets” add-on handles registration, and you can create Zaps to send attendee data to Keap upon successful registration/purchase. WP Fusion can also facilitate deeper integration.
  • Pros: Good free core plugin, modular (pay only for the add-ons you need), relatively easy to use.
  • Cons: Keap integration requires Zapier or middleware; costs can add up with multiple premium add-ons.
  • Best For: Users who want to start with a free solution and scale up features as needed, comfortable using Zapier for Keap sync.

4) Modern Events Calendar (MEC)

  • Overview: Known for its visually appealing layouts and extensive features, MEC offers a wide range of options for displaying and managing events. It comes in both a powerful free (Lite) version and a Pro version.
  • WordPress Integration: Excellent. Offers numerous skins, shortcodes, and Elementor/Divi/WPBakery integrations for beautiful event displays.
  • Keap Integration: Integration with Keap is typically handled via Zapier or potentially webhooks (available in Pro). When someone registers for an event (using MEC’s booking system), you can trigger a Zap to add/update the contact in Keap and apply tags. WP Fusion also often supports MEC.
  • Pros: Beautiful frontend designs, feature-rich even in the Lite version, good integration with page builders.
  • Cons: Like others, relies on Zapier/middleware for Keap. Some users find the backend interface dense due to the number of options.
  • Best For: Users prioritizing visual appeal and diverse display options for their events, who are fine with using Zapier for Keap.

5) Gravity Forms + Gravity Perks / Add-ons

  • Overview: While not a dedicated event system, Gravity Forms is a powerhouse WordPress form builder that many businesses already use. With the right setup and potentially some add-ons (like Gravity Perks’ “Limit Submissions” or official payment gateway add-ons), it can effectively handle event registrations, especially for simpler events.
  • WordPress Integration: Seamless. Embed forms anywhere on your site.
  • Keap Integration: Gravity Forms has an excellent, official Keap Add-On (available with higher-tier Gravity Forms licenses or purchasable separately). This allows direct mapping of form fields to Keap contact fields, applying tags, and even triggering Keap campaign goals upon form submission (registration). Zapier is also an option.
  • Pros: Leverages a tool you might already own/know, flexible form building, excellent official Keap add-on for direct integration, cost-effective if you already have Gravity Forms.
  • Cons: Not a true event management system (lacks built-in calendars, recurring event features, dedicated attendee check-in tools without extra work/plugins). Best suited for simpler registration needs.
  • Best For: Users who already use Gravity Forms Pro/Elite, run simpler events (like webinars or single-session workshops), and want a very direct, reliable Keap integration without needing complex event-specific features like calendars or multi-level ticketing out-of-the-box.

Choosing the Right System for You

Consider these factors:

  • Event Complexity: Do you need multiple ticket types, recurring events, complex scheduling? (Lean towards TEC, Event Espresso, MEC). Or are simple registrations enough? (Gravity Forms might suffice).
  • Budget: Factor in plugin costs, add-on costs, and potentially Zapier or WP Fusion subscriptions. (WP Event Manager offers a good free starting point).
  • Technical Comfort: Are you comfortable setting up Zapier Zaps or using middleware like WP Fusion? Most options rely on this for Keap. Gravity Forms offers a more direct add-on.
  • Desired Features: Do you need advanced calendar views, frontend submissions, specific payment gateways, or deep page builder integration?
  • Existing Tools: If you already heavily use Gravity Forms Pro/Elite, leveraging its Keap add-on is often the most streamlined path for simple registrations.

Conclusion

Integrating your WordPress event system with Keap is crucial for automating your marketing, nurturing leads, and providing a seamless attendee experience. Whether you need the comprehensive features of The Events Calendar or Event Espresso, the visual flair of MEC, the scalability of WP Event Manager, or the direct integration power of Gravity Forms for simpler needs, there’s a solution that fits. Evaluate your specific requirements, budget, and technical setup to choose the system that will best connect your website events to your Keap powerhouse.

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