[Artisantopia]

Hi, I’d love some advice on the best way to set up a site.
The client already has a WP website, blog and shopping cart installed using Alyeska theme and WP eStore plugin. They want to add a membership area – which will done using WP eMember also from Tips&TricksHQ.
There will be a free membership level that provides access to a forum (bbPress).
Paid Member level 1 will have access to the free forum, some premium content (pages protected by eMember) and some private forums.
Paid Member Level 2 will inherit all of level 1 plus will have other private forums and will probably use the Courseware plugin for ecourses.

I haven’t used BuddyPress before, but the client is very keen to use it.

What is the best approach to take to achieve everything they want? I’m comfortable with setting up eMember to manage access to the forum and premium content, but how do I control which member levels can see which forums?

Is it best to install it directly into the existing site or create a subdomain for the membership area?

Will it work with the Alyeska theme and if not what do I do to make it work?

I know that is a lot of questions, but I will be eternally grateful for any adivce you can share. I want to set this up properly from the start – so guidance on how best to structure it will be most appreciated. Thanks!

[Artisantopia]

Anyone? Surely someone has some wisdom to share with me!