Hosting a corporate event can be a difficult and stressful affair, but in the end it can all be worth it if your hard work and planning pays off. But this, in itself, raises questions. How do you make sure your hard work and planning does pay off? What can you do to make sure your corporate event is the kind of event people will love, and remember fondly forever?

Guaranteeing that a corporate event will be successful is an almost impossible undertaking, however by focusing on these three aspects you can ensure your event is both engaging and memorable. Here they are.

Exclusivity

If you throw a corporate event that just anyone can go to, attendees are unlikely to feel special. You may be able to get more people to come if your event is open invite, but creating an air of exclusivity will leave guests with the feeling that your event was “great” and not merely “good.”

A great example of an event with a strong exclusive angle is Smart Group’s Twickenham Rugby hospitality package. This event takes place in an VIP venue adjacent to the stadium, and boasts the presence of English rugby legend Martin Johnson in attendance every time.

If you want an exclusive event without a celebrity presence, try an exclusive venue. 111 Minna Gallery in California, for example, is the choice venue of Google, Microsoft, Facebook and the like, with a cosy 500-person capacity and modern, artistic features. Getting invited to the same place there legendary tech products have been launched will be a treat for anyone at your corporate event.

Inviting “the right people” is another good way to emphasise the VIP nature of your event. Tastemakers and early adopters with a genuine enthusiasm for your brand will be able to spread the word about your event when it is over, perhaps even giving it legendary status.

Luxury

Exclusivity can make a corporate event great, but an exclusive event in a run-down venue with inferior catering, facilities and entertainment would be anything but. That’s where luxury comes in.

Attendees at your corporate event ought to be pampered. They have to feel like they are getting the best of the best. The best food, the best drink, the best quality entertainment. A great corporate event will have all of these things.

To achieve this effect, you could go all out on the budget, spending big on gourmet chefs and five star venues. But you don’t have to do this. There are ways to go luxury for less by making the most of your event budget. Tactics like negotiating, using internal resources and social media promotion are all helpful when trying to host a luxury event on a lower budget. Through negotiating for a better price could help you cut the cost of a luxury hotel, for example. As a Guardian reporter shows in this article on negotiating, simply by laying out your terms to a venue and speaking to them directly on the phone or in person you could manage to cut a sizeable chunk out of that luxury pricetag.

Inclusivity

Yes, this is the opposite of exclusivity, but it is important in a different way. Whilst making it onto an exclusive guest list will give attendees a boost of self esteem, what will make them even better is including them in the actual event proceedings.

There are several effective ways to do this. One is to encourage guest participation in social media. Twitter walls or Instagram booths can help with this. An even better way to include attendees is to invite them to speak or hold a booth at your event.

However you do it, if you make attendees feel like part of the proceedings, they are likely to enjoy, and remember, your event even more positively.