This blog is one in a series aimed to help you book a comedian for your bar, restaurant, corporate event, or bris.
You’re an event planner, you’ve got a corporate function coming up. You’ve lined up the venue and the catering, but one big challenge remains: the entertainment.
Do you go with a band?
Everyone loves music, but a full band could be so loud they overpower any attempt at a conversation.
What about a string quartet, or some other version of background music?
Not a bad idea, but if you’re going for background music, you could save a couple thousand dollars by looking up a classical playlist on Spotify, and firing that up.
If you’re looking for something to cap the night off—a final event to put a cherry on the sundae that is your corporate event, there’s nothing better than live entertainment. Something to focus the audience.
Are you considering booking a comedian? Because you should be.
The not-so-obvious case for comedy
The ultimate goal for any event is happy guests.
You want to give them a nice cocktail hour, where they can mill about and socialize. Maybe throw a few appetizers into their belly.
Next up: the main course, specifically a meal.
You have to feed your guests, right? No one likes standing about with a grumbly tummy.
Plus, after standing around for a while, being able to pull up a chair and resting your tootsies is always appreciated. Having a warm meal placed in front of you makes things a thousand times better.
The conversation continues to flow; drinks are had, everyone is in a good mood.
So what’s next?
How about stand-up comedy?
HEY, WHY NOT TAKE A MOMENT TO CHECK OUT MY CORPORATE PAGE?
There’s no better way to make a room full of people happy than by making them laugh. Whether they’re clients, prospective customers, or employees, laughter means smiles on faces and people feeling good about the experience they just had.
Well-documented research shows that a good belly laugh brings incredible health benefits to people.
Laughter, in no short order, has been known to promote:
- Stress Reduction: Laughter triggers endorphin release, those all-natural feel-good chemicals. When you’re full of endorphins, stress levels decrease, and tension melts away.
- A Stronger Immune System: Laughter increases the production of antibodies, which helps strengthen the immune system. A stronger immune system leads to better resistance against infection, and disease.
- Improved Cardiovascular Health: Laughter improves blood flow, which increases vascular function, which (in turn) leads to better cardiovascular health. Better cardiovascular health, in turn, can lower your blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Muscle Relaxation: When you laugh, your muscles turn to mush. Of course, that’s not exactly a scientific term, but it’s true; when you relax, tension fades from your muscles. This helps reduce physical tension, and promotes full-body relaxation.
- Pain Relief: Remember those endorphins from earlier? Well, they are natural painkillers. This means laughing reduces feelings of pain and discomfort, providing temporary relief from physical aches.
- Boosts Mood: Laughter has a powerful effect on mood, helping to lift spirits. It can provide a sense of joy and happiness, even in difficult situations. Want to hear a personal experience about this phenomena? Click here for a story about a comedy show I performed for soldiers stationed in Afghanistan.
- Enhances Social Bonding: Laughing with others strengthens social bonds and fosters a sense of connection and camaraderie. It can improve communication, build trust, and deepen relationships.
- Improves Cognitive Function: Laughter stimulates the brain, which can improve cognitive function. This includes memory, creativity, and problem-solving skills. It can also increase mental clarity and focus.
There’s no two ways around it: laughter is good for you.
want to contact me? do so here
Not convinced yet?
Well, there’s also research showing why laughter will make your organization work better.
Why laughter = better organizations.
When you laugh with someone, you feel closer to them. You feel more bonded, you trust each other more.
- Laughter Fosters Teamwork: A group of people laughing together creates a sense of camaraderie, which therefore strengthens bonds among coworkers. It fosters a supportive and cohesive team dynamic, encouraging collaboration and cooperation in the workplace.
- Laughter Enhances Communication: Laughter breaks down barriers and facilitates open communication among employees. It encourages dialogue, creativity, and the sharing of ideas, leading to better problem-solving and innovation.
- Laughter Increases Engagement: Laughter engages employees and makes work more enjoyable. It creates a sense of fun and excitement, increasing employee satisfaction and reducing turnover rates.
- Improves Health and Wellness: Laughter has numerous health benefits, including boosting the immune system, improving cardiovascular health, and reducing pain and inflammation. A healthier workforce leads to fewer sick days and higher productivity levels.
- Enhances Company Culture: Incorporating laughter into the workplace helps to create a positive company culture. It fosters a sense of belonging and camaraderie, making employees feel valued and appreciated.
- Attracts and Retains Talent: A workplace that encourages laughter and fun is more attractive to prospective employees. It signals a positive and supportive work environment, helping to attract and retain top talent.
ARE YOU STILL READING? WELL, I’VE GOT A SECRET FOR YOU…
I’ve been doing some research, and apparently if you drop a ton of blogs at the same time, about the same topic, it’s gonna boost your webpage.
So that’s what I’m doing here.
I’m churning out a massive word salad in the hopes of gaining a few Google hits.
But, here’s the thing: I’ve been a comedian for quite a while now.
I’ve performed at A-list comedy clubs, dingy one-night bars, for American troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan…
Also, to make the SEO Gods happy…
Here’s how you book a comedian.
I’ve performed at A-list comedy clubs, dingy one-night bars, for American troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan…
For more corporate events than you can shake a stick at, and for high school after proms.
I have released eight albums, one of which made it into the iTunes top 20 on their comedy chart, gained over 280,000 followers across social media, over 100,000,000 views on YouTube, and have written four books.
On top of all that, I’ve got a Disney Clean act (about 20 minutes), a PG act (45 minutes to an hour), PG-13, (hour and 15 minutes) and then a no-holds barred act that can go for two hours.
What do I pitch to most corporate clients?
The 30-minute act.
And guess what?
I take less money for that one.
Yup, you read that right: I push my least expensive package.
Why?
Because corporate events are about socialization.
You have dinner, a few drinks, maybe a giveaway or awards presentation, and then comedy becomes a nice cherry atop the sundae that is your event.
I’ve no problem performing for an hour, but I’ve found that 30-minutes is fairly Goldilocks: not too long, not too short, just right.
Yes, I’m shooting myself in the foot financially by offering less time for less money, but making you the happiest client you can be is my main goal.
Because algorithms like 2,200-word essays (blogs), I’m gonna keep writing, but from here on out there’s a lot (and I mean a lot) of redundancy.
If you’d like to pull the trigger and book me, or shoot me a message and ask a few questions, just open up your email and type in comedian.nathan.timmel (at symbol) gmail.com, and fire off your inquiry.
(Sorry, I can’t make it an active email/link, because those ever-present bots get to spamming, and no one likes an inbox filled with junk.)
Anyway, thanks for making it this far!
How about some more laughter facts?
Sure!
Laughter sparks the release of oxytocin into your system. You’ve probably heard of oxytocin: it’s the hormone that promotes social bonding, increases trust, and speeds up self-disclosure.
Laughing is a fantastic way to get an oxytocin rush with coworkers. The typical methods of boosting oxytocin—giving hugs, saying ‘I love you,’ petting a dog—aren’t ideal at the workplace. Just ask HR.
But laughter is still legal.
And that’s where comedy comes in.
But first you have to ask one question: Is comedy right for my group or audience?
News flash: comedy isn’t right for every corporate event.
There are a two more questions you can ask to easily answer that first pesky question question: “Is this a good idea?”
#1: Is senior leadership supportive?
If the bosses aren’t on board with the idea of comedy, your show will fall flat on its face.
In a corporate event, most people look to management to see how to react during the show. I’m serious—this is a thing.
The leaders set the tone, and if they’re not enjoying themselves, others will hold back, too. That will be the difference between roaring laughter and dead silence, and it’ll make or break your event.
You want the bosses laughing, because that allows the workers to laugh.
If your CEO is a stick in the mud (or has a stick somewhere else), no one else will feel comfortable in the room.
Pro tip: Leaders at your organization must be into it, or it’s a no-go.
#2: Is it what the audience wants?
Let me tell you about the two worst events I’ve ever performed at.
The first was your typical blue-collar factory, with a number of white-collar office employees mixed in.
When I took to the stage, the audience was stone-faced and angry. I didn’t get much laughter that night.
After the show, the coordinator explained that before I arrived, the employees were informed that instead of giving out bonuses to everyone, the company bought three flat screen televisions.
They were going to hold a drawing and give them to three “lucky winners.”
So instead of everyone getting a couple extra bucks at the holiday time, three employees would get a TV, and everyone else got to stare at me.
(Quite a consolation prize.)
As I performed, the entire audience was thinking: “That’s my bonus money standing up there.”
No one was in the mood to laugh. They were resentful, and the show was a bomb.
Thankfully, not because of anything I did. I hate thinking I’ve done a bad job, but if everything is out of my control? Welp, then ya gotta keep slinging the jokes, and smiling the whole time.
The second nightmare event had a planning committee in charge.
The committee asked the employees what they wanted for entertainment. Some said magician, others said a band, and a third batch voted for a comedian.
Instead of calling for an overall popular vote, the committee decided comedian on their own. This, naturally, left many employees feeling as if they had been slighted.
(And, to be honest, they had. No two ways about it.)
Even before I took the stage, two-thirds of the audience was already pissed off that I was even there.
While I was able to win parts of the crowd over throughout my show, some just weren’t willing to give up their laughter for the show they didn’t want in the first place.
They sat, arms crossed, taking their resentment toward the committee out on me.
Like with the previous show, there wasn’t anything I could do about it.
Pro tip: Be sure the audience actually wants to see comedy.
Thankfully, those shows are very few and far between.
More often than not, the company has done their research, and the group knows what’s in store for the evening.
OK, you’ve gotten the right answers to these questions, and you’re ready for what’s next!
So… what is next?
Time to plan your event.
You’ve got to pick a comedian, make sure you have a PA system, a place for them to perform, an event schedule so you know when he’s going on…
It’s a whole ‘nother kettle of fish, so to speak.
But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered there, as well.
In the next post in this series, I’ll talk about what you can do during planning that will make your comedy show an even bigger success.
Will it be as long-winded as this post?
Oh, absolutely.
Will it outright use chunks of this post?
You know it.
As stated earlier, Google has become very particular when it comes to blog length. They know what they want, and you have to give it to them on their terms. And since Google is our new lord and master of the online search world at the moment—and probably for many moments (years) to come (I don’t see Bing offering up a serious challenge anytime soon)—they must be catered to.
Even if it means writing paragraphs that are basically long, run-on sentences.
But, have no fear, by the end of everything, you’ll be ready to book a comedian.
Because that’s why you’re here, right? You’re looking into hiring a funny-fella, a joke-slinger, for your event.
Someone to add a smile to weary faces, to cap the evening off with a fond farewell.
A cherry atop the corporate event sundae; a bow on the present you’ve just experienced.
Man, getting to 2,200 words is kinda rough, isn’t it?
Tell you what: if you’ve actually read this far, put “Snuffleupagus” in the subject of your email, and I’ll give you a 10% discount off your booking.
After I increase the price by 10%, of course, so I can still afford rent.
OK, I’ve hit my limit.
But, apparently I didn’t type book a comedian enough to make the SEO happy.
I bet if I made it a header, the algorithm would be happy.
Let’s try that, shall we?
So, you want to book a comedian.
Onward!
Image by freestocks-photos, from Pixabay