How to Hire Comedians for Corporate Events

Guidelines for Human Resources Executives, Event Planners and Staff

^{courtesy of comedian Shaun Eli} Ivy Stand-up, my clean professional comedy showcase, is available for corporate and industry conferences, trade associations, continuing education seminars, and for your staff and clients (as is my one-man show "Business School... in about an hour").

After being asked the same questions over and over again about shows for corporations my Wharton education kicked in so I put together a bit of basic information for prospective clients... in addition to my on-line brochure which you can find here: Shaun Eli's How to Hire a Comedian

Where to start... You can start with me.

I can put together a professional show for your corporation, industry conference, trade association, continuing education seminar, professional services firm or other organization (charity, country club, temple or church, etc.).
If you're just getting started that's fine,
I'm still happy to help answer any questions you might have.
call (212) 252-2888 or e-mail me.

Often the first question I'm asked is "How Much?"

That shouldn't be your first question. It's a good question, heck it's a necessary question, but let it wait.
You can afford a great show. I'll first speak to you for a few minutes to find out your needs.

How clean a show are you looking for?
(I put on exclusively clean shows but there are degrees of clean. NBC and Comedy Central may bleep out the F-word but comics may still talk about intercourse in somewhat graphic detail... to me, 'clean' is at least as much about content as it is about vocabulary)

What night of the week?
(The answer's usually Friday or Saturday but don't forget about the possibility of an early Sunday evening show. And of course week nights and day times are available too and they're less expensive.)

Dinner plus a show? Dessert & the show? Serving/selling drinks? Just the comedy show?
(I provide the entertainment- the rest is up to you)

What's your budget? How many attendees do you expect?

If you serve food— a week later nobody's going to remember the meal. They will remember having a great time at the show. And you'll get the credit for that.

A show is typically around ninety minutes, and should include a professional comedian as the emcee, plus two to three other pro comics. The experience, caliber and fame of the comics will determine the cost. Oh, plus the greed of the person putting the show together. It's not uncommon for a booking agency to make more money from a show than all the comics combined. I don't do that. I'm paid to perform; I don't build any other fees into my price.

I would suggest, though, not trying to find three or four comics by yourself, as too many things can go wrong.
For example, what would you do if one of the comics calls you at 6 o'clock on show day to say he's sick? Let that be my problem— I have a lot of comics' phone numbers, I know where they live and who has a car. I also know who needs to be reminded the day before a show, and which are the rare comics who'd think nothing of cancelling just because they got a better offer for the same night (I won't work with people like this). I work with a select group of hand-picked, professional comics, many of whom are former attorneys, bankers or corporate executives before being comedians.

Even just choosing the right comics, in the optimal sequence, takes a bit of expertise.

There are a lot of factors that go into making a great show.
If you go to a French restaurant you expect a French appetizer, a French main course and a French dessert. But a comedy show isn't a French meal- you want variety.
Part of what you're paying for is expertise and knowledge of comedy & comedians. And not to pass that task onto someone who doesn't have that expertise.

I'm a comic; I get paid to perform. I don't build $750 to $1000 into the fee for a show; every cent you pay me goes to pay comedians for being comedians. I won't view your firm as an annuity-- every year cash a check and send three random comics. I'm AT the shows, giving them the personal attention they deserve. I'm there checking out the room, testing the sound...
My shows start on time-- anything else is disrespecting everyone who's there when they're supposed to be.

Okay, now let's talk price.

We can meet a range of budgets. If you pick the right person to put the show together you'll have a great show and that's what matters! But you have to have the right mix of comics.

Remember, it's our job to put on a great show. We've done this before, so if we suggest a certain way to set up a room, or ask for details on the sound system and the lighting, please understand we have your best interests in mind. If we don't sound good, we don't look good. Leave the details to us, but if we're not asking the right questions, something's wrong.

To contact me, call (212) 252-2888 or e-mail me.

More information about me is on my website:
www.BrainChampagne.com.

You can also find lots of information on how to hire comedians for any type of comedy show in my printable on-line brochure:
Shaun Eli's How to Hire a Comedian

Sincerely,
Shaun Eli
Founder & Producer
Ivy Stand-up: The Smartest You'll Ever Laugh_sm

And feel free to contact us to ask about fundraising ideas. Even singles events!
Yes, Ivy Stand-up founder Shaun Eli can help you plan your singles event too!
As an example, for information specifically catered to Orthodox Jewish singles event planning, click here: http://brainchampagne.com/comedy/Jewishsingles.html

Call me at (212) 252-2888 or e-mail me for details or if you have any questions.