Corporate Event Planning Tips

You’ve booked the hall and decided on the menu. Now you need to entertain your guests. Call the professionals at Giggles Comedy Agency. We are here to help you plan and book your entertainment. Here are a few hints. Although they may seem obvious, they are important and quite often overlooked.

The audience
A good agent will spend as much time discussing with you the make-up of your group. Are they predominantly blue or white collar, sales or financial, PhDs or TECH school grads? Defining your audience is important. Different performers appeal to different audiences. If an agent doesn’t ask you about your group, are they really interested in helping you get the most from your entertainment dollar or just getting the sale? At Giggles Comedy Agency, we’ve built our agency on repeat business and referrals, one client at a time.

The entertainment
Are you having a meet & greet (cocktail hour) before the function? We can supply you with walk-around magicians, celebrity look-a-likes, or tarot card readers to keep your guests entertained until the meal starts. Most comedians have a standard show that they perform at corporate functions and another one for comedy clubs. However there are comedians that can only play night clubs so make sure you call an agency not a comedy club when booking a comedian for your function. We all have different opinions on what is clean. At Giggles we believe it is more than just avoiding the “F” word. Many comedians can customize their act to include information about your company and industry (if required). We will suggest the appropriate acts based on your response to our questions. We take the time to ensure that you get exactly what you need. Clean corporate performers are our specialty. If budget and time allows, a two-comedian show is sure to get them rolling in the aisles. The first comedian, considered the setup man, warms up the audience and gets them to focus their attention to the stage. Immediately thereafter, the headliner comes on to bring the evening to a climax.

Contract
A contract expressing all concerns and details is provided so you have no surprises. It will clearly state, amongst other things, show time and length of performance.
When a meal is being served prior to the show, the act should never start until the meal is finished and tables have been cleared, to avoid any noise disrupting the performance. The comedian would much rather wait 10 minutes for the audience to be relaxed and focused. It is virtually impossible for a comedian to give 100% while people are eating or having coffee. Have you ever tried to laugh and swallow at the same time? This is the perfect time for the boss’ comments, raffle draws, etc. The contract should also detail all sound and lights requirements as well as any hotel & transportation requirements. All fees and payment schedule must be clearly stated; no one likes last minute surprises.

Hotels and Flights
If your function is in a hotel ballroom, it is always recommended to book the room in same hotel. This way the comedian doesn’t have to contend with traffic and can relax in the comfort of their room prior to their performance. We suggest you phone the comedian while dessert is being served (or 30 minutes prior to show time) so they know to start getting prepared for their performance. Review flight times with agent prior to booking as sometimes performers have airline preference or may have taken a booking the night before and will not be departing from their home city.

Setting the Stage
Make sure the comedian is close to the audience; don’t have the stage area separated by a large dance floor. Make sure the performance area is well lit, so the audience can see the performer. A corded microphone is preferred but a cordless is fine as long as a fresh battery has been installed that day. A lapel microphone or one on a lectern is usually only suitable for speakers reading a typed out speech.
Inform the wait staff when the performance will begin so no punch line is destroyed by any unnecessary distractions. Make sure all doors to the hall are closed so people don’t come and go.
A small flat stool or small card table should be placed at stage rear with 2 bottles of cold and 2 at room temperature so the performer has water within reach when required.
It is important to notify the agent whether the audience will be business casual or formally dressed so the comedian can also dress appropriately for the occasion.
Major door prizes or giveaways should always be done after the performance or at the end of the night to retain the audience as long as possible.
Hotel sound systems are notoriously terrible – hire a professional sound system if the budget allows it. There is a link on our variety page to an AV company for Toronto clients. Test the sound system before your guests arrive. In-house ceiling speakers are not acceptable.
Draw up a “Run Sheet” of the night’s events with approximates times and names of people addressing your audience.
Do not allow any audience member to heckle the comedian. Although it rarely happens at corporate events, there has been the odd occasion where some people have had too much to drink and think they are funny or helping the show along. Discreetly tell them you hired a professional comedian to entertain the crowd, so please keep it down as they are ruining the show for others.

Written Introduction
Giggles will happily supply you with a prepared introduction for the comedian. Too many times, people “Google” the comedian and end up delivering an elaborate intro from their bio that goes on far too long. Let’s make this a fun night - not a night for speeches.

Week of show
Contact the agent and review all terms of contract and your expectations. Remember the only dumb question is the one that doesn’t get asked; we both want the function to run smoothly. Leave no stone unturned, discuss arrival time, show time, dress attire, review whether payment has been received. Make sure the act has your cell number and that you have cell number of the entertainer so you can relax and enjoy the evening knowing they will call you in case of any delays in their arrival.

Day of Show
Make sure you get to the hall early and everything is set up as you previously discussed with the venue manager. Have the sound system tested prior to your guests arriving. Make sure the venue manager has a run sheet of the event’s schedule. Notify the venue manager of any special requirements detailed in your contract (i.e. bottled water or stool/table on stage). Bring balance of payment if not pre-paid. Sometimes it’s best to pre-pay so you have one less thing to worry about that evening; many clients have been embarrassed because they forgot the cheque in their desk. Most importantly you can now relax and enjoy the show because you’ve dealt with the professionals at Giggles Comedy Agency.