Tips For Booking a Comedian or a Speaker

Hire a UK Comedian or book an after Dinner sporting speaker

Book a comedian or an after dinner Speaker from a specialist agent who clearly only deals with comedians and after Dinner speakers.

If you choose to go to an agency who deals with singers, bands, tribute acts, singing waiters etc ..Then the chances are you are not dealing with a company who knows a great deal about comedians or after dinner speakers.

The world of Comedy and corporate after dinner speaking is far removed from that of the world of say a singer. Many singers or Band, Duo or tribute act rely on their voice/musianship which is great. The ability to read a crowd for a comedian is much more complex and they can not hide behind a voice or an instrument.

By booking a comedian with a specialist Entertainment Agency, you are dealing with a wealth of experience and also a company that will most certainly have encountered all possible scenarios, whether it be a comedy club style comedian, a sporting comedian etc. For instance there is absolutely no point in booking a very funny business raconteur for a burly football club dinner or a comedy club. As funny as he /she may seem in their own comfort zone it just isn't going to work.

As a specialist Company Laughter UK has had an association with comedians and after dinner speakers for over 20 years and have handpicked the perfect choice of Comedian and speaker for functions, dinners, sporting events, golf days, conferences and presentation nights all over the World.

We are also more than happy to advise with your setting up of your event and will provide you with promotional material to help advertise your event right through to advising you on how best to ensure that your function is a success including giving you ideas of how to raise funds should you be staging a charity function or a club fundraiser.

How Much does it cost for booking a Comedian

Comedian Booking Prices

Comedian Booking Fees

These are just some of the questions we often get asked. So how much does it cost to book a comedian or hire a comedian for an event , all depends on where your function is, what type of function it is. Just remember the cost of a comedian doesn't always reflect how good the comedian is, as a very well known comedian can demand more simply because they have had more TV Exposure but like the old saying goes, you generally get what you pay for. Obviously if you book a comedian from London to appear in Manchester then he or she will want extra to travel and then on the same token if you book a northwest comedian to perform in Liverpool this will keep the cost down Have a budget in mind and then talk to us and we will guide you based on our experience.

When you book a comedian or hire an after dinner speaker, have an idea of who will present at the function. If it is all men then comedian who can step up a gear if needed is a good choice. If it is a mixed function then a more clean, less attacking style is required. Very experienced comedians can adapt to both situations, so if you saw a comedian perform at burly gents evening, don't just assume he isn't right for say a masonic or golfing dinner, as the more experienced comedians will be able to tailor their material. This is not always the case, so please just ask Laughter UK for advice when you are looking to hire a stand up comedian, or wanting to book an after dinner speaker.

Stand up Comedians for Weddings

Comedians for weddings are more and more popular for weddings these days, especially after the best mans speech, whether it be to have a friendly pop at the best man or indeed save the day as the case has been on a few occasions. Hiring a comedian for a wedding, is a great idea. When you, book a comedian for a wedding, just bear in mind a comedian works at his very best when he has an audience to play to, so if there are L shapes in the room or alcoves, many people won't be able to see him or her and this distracts and can get noisy. Also if children are going to be present it is a good idea to make sure they are not running all over the place as again this can ruin the best of the comedians. Make sure the setting is right and that the comedian is close to their audience. We would recommend 30 minutes for a comedian at a wedding. A great 30 minutes is better than battling an hour and there is a lot more going on in the day.

Some Golden Rules

With most entertainers, but especially comedians, you get what you pay for. When the performer gives you a quote for the event, never try to haggle. By haggling you will “insult their art” and even if you do choose to hire him or him, you will get a sub par performance.

You will also be expected to provide the necessary equipment (a microphone with a stand works much better than a podium) and feed your performer. Even if his act is little more than 15 minutes of jokes about office space, a meal and a drink is required in a corporate environment.

GIVE HIM TIME TO PERFORM

Unlike live music, comedians require the audience’s full attention in order to be effective. Before hiring a comedian, be sure that you will be able to block off time during your event where he will be the star of the show without any other distractions.

 The difference between trying to get a laugh with the audience’s full attention, and trying to get a laugh while dinner is being served can be devastating.

CONSIDER YOUR AUDIENCE

What’s funny to one audience can be extremely boring or even offensive to another. Is the guest list all around the same age? Do you have clients coming in from other countries? Is your CEO the type of guy who will laugh when being made fun of in front of the crowd?

Of course, the number one rule is to gauge the amount of “crudeness” that is agreeable to your guests. At most corporate events the answer to the crudeness question is “none”. The last thing you want is to have some kind of harassment lawsuit on your hands because of a joke your comedian made.

REMEMBER, LAUGHTER IS NOT GUARANTEED

Despite all the best planning, one thing that you can never guarantee with a comedy act is that your guests will actually think he or she is funny. Even the best comedians, and the best crowds, have off nights. There is really no way to prepare for this, and a truly off night can be painful for all involved. However if the environment is right and the room is set up well, then you're off to a great start....Set up is vital

While laughter is not guaranteed, payment is. Even if the comedian stinks up the place, you still must pay him, and try to act happy about it. Most comedians take their pay in advance for this very reason, but if yours doesn’t, try to smile as you hand over the cheque. A failure to pay based on a bad performance will reflect more poorly on your business than your taste in entertainment ever could. 

So set up the room, make sure the comedian is the star of the evening, have a good PA System, put the comedian on at the right time and enjoy!!!!!