Comedy is a great form of entertainment to bring people together through laughter and should be a top choice when considering evening entertainment. If you are planning a comedy night, whether for an event like a birthday party or as part of a fundraiser, there are many details to consider.
Like any event, there are many things to plan when organizing a comedy night. You will need to consider the occasion, your audience, and your budget, just to name a few. Also consider the following when you are organizing an evening of comedic entertainment:
Locate a Venue
The first step in organizing a comedy night is to locate a venue. Be sure that your venue is conveniently located for your audience and can accommodate the number of people you are expecting. Locating a venue also ties into the next step of defining your budget; be sure that your venue fits reasonably in your budget.
Define Your Budget
Be sure to lay out a budget and consider all aspects of the night you may be spending money on. From the venue to food and drinks to the comedian to any special equipment and advertising, allocate your funds accordingly.
Hire a Comedian
Once you have located a venue and set your budget, you can get to booking the main entertainment and hire a comedian! You may consider several comedians as you plan your event, and you may even end up booking more than one. Consider each comedians’ routine and what your target audience would find funniest.
Organize Equipment and Tickets
Now that your main entertainment is booked, you can verify with your venue that they have all needed equipment. If they are lacking any required equipment, such as sound equipment, now is the time to find and secure what is needed for the night of the show.
You should also be planning ticketing now and how you will sell tickets: digitally? Physical tickets? Will you only pre-sell tickets, or will they also be available at the door? There are many questions to consider when it comes to tickets that should be addressed ahead of time.
Promote the Event
Once you have decided how you will sell tickets, you can begin to promote your comedy night and let people know how to buy the tickets. Market your event in places that your target audience will see it. Consider if you want to run ads online, on the radio, in print, etc.
Set up the Venue
Finally, on the day of the event, you will have to set up the venue. Consider if you want regular seating in rows, or if you want seating at tables. Be sure that all audience members can see the stage and that all equipment is where it should be and working. You will also need to be ready for any last minute problems or questions.
As with any event, planning a comedy night takes a lot of organization and prioritization. Luckily, at the end of the night of the show, you will get to sit back and enjoy the laughs with the audience.
