Deciding to start a comedy night can be thrilling, but it’s important to remember that a lot of planning goes into this. You’ll quickly find yourself underwater and unsure where to go if you don’t plan from the venue to lighting to security.
These are five important steps to starting a local comedy night and why it’s such an awesome idea!
1. Plan A Date and Budget
Your date and your budget are two very important parts of planning a comedy night. The date should be at least two months out from when you start planning, and your budget needs to be roomy. From ensuring your lighting is good, advertising, handling drinks, and ensuring the sound and venue are great: a lot of money goes into starting a comedy night, especially if you don’t own the platform.
2. Ensure Your Venue Has Space for a Stage
A stage can take up a lot of space, so consider rearranging your bar, or restaurant, or wherever you’re hosting this comedy night: and make sure it has the area necessary for the performers. The more space they have, the more physical and fun they can be with their comedy. This also means that multi-person acts can come on stage, which can be a lot of fun!
3. Plan for Security and Bouncers
Comedy acts bring out a kind of mean behavior in some people if they decide that something isn’t funny or they don’t like the show. This is made even worse if alcohol is in the equation. To ensure that nobody gets too rowdy and that the comedians can complete their sets, have security to keep an eye on attendees. Your bartenders should also be trained to see when someone has had too much, and it’s time to cut them off.
4. Seek Out Qualified Comedians
Looking for qualified comedians doesn’t mean you want someone with an education in laughs: it’s the act of looking for someone who can easily make you laugh and that you’d like to see on stage. You can book a comedian in many different ways, from finding them on gig sites to learning about them through word of mouth. Most only do twenty-minute sets, while some can do longer, so find some that suit your time needs as well!
5. Advertise It Thoroughly
Nobody wants their comedy night to be a flop or for performers to get on stage and not have an audience! Instead, try to advertise as thoroughly as possible so that your comedians have someone to laugh at their jokes, and your bar or restaurant can make money off of consumers as well. If your first one is pretty empty: keep working at it! These things can take time to grow.
Comedy Nights Can Make a Killing
Whether this is a new bit, you’re adding to your bar, or you have always been a fan of comedy, hosting a night like this can be great for business. People want to have something to laugh at, and even bad comedy can still be fun. So plan carefully, find the right comedians: and your comedy night will go perfectly!
