Summit Comedy Logo

Maybe you have this scenario: You’ve just joined your campus/student activities board and have been given the task of booking comedy entertainment for your school’s upcoming school year!  That’s exciting, but were do I start?

Well, your first step is to do some research! Some great suggestions to get started are:

1) What comedians have gone over well in the past at your school?
2) What is our specific budget for hiring said comedy entertainment?
3) What is the date or dates of our performance(s), and do we have a venue available for said date(s)?

Your next step is to find a trusted company that you can talk with that you can relay all of your specific needs and wants for your comedy entertainment and point you in the right direction with available options. Clean vs. dirty, regional acts vs. celebrity acts are things to consider as well. If your school doesn’t have a regular comedy agency they work with, ask around to other colleges/universities for suggestions. I’m pretty sure it won’t take long to get a few names of reputable agency names within the college market. When all else fails, you can call the N.A.C.A. (National Assn. for Campus Activities) office and they for sure can point you in the right direction.

Many college or universities have strict guidelines on the material/subject matter that is allowed on their campus. Always be upfront with your agent at the time of booking to express these concerns so there isn’t any problems night of show with the act(s) you are selecting. A good agent will not just try to ring up a sale and will assist you in finding the perfect act that fits your specific needs.

Once you move forward, you will have a contracting process between your organization and the talent agency &/or comedian(s). Make sure to go over your contract and read ALL of the fine print. Take special note of all of the production needs, and rider/hospitality requirements (if applicable). One can do all of the legwork in advance, but if you miss some valuable key instructions regarding someone’s show needs, it could end badly on the night of event.

There are a lot more steps involved in hiring your comedian, but this is a good start in the right direction at least for you. If you need to see examples of some proven college comedians in the market, please feel free to contact us directly. As a former campus activities programmer myself from 1993-1995, I’ve got your back! Comedy is what we do, it’s in our company name for a reason! 😉

-Chuck Johnson
President; Summit Comedy, Inc.
www.summitcomedy.com
800.947.0651