The rise of virtual has forced eventprofs to find new creative ways to engage audiences, and while virtual events on the whole have improved significantly over the past 15 months, attendees are also combatting increased Zoom fatigue.
When it comes to audience engagement, comedians may not be the first people that event planners turn to for help, but Richie Redding, Founder of comedy consulting firm Funnier Than You Are, LLC, is aiming to change that. A professional comic himself, Redding built his company during the height of the pandemic to help connect “the corporate world with the creative power of professional comedians.”
Funnier Than You Are helps brands will all aspects of audience engagement, from social media to virtual – and now live – events. “We can handle anything that goes on stage,” says Redding. “That includes emcees that we can prep with jokes and quips specific to the conference, and we also have access to writers from TV shows, like the Daily Show, who can actually create speeches and coach keynotes.”
Virtual events have increasingly been looking to television for best practices given the similar delivery format, and while writers with television experience are not commonly found on event planning teams, they can be an invaluable asset for engaging audiences online. Virtual session formats overall have been getting shorter as events battle shorter attendee attention spans, so being able to deliver the same value in a smaller timeframe is essential.
“Writers know how to get attention. They know how to be succinct. They know how to tell the story,” notes Redding. “Nobody is ever going to leave a conference and wish that it took 40 minutes longer to get that same point across.”
Having an emcee is another key part of building an engaging virtual event, and comedians have particularly relevant experience in that area. “Professional warm-up comics can keep a crowd hot, and keep them engaged and entertained without overdoing it,” says Redding. This can come in handy when there’s downtime between sessions, or when introducing a speaker to ensure that the audience is ready to welcome them.
Funnier Than You Are also ensures that all contracted comedians are “safe for work” and will keep things entertaining, but professional.
“Branded content doesn’t have to be boring,” says Redding, and as in-person gatherings resume, he plans to continue supporting hybrid and live events with comedic services as well. “I really look forward to creating content for live events – doing “Man on the Street” type trivia games, for example, that will be played for the people at the conference in a very customized and bespoke way.”
The pandemic has allowed eventprofs to experiment, learn new skills, and build new partnerships to create better events for their audience. Comedians may just be the latest tool they add to their toolkit.