Hire Clean Stand-up Comedians for Your Event
The Ivy League of Comedysm is a boutique entertainment company owned by a stand-up comedian. We’ve been booking clean stand-up comedians since 2003 for corporate events, industry conferences, trade associations, charity fundraisers, theatres and private parties. We specialize in booking and performing stand-up comedy. That’s all we do. We customize our shows for your event.
To book a comedian, call or text (914) it’s-funny (914) 487-3866, or email us.
Send me information on hiring male or female comedians for my event
Why do we mention gender? Women make up about a third of stand-up comedians, and our shows reflect that. We also balance every show by energy, point of view and style.
Founder Shaun Eli performs with his colleagues at corporate, charity and private events, as well as clubs and theatres, and can be on-site at your event. Most of us are also very happy to emcee your event.
What to know about people calling themselves booking agents What our clients say
Three dozen clean comedians we’re thrilled to have in our shows. Click on them for bios and videos.
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Beware of the “booking agent”
When you hear the term “agent” you probably think of someone who finds jobs or gigs, fields offers and negotiates deals on behalf of actors, musicians, comedians, film & TV writers, etc. That’s a talent agent and they represent the entertainer (their client). Talent agencies are licensed and regulated by the state and they can charge their client up to 10%.
The term “booking agent” is often used by people to imply that they’re exclusive representatives of the artist when they are not. They don’t work for the artist. They work for themselves and act as a middleman. There are no laws regulating how much money they can make. As a middleman they may not even tell the artist how much they themselves are getting paid. It’s not unheard-of for a “booking agent” to charge you $5000 for an entertainer and pay the entertainer $2500 or even $500.
Speakers bureaus operate somewhat differently and have a standard commission percentage, usually between 25% and 30%, although sometimes as high as 50%.
There can be some value added by these agents. They may suggest a comedian who’s a good fit for your audience, or even steer you away from one who isn’t. They may advise you on how to arrange your event so it’s as good as it can be, and handle other logistics. They may have a sheet detailing how to run your event, and they have a contract to work with. A lot of comedians don’t even have a standard contract (yes, they should). And if the comedian suddenly gets sick or misses their flight the “booking agent” may be able to find someone else in a hurry.
On the other hand some “booking agents” are also managers of entertainers (managers are not agents, and in fact legally their job is to advise the client and manage the client’s career; they’re prohibited by law in some states from having anything to do with finding work for the client; that’s a talent agent’s job). But they also have to prove their worth to their clients. So if you contact a “booking agent” who is also a manager they’re likely to steer you to their actual clients as it’s in the manager’s best interests to do so.
How The Ivy League of Comedy is different
The Ivy League of Comedysm is not an agency. With our industry knowledge and experience we very often book comedians at a much lower total cost than you would get by direct contact. Comics prefer to work with us because we handle all the logistical details and other business issues on their behalf so they just have to show up and be funny (plus, we give them a lot of work). If you have any questions about why this matters so much, feel free to ask. And no, we don’t keep most of the money for ourselves. For theatre and charity events, Ivy League of Comedy founder Shaun Eli is usually one of the comedians in the show. For corporate events, if he isn’t the comedian booked for the event he’ll recommend the best comedian for the event. And unlike “booking agents” he has no contract with any artists that prohibit them from discussing payment terms with the client.
To watch or listen to interviews with many comedians from The Ivy League of Comedy, visit our Videocast page.Many, many FAQs about having a comedy show
Mistakes event planners make when booking comedians
Summary
Where is the best place to find clean comedians? The Ivy League of Comedy provides you the top clean corporate comedians who are perfect for your event, whether it’s a corporate event, a fundraising show for your favorite charity, a comedy night at a theatre or a bar, a country club, a private party on your yacht or even a baby or wedding shower. They are hilarious, personable and are guaranteed to make your audience fondly remember your event for years! Oh, and advice is always cheerful and free.