The Event Planner's Guide to Booking a Comedy Hypnotist

The Short Answer

You are not evaluating the show. You are evaluating the professional. Almost every booking that goes badly goes badly for logistical reasons, not because the material was weak.

So ask about experience with your specific audience type, get everything in writing, confirm insurance and technical needs early, and pay close attention to whether they ask you questions back.

I am Randy Andrews, a nationwide comedy hypnotist, comedy mentalist, and keynote speaker performing for corporate events, colleges and universities, and high schools across the country. Across more than 1,500 live shows I have been booked well and booked badly, and the difference always shows up in the first phone call. Here is the whole process, including the parts nobody tells you.

Three Things to Know Before You Contact Anyone

Have these ready and your first call takes ten minutes instead of forty.

• Your date, and whether it is flexible. Flexibility is real leverage. Say so up front if you have it.
• Your headcount and your room. Ballroom, gym, auditorium, or theater changes the recommendation completely.
• Your number. Not a range you are hoping to hide. Performers who know your budget can tell you immediately whether to keep talking, which respects everyone's time.

You do not need a run of show yet. A good performer will help you build one.

Twelve Questions Worth Asking

These are ordered roughly by how much they predict a good outcome.

1. How many events have you done for an audience like mine? Not total shows. Shows for your type of room. A corporate banquet and a high school assembly are different jobs.
2. What do you need to know about my group before you write this? A performer who asks nothing will deliver the same show they did last week.
3. Are you fully insured, and can you send a certificate? The answer should be immediate. Any hesitation is your answer.
4. What are your technical requirements? Should include stage area, chairs, sound, and lighting. If the list is only "a microphone," they have not thought about your room.
5. How long is the show, and can you flex it? Agendas slip. You want someone who can compress without losing the arc.
6. What is your content standard, and can we review it in advance? For schools and workplaces, the right answer is yes, enthusiastically.
7. What promotional materials do you provide? Photos, video, bios, and an intro script should already exist.
8. What happens if there is a travel delay or an emergency? You want a real plan, not reassurance.
9. Who is my point of contact on the day? Usually the performer. If it is someone else, ask why.
10. What do you need from my venue? Load-in time, parking, green room, water.
11. When do you arrive? Early is the only acceptable answer for a show that depends on setup.
12. Can I speak with a client who booked you for a similar event? A working professional has references ready.

You do not need to run all twelve. Four or five will separate the professionals from everyone else quickly.

When booking a comedy hypnotist, the most predictive questions concern experience with the specific audience type, technical requirements, insurance, content review, and contingency planning. A professional performer will also ask the planner detailed questions about the audience before quoting, since the show is built for the room rather than repeated unchanged.

What Should Arrive Without You Asking

A professional sends these. If you have to chase them, that tells you how the rest of the booking will go.

• A written contract or performance agreement
• A certificate of insurance naming your organization or venue
• A W-9 for your accounts payable team
• A technical rider listing stage, sound, lighting, and chair requirements
• High-resolution photos cleared for promotional use
• An approved biography and a stage introduction script
• A direct phone number, not just an email address

Ask for the whole packet at once rather than piece by piece. It should take them about five minutes to send.

What Belongs in the Contract

Read past the fee. These are the clauses that matter when something goes sideways.

• Date, venue, and performance time, stated precisely.
• Show length and number of performances. Two 45-minute sets is a different booking than one 90-minute show.
• Total fee and what it includes. Travel, lodging, and equipment should be explicit rather than assumed.
• Deposit amount and payment schedule, with the final payment date named.
• Cancellation terms both directions. What happens if you cancel, and what happens if they do.
• Force majeure. Weather, closures, and emergencies. Post-2020 contracts should handle this clearly.
• Technical requirements, incorporated by reference so the rider is enforceable.
• Content standards, especially for schools. Get "clean and school-appropriate" in writing rather than on a phone call.
• Recording and photography rights. Confirm you may photograph and post, and confirm what they may use.

If a performer resists putting content standards in writing, that is the single loudest red flag in this entire post.

Red Flags

• No written contract. A handshake booking is a problem waiting for a date.
• No insurance, or vague answers about it. Most venues require a certificate anyway.
• No questions about your audience. They are planning to give you a stock show.
• A price quoted before any details. They are selling a product, not building an event.
• Resistance to content review. Especially for schools. There is no good reason for this.
• Only a booking agency contact, with no path to the performer. You want the person who will be on your stage.
• A demo reel that is all crowd noise and no actual show footage. Ask to see three continuous minutes.

The Timeline From First Call to Showtime

Here is roughly how a well-run booking moves:

• 6 to 12 months out: first contact, date check, quote. Spring and fall move fastest.
• Within a week of agreeing: contract signed, deposit sent, certificate of insurance and W-9 in your file.
• 3 to 6 months out: promotional assets in hand, marketing begins.
• 6 to 8 weeks out: content review call if your organization needs one.
• 2 weeks out: run of show confirmed, technical requirements sent to your venue.
• Week of: load-in time, on-site contact, and sound check confirmed.
• Day of: performer arrives early, sets up, checks in with you, and you stop thinking about it.

That last line is the entire product you are buying. Booking questions and requirements are laid out on my FAQ and safety page.

A professional entertainment booking should include a written contract, a certificate of insurance, a W-9, a technical rider, promotional assets, and a direct contact for the performer. Absence of a written contract or reluctance to commit content standards in writing are the two most reliable indicators of a booking that will create problems for the planner.

What a Good Performer Asks You

This is my favorite tell, and it costs you nothing to observe.

When I call a planner, I want to know the age range, the industry or the school, whether alcohol is being served, what happened at last year's event, what the room looks like, what time dinner ends, and whether anything is off limits for this group.

I am not being thorough for its own sake. I cannot write a show for your room without knowing your room.

A performer who quotes you a price without asking any of that is quoting you a product. You want someone building an event. The format details are on the comedy hypnosis show page, and how I adapt for different markets is covered on the corporate event entertainment page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Based in Iowa and performing nationwide across 40+ states, Randy Andrews delivers comedy hypnosis, comedy mentalism, and keynote speaking for corporate events, colleges, high schools, and fundraisers. Find your city or region and see what planners in your market say about the show.