Comedy is not just fun on television, it’s also becoming an important ingredient on the convention circuit as well. At last year’s MIPCOM, market organizers introduced the comic element into one of the seminars by having a creative keynote from American performer Ze Frank, who is a comedian and presenter. To assess the importance of a comedic element at TV trade show seminars, VideoAge conducted a straight talk with Kevin Carroll who, as a comic, has hosted and moderated some 250 seminars. The 52-year-old Connecticut-based Carroll started his career working for a New York ad agency. As Carroll told VideoAge, “it was one of the happiest days of my life.” He left the advertising business 17 years late, and again, “it was one of the happiest days” of his life. After exiting the advertising business, Kevin tried standup comedy and was encouraged by others to leave that career as quickly as possible. Since 1996, he has built his own speaking, training and consulting business. Today Carroll works with blue-chip companies such as GE, Cisco Systems and Unilever. His job is to teach his clients how to “think creatively and communicate persuasively”. When not speaking or training, Kevin has the enviable job of poking good-natured fun at corporate executives with his shamefully funny customized comedy roasts. VideoAge International: What is the difference between having a comic moderator vs. TV industry veteran or a journalist? Kevin Carrol: Comedy is emotional, the other is intellectual. People are first and foremost emotional beings, so humor is going to be more powerful. Comedy can make people want to listen…not have to listen. Just look at the Academy Awards, humor is a key component of any Oscar night. The best solution may be to have a combination of humor (from the moderator) and straight talk (from the speakers). VAI: Is it important to have a separate seminar making fun of the international VAI: In your experience, do TV executives enjoy laughter? Since everyone seems afraid of making a mistake in this corporate environment, are TV execs really able to enjoy themselves? KC: Everyone enjoys laughter and TV executives are no exception. (OK, maybe there’s a few out there who have Darth Vader-like tendencies, but they are the exception.) When times are difficult, laughter is needed most. Years ago I met an attorney who had worked for an insurance company for 30 years. He told me that he never enjoyed one day of his job. How sad is that? If someone is so afraid of making a mistake then they either need to find a different line of work or they need to learn to get more comfortable with risk. VAI: In your view, is there any show left in show business, or is it only business? KC: When the “show” goes out of the business, the business will take a nosedive. I make my living coaching clients on how to give speeches and presentations that wow an audience (with both the content and the delivery). Everyone needs to learn to put a little more “show” in their business if they want to survive. VAI: At seminars, is it better to laugh in the morning or in the afternoon? KC: Humor is a miracle drug. It can kick start a meeting and sustain attention throughout the day. I suppose if I had only one choice, I’d say hold off on the humor until the end so that everyone is energized and leaves on a high. So, in conclusion, advised Kevin Carroll, there are at least five benefits for including humor in a presentation: • It engages audiences. • It makes audiences more receptive to your message. • It helps people understand concepts better. • It helps people remember things more easily. • It helps persuade people. Kevin Carroll is the author of Think Outside Your Blocks and the co-author of Make Your Point! Kevin also recently invented a family game called Pickles to Penguins, which will be launched by Imagination Entertainment in 2009. V I D E O • A G E MA R C H/ AP R I L 2 0 0 9 42 S e m i n a r s W i t h Z e s t He Who Smiles In a Crisis Has Found Someone to Blame Below is an excerpt from Carroll’s soon to be published book, What’s Your Hook? (published by Second Avenue Press). It talks about how to weave humor into a presentation. Many people mistakenly believe that “humor” means the same thing as telling jokes.While joke telling is a form of humor, there are lots of other types of humor that can work just as well (if not better) and that you can feel more comfortable with. The list includes: funny newspaper articles, humorous trivia questions, amusing bumper stickers, cartoons, outlandish photos, top 10 lists, embarrassing moments, entertaining anecdotes and (if all else fails) puns.There are three criteria I apply when deciding whether or not to use humor in a presentation. Is it funny? Is it in good taste? Does it relate to the topic I’m talking about? Keep in mind that rather than trying to be ‘funny,’ you’re better off just trying to add some ‘fun’ into your presentation. It’s a lot easier making something fun rather than trying to be funny. Here [below] is a short list of some things I’ve used in past presentations to add levity. I didn’t come up with these ditties myself. They were either sent to me or I found them on the Internet. As you come across funny doodads similar to the ones you see below, save them in your keepers file so that you can pull them out whenever you need them. They’re perfect for sales meetings, brand reviews, conferences, team meetings, and project kickoffs. TV industry, or is it sufficient to do it during one that the comic is moderating? KC: If the conference is all about the international TV industry, then by all means, integrate the comedy throughout the entire program. This way you can poke fun at so many aspects of the industry (executives, actors, programs, ratings, viewership, production, media). VAI: Can a seminar be interesting if it is boring? KC: Let’s reverse that question…can something be boring if it’s interesting? Nope. The only exception I can think of is [American comedian] Steven Wright who is interesting because he’s boring (although his content is brilliant). Maybe the question should be, can a seminar be interesting even if it doesn’t use humor? If that’s the case, then I’d say yes it can, however it better have lots of creative “hooks” throughout. You want to make sure that the moderator and speakers have incorporated stories, analogies, props, surprising statistics, powerful visuals and more. Kevin Carroll Mock Motivational Quotes “Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you’re a mile away and you have their shoes.” “Always remember you’re unique, just like everyone else.” “He who smiles in a crisis has found someone to blame.” Strange Product Instructions On a package for an iron: “Do not iron clothes on body.” On Nytol Sleep Aid: “Warning: May cause drowsiness.” On a box of Christmas lights: “For indoor or outdoor use only.” Funny Bumper Stickers 43 percent of statistics are useless. He who laughs last, thinks slowest. Honk if you love peace and quiet.
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