FAQTHE MAIN EVENT

The festival has been described as a job fair for comics. Everything we do is designed to put you, as the comic, around the comedy club owners/bookers as much as possible. This includes the now famous Meet & Greet where hundreds of comics get to meet the bookers and hand them their promo material, as well as many other networking events such as Poker Tournaments, Bowling Night etc. Plus, every day during the day there are free comedy seminars taught by industry experts to help you become a better comedian.

This has become the biggest part of the festival. Comics have said year after year that this was worth the cost of registration and the trip to The Main Event. All the Comedy club owners/bookers who are at The Main Event for the festival will be in one room for you to meet them in person, hand them your promo material, and work on getting them to remember you. This is done as long as social gatherings are not restricted. Due to COVID in 2020, we added a new element to the Meet & Greet and will now do this each year as we move on. We added boxes for you to drop your promo material in and when the festival ends we send them to the comedy clubs. So now you will be able to get more of your promo material out to many more industry that may be able to help you in your career.

We usually have 15 to 20 comedy club owners at the Meet & Greet and more than that walking around the hotel during the week. We also send out promo to 30 or more comedy club/industry.

Yes. Each year, we have late night shows for the comics who registered but didn’t make it into the contest. The spots are limited, so once the top 101 is confirmed an email will go out with a link to a Late Night Show Registration form. If you have registered for the WSOC you will be emailed this email.  

There will be 175 to 200 comics at the festival. We have found that if we let comics into the showroom for free they just wander in and out of the showroom. They run in to see one comic then run out. They try to get back stage where the performing comics are. Trying to handle all of this is hard and takes a bigger staff than we have. It is also disruptive to the comic on stage. We do everything we can to make sure the comic on stage performing has the best show they can in front of the best audience they can. Also depending on where The Main Event is held, seating may be limited, and we want to make sure we have a seat for audience members.

This info can be found on the website at https://theworldseriesofcomedy.com/contest-format.  If you’re in the late night Registered Comics Show, you will be doing 3 to 5 minutes.

WILDCARD MONDAY
Each comic performs for five minutes.
Eight comics will move on to Round 2.
Three shows, with 15 comics in each show.
Three 1st Place winners perform in the Tuesday through Friday shows.
Three 2nd Place winners perform in the Tuesday through Friday shows.
Top two 3rd Place winners perform in the Tuesday through Friday shows.
One Wildcard winner will perform in each of the Tuesday through Friday shows.

ROUND 2
TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
Each comic performs for seven minutes.
Eight comics per show.
1st & 2nd Place from each show will move on to Quarter-Finals shows.

QUARTER-FINALS
3rd SHOW ON FRIDAY & 1st SHOW ON SATURDAY
Each comic performs for seven minutes.
Eight 2nd place comics, & Eight 1st place comics will perform.
2nd place comics & 1st place comics will be evenly placed in both Quarter-Final shows.
Top 3 in each show will move on to the Semi-Finals show.

SEMI-FINALS
2nd SHOW ON SATURDAY
Each comic performs for ten minutes.
Three comics will move on to the Finals.

FINALS
LAST SHOW ON SATURDAY
Each comic performs for 25 minutes.
1st, 2nd and & 3rd Place winners will be announced.

There are no guarantees that a change can be made to the performance schedule. However, once the list is posted there will be comics who drop out. At that point we will try to accommodate scheduling conflicts.

This info can be found on the website at https://theworldseriesofcomedy.com/rules

You are registering for The Main Event festival. Even if you do not get picked to perform in a Satellite, Online Showcase, or The Main Event, you can still come out to the festival and take part in everything that is setup to help you learn and network.

No refunds will be given unless The Main Event of The World Series of Comedy is cancelled. If The Main Event date or location is moved, no refunds will be given. The World Series of Comedy has the right to move the date and location of The Main Event any time from January 2023 to January 2025. If a Satellite or Online Showcase gets cancelled or moved, no refunds will be given for any reason. When you registered, you registered for The Main Event for The World Series of Comedy. Every comic who is registered should plan on coming to The Main Event. You did not register for the Live Satellites or the Online Showcases. The Live Satellites and Online Showcases were offered to you when you registered as an add-on to your registration for The Main Event.

Your registration is considered complete if any or all of the criteria are met by the producers of The World Series of Comedy.

• The Main Event is held either Live or Online (all efforts will be made by the producers of The World Series of Comedy to hold The Main Event live during the 2023 festival season).
• A combination of at least 3 events is held Online (this could be a combo of Live Satellites converted to Online Satellites & Online Showcases).
• A request from the contestant for notes from your video submission for The World Series of Comedy.

WHY NO REFUNDS? – YOU MIGHT ASK…

We do not hold all registration fees until the end of the season. When you register, your registration fee is put to work to pay to produce this festival. This is a business. This business was created out of love for comedy and our want to help comics grow, but it’s still a business. As in any business, there are costs and monthly bills that must be paid. The list of what we pay with your registration fee is long, but here are a few to give you an idea….

• Video Judges
• Online Showcase Judges
• Host 
• Travel
• Website Hosting
• Email Hosting
• Social Media
• Graphics
• Equipment
• Donuts…

Yes. We are always looking for help getting the word out about our comedy festival. If you get 8 comics to sign up, and they put your name on the registration form as the referring comic, you will get a link for a free registration. Once we see your name 8 times you will get an email. Even if you have already registered, we will refund your registration fee.

The World Series of Comedy is a festival for the feature-level comedian, or comedians entering that level. The standard time for a feature comic is twenty-five minutes and is the time that comics have to perform in the Finals of each WSOC Satellite and the Finals of The Main Event. In most cases, this will be the expected amount of time by the clubs providing the work. Once you have won, further discussion may be had with producer Joe Lowers.

No. Everyone must enter the contest via the WSOC website, and your registration fee must be paid online. This is an old FAQ, but we left it just incase someone was still using checks.

No. All videos must be a Youtube link. It is the safest way to ensure your video is watched by our WSOC staff members located all over the United States. This is an old FAQ, but we left it just in case someone was still using DVDs.

The registration fee will start out at $75 with no discounts available. Once the registration fee goes up to $100, you can email Producer Joe Lowers at [email protected] for a discount code to save $25 off registration. Discount codes are only given out to comics who have registered in the past for The World Series of Comedy and comics who have taken the time to read this FAQ. Only email Joe after July 24, 2023. No discount codes are offered before July 24, 2023

Our goal is to give one free ticket to each comic at the festival. This will depend on the deal we have set up with The Main Event venue. This could, and most of the time does, change from year to year. Emails will be sent out prior to The Main Event explaining all ticket offers we are able to offer comics.

This will depend on the deal we have set up with The Main Event venue. Emails will be sent out prior to The Main Event explaing all ticket offers we are able to offer comics.

This will depend on the deal we have set up with The Main Event venue. Emails will be sent out prior to The Main Event explaing all ticket offers we are able to offer comics.

Any comedian that wants to pay the regular audience price can do so and will enjoy the benefits of any regular audience member. Comedians paying for admission are subject to any and all food/drink minimums that apply. The WSOC reserves the right to seat all audience members at their discretion.

No. You only need to be at The Main Event the night you are scheduled to perform. If you are in the Wildcard show on Monday and advance, then you will need to be there when you are scheduled to perform next (either Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday). If you are one of the top two from the Tuesday through Friday shows, you will have to be there on Saturday for the Finals. If you win your show and can’t move on, your spot will be given to the next place comic.

Yes. We have found over the years that comics who stay for the week and take advantage of everything offered at the festival get the most out of it. It’s very hard to network in one or two days. We have different seminars each day and different events where you could meet the booker you have wanted to meet.

No. You have to be picked from your video submission or win a Satellite to have a spot in the contest part of The Main Event comedy festival. When you register, you are registering for the comedy festival and are able to take part in any of the daytime seminars and networking events the week of the festival.

Yes. Comics participating in The Main Event competition are responsible for all transportation and hotel accommodations.

Yes. There is a discount for comics who are staying at the hosting hotel. This will be the only hotel we will offer discounts on. Staying at the hosting hotel supports the festival and is where the comedy club owners/bookers stay. Information on the hotel can be found at https://theworldseriesofcomedy.com/main-hotel.

Yes. We always need help as a festival this size requires the assistance of many people. If you would like to volunteer, email us at [email protected]. We will take your information and set up a schedule of when and where we will need volunteers. You will also get a WSOC staff T-shirt!

Festival check-in/registration will be in or near the showroom and will be open starting on Monday at 12pm and will be open all day. All other days, you will be able to check in right before that day’s scheduled seminar.

Judges of The Main Event will consist of comedy club owners, bookers, and management from comedy clubs across the United States and Canada. These judges fly in just for this festival to see and book new talent.

No. They are part of your registration fee. Each year, we have comedy seminars ranging from joke writing, corporate & college work, how to submit a video, and Q&A’s with headliners and comedy club owners/bookers.

No. Only registered attendees may be present at the seminars. However, there is a “festival only” registration available that does not include participating in the contest. “Festival registration” can be purchased online as soon as regular registration closes or in person at the festival. 

Only registered attendees may be present at the seminars. Family and friends are welcome at all late night events. If they would like to attend, they would need to buy a Festival Only registration.

Bowling is very cheap. That said, we will cover participants, on a first-come-first-serve basis, up to $100 for bowling. So be sure to be there first, and you may not have to pay. You will be able to register for the Poker Tournament online before the festival and this is something you should do to save money and to guarantee yourself a spot.

The main thing you need to do is read the emails that you will get from us. We will send out several emails leading up to The Main Event, and in those emails, you will find a lot of the answers you will need or want. You must confirm your spot via email. If we do not get an email from you confirming your spot then your spot will be given to the next comic in line. You must show up to the show on time. If you are late, you will lose your spot to perform.

You should still be planning to come out to The Main Event. Comics may drop out and you may be moved up into their spot. Also, many comics end up getting work just from the networking that takes place during the week of the festival. We also have late night Registered Comics shows for comics not in the top 101, so you can still get up on stage.