Comedy, Margaret Cho famously said, “propels you right into the heart of the universe.” And at The Riot Comedy Club, with its standup shows every Thursday through Sunday, the universe is Houston, Texas.
“There was really only one big comedy club in a city with a population over six million,” says Brian Gendron, founder and general manager of The Riot. “There just wasn’t enough comedy for the amount of people that live in Houston.”
Founded in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic, The Riot has quickly become one of Houston’s premier destinations for standup comedy. Housed in the iconic Rudyard’s pub, The Riot produces multiple weekly shows with performers from the likes of Comedy Central, Netflix, and HBO, as well as a yearly festival and holiday sets (think Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve) that sell out their newly renovated 140-seat room.
What accounts for The Riot’s rise? According to Gendron, a public speaker turned standup comedian, it’s attention to hospitality. “Often,” he says, “the comedy world treats audience members as if they’re visiting our world. At The Riot, we’re really focused on having it the other way around. It’s about the audience’s experience, not just what the comedian was experiencing. That hospitality is a critical part of success in entertainment, and bringing that to comedy was a simple flip.”
To maximize exposure for his events — and ensure standup fans get The Riot’s hospitality experience — Gendron counts on Eventbrite Ads. “If you’re using Eventbrite ticketing, Eventbrite Ads is an obvious place for those advertising dollars to go. It’s the closest to the tickets. It’s the closest to the sale. Any time you can take a hop out of the transaction for the customer, the more likely your success goes up.”
Four days, 1,000+ Eventbrite Ads impressions
The Riot hosts two shows every Friday night, a 9pm and an 11pm showcase. With tickets starting at $15, the shows are a popular event for dates, group outings, and last-minute event-seekers.
Gendron used Eventbrite Ads to market the Dec. 2, 9pm show. With a total budget of $45, he ran a four-day campaign that would put his event listing at the top of the search results on Eventbrite. Setting up the ad was a matter of clicks. And the ad would be shown to people looking for comedy events — in other words, qualified ticket buyers.
The results? The Eventbrite Ad generated 1,114 impressions at a cost of $0.24 per impression. With high quality event images and clear titles, The Riot’s Eventbrite Ad drove 25 people to click — nearly 20% of The Riot’s room cap.
For Gendron, these are results worth investing in. An Eventbrite Boost user as well, he’s altered his event marketing tactics to more fully lean on Ads. “It aligns to our marketing and advertising strategy.”
Saving time and honing strategy with Eventbrite Ads
With Eventbrite Ads, Gendron’s time is freed up to think about the big picture. “I’ve reduced my screen time by about 75%,” he jokes, of Ads’ ease of use. That means he can strategize about where The Riot is going long-term (think new markets and the metaverse).
In the meantime, Eventbrite Ads and Eventbrite Boost are crucial tools in his toolbox.
“Remarketing is king,” says Gendron. “I didn’t know that at first. Even though we’re in the growth phase, and it’s all about getting new people to find us, the real truth about growth is it’s about returning customers and word of mouth. I’m noticing people are not just coming back, but they’re coming back and they’re bringing friends. And they’re not just bringing one friend. One of our most-popular tickets is our table of six. There’s no doubt that that’s the result of our remarketing efforts through Eventbrite’s marketing tools.”
