Greg Schwem
Greg Schwem – You Can’t Quarantine Laughter
Greg Schwem
Keynote Speaker
Comedian, Author
“It’s the best — being able to entertain people and having them come up and say, ‘That was great. That was exactly what I needed.'” – Greg Schwem
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Greg Schwem'S SPEAKING FEE Under $25,000
An award-winning syndicated humor columnist for the Chicago Tribune, Greg Schwem brings clean, customized humor and 20-plus years of experience to your corporate event, whether speaking live or virtually.
As a business humor speaker and corporate emcee, Schwem’s clients have included Microsoft, McDonald’s, Southwest Airline and even the CIA. During the pandemic of 2020, businesses in need of humor and motivation for their stressed-out workforces turned to Schwem and his uplifting virtual keynote, You Can’t Quarantine Laughter.
What sets Schwem apart from other corporate entertainers is his ability—and willingness—to customize material for his audience while working within the parameters of the corporate environment. He looks at their websites, research products, public materials, even power points when possible to find what he calls ammunition for audiences to delightfully laugh at themselves. As Schwem tells all his clients, “I want to have fun with you but, at the end of the day, I want to be your biggest cheerleader. I want the audience to say “This is a great place to work, because they hired that guy.”
When he travels, he often stays at “home sharing” properties, treks that have resulted in a hilarious, ongoing TV series, A Comedian Crashes Your Pad. The series won a prestigious Telly Award for Travel and Tourism in November 2020 and today streams on AppleTV, Roku and Amazon FireTV.
Schwem’s media appearances include stints at Comedy Central, VH-1, and Sirius/XM Radio, where he can be heard regularly on Laugh USA. Schwem is the author of two books, Text Me If You’re Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad and The Road to Success Goes Through the Salad Bar.
Why Book Greg Schwem for Your Event
By immersing himself in your business and lingo, Schwem gives those in your audience the chance to enjoy a good laugh at their own world through his on-point, witty comedic routine. His deep research couples with his smart humor to present an unforgettable unique presentation just for you.
Featured Videos
Greg Schwem
Greg Schwem Speaking Reel
Greg Schwem
Greg Schwem Corporate Humor Reel
Greg Schwem
Greg Schwem – You Can’t Quarantine Laughter
Greg Schwem’s Speech Topics
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If Laughter is Healthy, Why Aren’t We All OK?
In a hilarious, yet at times controversial presentation, renowned business humorist and award-winning Chicago Tribune humor columnist Greg Schwem challenges his audience to realize that eliminating, or curtailing humor in the workplace environment also stifles creativity and teamwork. For those who say, “we aren’t a funny company” or “this isn’t a good time for us to be laughing,” Greg disagrees. Using real world examples, Greg explores how companies have increased sales and overcome negative publicity through humor. What one generation finds “offensive” or “inappropriate” might be deemed perfectly acceptable to another generation. Who is correct? Greg offers suggestions for how to navigate this slippery slope while laughing the entire time. He also shows how humor helped lift this country’s emotions during the COVID-19 crisis while helping businesses cope with the worst possible scenarios. Don’t believe that’s possible? Then you haven’t heard of the suburban Chicago restaurant that offered a free roll of toilet paper with every takeout order!
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Remove a Tumor, Find the Humor
Is colon cancer funny? Greg hilariously shares with his audience how a sudden, and potentially life-changing diagnosis, led him to reevaluate his priorities in both his business and personal life. Inspiring, reflective, and maybe a little gross but hey, we are talking about the colon!
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Work, Laugh, Repeat
Perfect for any group that needs a humorous break from the serious side of business. Despite its therapeutic qualities, laughter is often absent from the business environment. Schwem shows it is possible to laugh at work and about work. Audience members will put down their iPads and Blackberries and laugh along with him as he good-naturedly discusses topics such as Smart Phone abuse, social network overload, never-ending conference calls, “frequently” asked questions, and home office workers. His preparation includes company web site research, phone conferences and maybe even a personal visit!
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Rock, Roll and Laugh Your Way to the Top
Greg Schwem knows a thing or two about rock and roll. As a comedian who has opened concerts for stars ranging from Keith Urban, to Celine Dion, to Enrique Iglesias to (wait for it) KC and the Sunshine Band, Schwem has seen how rock and roll is really a business. Like your business. In short? Every company and employee has “rock star” potential. Schwem shows you how to achieve that potential in a highly motivational presentation that combines hilarious comedy, live concert footage and a musical soundtrack featuring everything from classic rock to country to Lollapalooza. Topics include “Why Every Office Needs a Keith Richards,” “Are you Team Taylor or Team Kanye?” and “Don’t Let Your Company Become a Country Song.”
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Meeting Emcee/Video Host
A good emcee needs to multitask. He must keep the event moving, be adept at improvisation and work efficiently with all participants onstage. Greg Schwem has hosted everything from a one-hour awards ceremony for 200 BAE Systems engineers to a three-day conference for 6,000 McDonald’s restaurant managers, to a virtual webinar for IBM customers. He is equally at ease chatting with a company CEO live on stage, pronouncing (correctly) the names of awards recipients, or conducting humorous on-camera interviews with meeting attendees.
Speaker Topics & Types
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