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Kevin Hubschmann, founder and host at Laugh Dot Events, wants to provide laughter as an employee benefit, through interactive online and in-person comedy shows. Laugh Dot Events has already partnered with companies like Spotify, Facebook and Microsoft to host comedy shows specifically customized for each workforce's interests and boundaries. Hubschmann says he's on a mission to reveal just how beneficial a good laugh can be.
"People have done every wine tasting, escape room and corporate retreat — we need something new," he says. "People should be excited to come together and actually have fun with their [coworkers]."
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Hubschmann's love for comedy started with telling jokes at the dinner table with his family as the youngest child of six siblings and further evolved when he moved to New York City and became immersed in the improv comedy scene. From there, it became increasingly clear that comedy not only made people feel good, but naturally brought them together.
"I saw the benefits of not just laughter, but improv as it was teaching me about listening and critical thinking," says Hubschmann. "I became a better teammate. Most importantly, we were laughing our butts off the whole time."
While comedy and corporate life may not seem like they mix, Hubschmann underlines the data-driven approach the company takes to match the right comedians and content to each employer. Before each event, Laugh Dot Events survey the audience, looking into factors like gender, age range, and the number of married couples and parents. The company also notes what topics to avoid to keep the content work-appropriate.
"We have a formula that allows us to pick the best comedians to make that event successful," says Hubschmann. "We are dialed in in terms of the comedians we work with and the material they are able to do."
For Hubschmann, laughter serves as a bonding exercise and wellness benefit rolled into one. And not long after Laugh Dot Events launched in 2019, the pandemic entered the picture, signaling an even greater need for human connection, explains Hubschmann.
"When the pandemic forced everyone to be virtual, a lot of natural connection was waning. Fast forward to today, and people still really just want to laugh," he says. "We are making a personal connection and building more trust by seeing our coworkers laugh."
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According to a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Trends Cogn Sci, people are 30 times more likely to laugh with others than when they are alone. Experiencing comedy as a team or company-wide can be an especially effective way for employees to associate joy with their colleagues, rather than just work.
Hubschmann takes it one step further by hosting an event called "Laughing and Bonding." Audience members are surveyed beforehand about any fun facts or interests they don't mind sharing with their coworkers, and a comedian will host a game of trivia based on the survey responses.
"Maybe I'm on the marketing team, and I have only ever connected with Jim from accounting over Slack," says Hubschmann. "But now I remember you as the guy who played bagpipes in high school and not just the guy who writes my checks."
On the wellness end, laughter has been known to lower blood pressure, reduce stress-related hormones, improve heart health and boost T-cells, strengthening your immune system. In an attempt to bring more laughter to workers' daily routines, Laugh Dot Events also offers virtual 15-minute laugh breaks, where company teams can engage in a comedy show from their offices or homes.
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"There doesn't have to be a reason for people to carve out time to laugh," says Hubschmann. "People need this break because they're sitting at their desks all day long, and they might not leave for eight straight hours."
Hubschmann reflects on when everyone had recess and lunch as a kid, noting that those breaks gave kids the opportunity to be silly and get their energy out. He believes adults should have similar opportunities, and laugh breaks are one way to structure more rest and release into people's day.
Ultimately, Hubschmann views laughter as vital to retention, remembering that his previous job has such a connected culture he stayed, despite being offered potentially better opportunities. And if employees have the space and time to laugh with their coworkers, Hubschmann is certain camaraderie and loyalty follow.
"People ask themselves, 'Who are we doing this work for?'" he says. "When we do exercises like this that allow us to laugh and connect, we start thinking, 'I'm doing this for a person.' They are a human being, and not just some avatar on Slack."
