Peter Brown

The Irrelevant Show was one of CBC Radio’s most successful comedy programs. It drew an audience of more than 750,000 listeners per week, won multiple Canadian Comedy Awards and sold out theatres across Canada. The Irrelevant Show’s award-winning musical team, led by Peter Brown and resident composer/pianist Jan Randall, wrote more than 50 songs for national broadcast. These were often highlights of their live shows and they received countless requests for copies and even sheet music. As they have demonstrated during their years on CBC, they know how to craft comedy that’s light-hearted and inclusive – if they sing or do an improv skit about an individual in your organization, they’ll definitely want a copy to play for their family later on.

In seven seasons on air, they recorded more than a thousand sketches and songs. So whatever your group or event, they have material that will strike a chord with your audience. They have done numerous sketches about sports, medicine, education, politics and the legal system. Beyond that, many of their greatest hits look at the absurdities of daily life: dating and marriage, business, parents and children, office politics, air travel, etc. They also have lots of material about pop culture – they cover the waterfront from Stuart McLean to Star Wars. Peter Brown and his team customize and tailor material that is relevant to each organization and event theme.

They can also include a customized mini-musical piece to end the event on a high note. It will turn the highlights of your gathering into a funny and entertaining package. Your themes, speakers, and memorable moments will become the subjects of soaring songs, tender ballads, pattern tunes and big show-stoppers. A great way to end an event and sum up your programming.

Have you ever had sweaty palms before an important presentation? Dry mouth during a difficult conversation? Struggled to find the right words or frozen up when it is time to be at your best?

Crunch Time and we all know it well.  Peter has felt the nerves kick in and has been distracted by the voice of doubt in his head. He has tried to become what he thought people WANTED him to be, rather than showcasing his own strengths and ideas. As a result, he has blown some great opportunities he had, but not without learning some key strategies on how to conduct himself in high-pressure situations.

Over the years Peter learned to conquer those moments by re-framing them in his mind, and by learning how to ask the right questions on the fly. It is the lessons he was able to implement in his own situations that ‘Crunch Time’ is all about. He will provide powerful tools to bring your best self to your most important moments, both professional and personal.

Do you know those press releases your organization sends out? Chances are, they’re going straight into the trash.

Every day, local newsrooms receive hundreds of releases. The vast majority get a quick glance and go straight into the trash. And even if your release is discussed in a story meeting, it may well get a “no” within the first few lines. The odds are good that your press releases are part of that 80 to 90 percent, thrown out after someone has read a few lines at most.

Peter Brown can help you break through. As a CBC radio host and producer at both the local and national level, Peter has led thousands of those story meetings. He’s taken part in those discussions about which stories should be covered, and he’s written and edited countless interviews and items. Peter Brown can help you break through. As a CBC radio host and producer at both the local and national level, Peter has been in thousands of those story meetings. He has led those discussions about which stories should be covered, and he’s written and edited countless interviews and items.

Whether you want people to know about your event, your brand, or your new project, Peter will tell you exactly what assignment editors and reporters are looking for, and how to craft a press release (or phone conversation) to spark their interest. Beyond that, he’ll offer strategies that will help the media “see” or “hear” your story as part of their show or publication. And he’ll show you how your exposure in mainstream media can be the spark that launches your social media campaign.

An hour loaded with information and humour, that will help you get your story, your company, or your event, the attention it deserves.

You can hire a broadcaster and your presentation will be smooth and professional. You can hire a comic to give you moments of fun and surprise. You can hire Peter Brown and get both.

Planning/programming – As an experienced producer and writer, Peter can help you develop programming elements to strike the right tone, create moments of surprise and entertainment and more. From the outset, he’ll discuss your core messages, overall tone, and the needs of your audience, and help ensure that all elements of your event hit the marks you’ve set.

Script and program development – Peter is a quick and capable writer, and excels at taking simple bullet points and turning them into a fully fleshed-out presentation.  He is more than happy to incorporate any notes or comments you have. Some hosts charge extra for the script, or they keep the script after the event if they are not compensated for it. If you hire Peter through the conference package, you can keep your script for use as a template in future years, even if he is not involved in the event.

Quick Interviews with speakers, decision-makers, leaders and special guests before the event: Peter takes the time to get to know each showcase speaker, special guest, award winner etc before each event. He also spends as much time as he can with any organization representative to research the organization and the event so that he can bring an insider look to the audience to make it feel like the event is being hosted by one of your own.

Free pre-recorded video: informative, entertaining video to make sure your attendees are prepared and enthusiastic before the event even begins, and to convince the undecided that they’ll be missing out if they don’t attend. This is perfect for sharing on your social media and internal networks.

High level of professionalism and skills to host the event: No matter how great your plan is, surprises always happen. This is where Peter’s skills as a broadcaster and improviser come into play. He keeps everything on track and running smoothly, keeps the mood bright with moments of gentle humour, and when something does go wrong, his improvisation skills turn those moments into entertainment and even humour. He also tailors announcements and information to engage your audience and lift them out of run-of-the-mill housekeeping.

Hosting, Gala and closing “high-note”: Peter also offers to put a ribbon on your event with a closing presentation that will capture the highlights – the lessons,  the takeaways and the fun of your event. A great blend of humour and inspiration.

Keynote or breakout: As part of the conference package, Peter also offers his popular keynote or breakout presentation: Laughing Matters, all about the benefits and connective power of laughter. It’s a fascinating and funny presentation that leaves the audience entertained and better prepared to face stress and uncertainty. Peter can, of course, tailor this highly-rated presentation for your needs.

Nothing wears you down like job stress and uncertainty, especially these days. You’re exhausted. You’re cranky. You’re losing sleep.

And worst of all you feel powerless – you have no control over the changes that are coming at you.

That’s where LAUGHING MATTERS comes in.

In 25 years as a broadcaster, and decades as a comic and writer, I’ve dealt with wave after wave of cutbacks, cancellations, rejection and restructuring. At times I struggled to cope with all that uncertainty.

But I learned to use humour to manage my stress and improve my outlook. I’ll share those lessons – and those laughs – in  LAUGHING MATTERS. I’ll show you the many ways laughter can help you cope with stress and change.

From known physical benefits, to a deeper connection with colleagues and friends, to a greater feeling of control and perspective, I’ll teach you how to use laughter to make your life better in any situation.