David Wilk and several of his friends launched Four Day Weekend back in 1997 with about $700; “It was all the money we had in the world,” he says. Initially, the improv-style comedy group was booked for a six-week stint at a local theater in Fort Worth, Texas, going on after the main show. After a critic wrote a glowing review, Four Day Weekend suddently caught on, and began selling out the small venue. Seventeen years later, the group has their own 200-seat theater, is approaching the 5,000-performance mark and has seen unbelievable growth and success.
Their show is smart and irreverent, but never the same, and clean, yet still funny.
Wilk describes the group’s move into the meetings and conference market as a natural progression; what began as after-dinner gigs now accounts for almost 70 percent of their revenue.
“We would go on stage after some guy from accounting had killed the energy in the room by reading an endless list of names and figures,” Wilk says. “It would be hard work to save the show.”
When clients asked if they would host these events, to keep the energy high all evening long, Four Day Weekend eagerly said yes and gained a reputation as “the guys that save awards banquets.”
“We wouldn’t be where we are today if we had said no,” Wilks says. The program can be turnkey or customized, including specialized keynote speeches that inject humor into company messaging.
The concept of never answering a question with “no” is important in improv because it keeps the conversion from coming to a dead end. The philosophy can also inspire business growth, forcing companies to overcome hurdles and take on new challenges.
Four Day Weekend also produces conference videos and leads team building and communication workshops for corporate clients.
