The Spotlight Comedy House: North Omaha...A City To Live, Work, and Play

ID

321

OrgName

The Spotlight Comedy House

PhysicalAddress

6669 Sorensen Parkway Omaha, NE 68152

MailingAddress

Website

www.ComedianElstupo.com

SocialMediaAccounts

Instagram: @ComedianElstupo Facebook: ComedianElstupo

Name

Joshua Littrell

Title

Owner/CEO

EmailAddress

info@comedianelstupo.com

Phone

+1 (402) 812-8626

Team

Yes

TeamExplanation

CEO/Professional Comedian & Producer: Joshua Littrell; Co-Owner/President: Vanelle Littrell; Business Consultant: Tim Clark; CPA: Gary Richards

OrganizationalChart

OtherCompletedProjects

The Spotlight Comedy House and Comedian Joshua Elstupo have produced over 50 shows, selling over 20,000 ticket sales, combined.

ProposalTitle

North Omaha...A City To Live, Work, and Play

TotalBudget

400000.0

LB1024GrantFundingRequest

400000.0

ProposalType

Service/program

BriefProposalSummary

The Spotlight Comedy House is an innovative and enthusiastic pop-up comedy event production company that has produced some of the funniest most entertaining comedy shows in Omaha. The Spotlight Comedy House has brought some of the comedy industries biggest names while allowing some of Omaha’s funniest comedians to feature on the shows. It’s our goal to become Omaha’s #1 choice of live comedy. The Spotlight Comedy House will produce quarterly comedy pop up events featuring national headlining comedians in the North Omaha Downtown area. Event dates starting as early as December 2022 and look to produce multiple comedy events each quarter of the up coming years. The Spotlight Comedy House is seeking funding to help produce large events and is aiming to provide 3 main priorities to North Omaha, which include social well being, economic security, and cultural enrichment.

Timeline

The starting date for comedy events will be December 22, 2022 February 16, 2023 April 16, 2023 June 18, 2023 Other Dates TBD

PercentageCompletedByJuly2025

1.0

FundingGoals

Fundamental Change (i.e., a proposal that will continue to elevate North or South Omaha's presence and perception within the region, significantly improving the lives of area residents through physical development) Transformational (i.e., a proposal that will help energize, recharge, or spur significant and favorable advancements in North or South Omaha's function or appearance)

Community Needs

Sustainable Community (i.e., create or enhance housing, services, education, civic uses, recreation, etc.)

OtherExplanation

ProposalDescriptionAndNeedsAlignment

The Spotlight Comedy House’s mission will contribute to community sustainability by addressing social well being, economic security elements and cultural enrichment. North Omaha prides itself on its people, culture, and cultural centers, and The Spotlight Comedy House also creates an environment that connects North Omaha’s individuals directly to downtown Omaha, through its comedy entertainment. Social Well-Being will be provided by the Spotlight Comedy House’s Pop Up Series located in a safe and credible place such as The Holland Center and/or Omaha Design Center, which are places that foster expression through the arts. The partnership with The Holland & Omaha Design Center will create a direct connection with the North Omaha community & downtown community. The Spotlight Comedy House will provide economic security by reinvesting resources in Omaha’s very own local arts community, by producing these popup comedy events featuring A list celebrity comedians & local performers. These events will generate revenue for local beauty shops, restaurants, barbershops, boutiques, and more.

VisioningWorkshopFindingsAlignment

The Spotlight Comedy House’s proposal aligns with the findings in the Visioning Workshop Summary by addressing needs that fit within the cultural context. It identifies these specific gaps and community needs by connecting North Omaha to downtown Omaha, by keeping investment money in the community, by creating jobs, and increasing community health.

PrioritiesAlignment

The Spotlight Comedy House is aiming to provide 3 main priorities to North Omaha, which include social well being, economic security, and cultural enrichment. Laughter has been scientifically proven to promote physical, mental and social benefits, including boosting your immune system, relieving pain, acting as a natural antidepressant, reduces stress, eases social anxiety, overall well-being and more.. (www.healthguide.org) The Spotlight Comedy House will produce quarterly professional, high value comedy events on a consistent basis, allowing its audience entertainment opportunities to have more laughter in their lives. Large events will attract business to small local companies such as barbershops, beauty salons, boutiques, and restaurants, generating more revenue within the North Omaha neighborhoods, keeping money within the community. It is The Spotlight Comedy House’s intent to strengthen the connection between North Omaha & Downtown Omaha by promoting, advertising, and marketing the events in all local businesses and community groups within the qualified census tracts. Continuous networking with local businesses and community groups will increase cultural enrichment, binding us together. Professional observations throughout the years have shown that the North Omaha community will travel to bigger cities, such as Kansas City, Minnesota, St. Louis, etc., for events of this magnitude due to the inconsistency of these types of events in the North Omaha and Downtown area.

EconomicImpact

The Spotlight Comedy House is a Pop up comedy production company that does not own a brick and mortar business. Small businesses in the North Omaha area will generate more revenue due to the events of such a large magnitude (1,500-1,900 people in attendance per event). This demand will provide opportunities for local businesses to increase their revenue by providing services to individuals attending the event (ex. barbershops, beauty salons, boutiques, and restaurants. These local black owned businesses will have opportunities to create more jobs to meet the demand or high volume of individuals who want to attend the event. The Spotlight Comedy House will hire local comedians to feature on these events. Wages for local comedians range from $500-$1,000 per show.

EconomicImpactPermanentJobsCreated

The Holland Center and Omaha Design Center have a team of employees and professionals to run these events. These centers are responsible for employing people within the community. Through our partnerships with these companies, we are asking that team members reflect our culture.

EconomicImpactTemporaryJobsCreated

20-25 local comedic job opportunities will be provided per year. This will be the first opportunity for local comedians to perform and showcase their talent consistently at an event of that capacity (1,500-1,900 people).

EconomicImpactWageLevels

Local comedians will make $500-$1,000 per show.

EconomicImpactAlignProposedJobs

Small businesses in the North Omaha area will be able to provide immediate and ongoing employment opportunities from the demand brought forth from The Spotlight Comedy House’s events. Small businesses will be able to increase their revenue along with providing more employment opportunities.

CommunityBenefit

It is The Spotlight Comedy House’s goal to inspire fundamental and transformational change within the community, through live comedy events enhancing quality of life and happiness. Laughter will uplift community health as a whole. These comedy events held in the North Omaha/Downtown Area will promote long-lasting economic growth by keeping money within the community. The Spotlight Comedy House will also provide opportunities for local comedians to express themselves through the arts.

CommunityBenefitSustainability

The Spotlight Comedy House’s mission will contribute to community sustainability by addressing social well being and economic security fundamentals. By providing laughter to its community, The Spotlight Comedy House will foster positive emotions throughout the individuals in the community, creating a sense of belonging and quality of life. The Spotlight Comedy House will provide economic security by maximizing revenue opportunities throughout local businesses, while allowing local businesses to fill more job positions.

BestPracticesInnovation

“It's true: laughter is strong medicine. It draws people together in ways that trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body.” (www.helpguide.org). The Spotlight Comedy House has proven practices that “laughter is medicine”. It demonstrates innovative and new concepts to Omaha by delivering comedy industry’s biggest talent, all while allowing local comedians to share the same stage.

OutcomeMeasurement

Customer Satisfaction

OutcomeMeasurementHow

By providing customer satisfaction surveys to customers.

OutcomeMeasurementCoinvestment

No.

Partnerships

No

PartnershipsOrgs

PartnershipsMOU

Displacement

No

DisplacementExplanation

PhysicalLocation

The Holland Performing Arts Center located at 1200 Douglas St, Omaha, NE 68102. The Omaha Design Center (a fashionable event venue) located at 1502 Cuming St, Omaha, NE 68102.

QualifiedCensusTract

Adjacent to one or more QCTs

AdditionalLocationDocuments

PropertyZoning

Yes

ConnectedToUtilities

ConnectedToUtilitiesConnected

No

ConnectedToUtilitiesUpgradesNeeded

No

DesignEstimatingBidding

Yes

DesignEstimatingBiddingPackageDeveloped

No

DesignEstimatingBiddingCostsDetermined

GeneralContractor

No

GeneralContractorPublicCompetitiveBid

GeneralContractorPublicCompetitiveBidWhyNot

RequestRationale

Please refer to uploaded Financial Projection Sheet.

GrantFundsUsage

Grant funds will be used for operating costs such as facility event license fees, house sound package, house lighting package, telephone lines, stage manager, sound power connect, back of house security, front of house security, comedian booking fees, agency and management fees, marketing fees, and event insurance.

ProposalFinancialSustainability

Yes

ProposalFinancialSustainabilityOperations

accounting and financial reporting, cash management, accounts payable, payroll, fixed assets, internal control

FundingSources

FundingSourcesPendingDecisions

FundingSourcesCannotContinue

I do not know. (We do not understand the question.)

Scalability

Yes and Yes.

ScalabilityComponents

Please refer to uploaded Financial Projection sheet.

FinancialCommitment

The Spotlight Comedy House is committed to utilizing all funds for the event proposal .

ARPAComplianceAcknowledgment

1.0

ARPAReportingMonitoringProcessAck

1.0

LB1024FundingSourcesAck

1.0

PublicInformation

1.0

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