(Yicai Global) Nov. 25 -- China's stand-up comedy scene needs time to foster talents at its own pace, according to the founder of a recently rewarded event organizer.

The emerging sector in China must be patient and reserve talents and capabilities to maintain high-level and sustainable development, Ye Feng, founder and chairman of Xiaoguo Culture, said to Yicai Global. The Shanghai-based firm was one of the 10 winners of the annual Shanghai Culture Awards, held yesterday.

Xiaoguo will spare no effort to organize offline shows despite the pandemic situation, Ye said. It plans to launch more high-quality offline comedy shows, exploring new formats such as situational comedy and improv to satisfy the new generation’s huge demand for varied entertainment. The firm plans to tour North America and Europe early next year during the Chinese New Year, he added.

Seven years after its inception, Xiaoguo, along with the Chinese stand-up comedy scene, are gradually becoming recognized by the masses. Earlier, it was hard to find performers, Ye said. Xiaoguo launched a TV series called Rock & Roast to attract young talent and that turned into an online platform that helps new artists to be discovered.

The company has also undergone changes within. Xiaoguo used to have a team of two to three people but now it employs hundreds of people. Meanwhile, its event venues have changed from small pubs to bigger locales.

Last year, Xiaoguo hosted over 1,500 shows all around China, with a coverage of almost 30 municipalities nationwide and over 400,000 viewers. Ticket sales exceeded CNY80 million (USD11.2 million) last year, making up a third of the nation's total in stand-up comedy.

But this year, things are different. The number of offline shows has been slashed because of Covid-19 outbreaks and the firm has had to refund some tickets, according to the founder.

The company is looking ahead by cultivating talent. It organizes training boot camps that accommodate from 30 to 50 people per time even though a lot more usually apply. During the boot camp, participants learn about stand-up comedy, a Japanese style of double act comedy called manzai, and sketch comedy.

The camps play a significant role in cultivating new performers, giving them access to stages, which is a crucial link for widening the community of comedians and producing professional shows, the founder concluded.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi