July/August 2006
Cheat Sheet: Selecting an A/V company
Pointers for identifying your A/V needs and the company that can best accommodate them
By Linda C. Chandler
What you should know about the A/V company before signing a contract
Years in business, an indicator of stability.
Experience in the city/venue of your event.
Reputation, quality of service. Check references from producers of similar events.
Key contact people assigned to be on site.
Training and certifications of the staff/technicians.
Whether any parts of the service will be subcontracted.
What expenses may not have been included in the estimate
(per diems, freight, etc.).
Rule of thumb: If youre considering a new vendor, see a production in the works and talk to technicians on the floor, as well as to the customer.
Assess your needs
Consider internal staffing and dynamics to determine whether the consultant aspect of the A/V company you choose is as important as the pricing and service.
Determine whether you can add value by supplying specs earlier, paying a higher deposit or supporting marketing efforts to exhibitors.
Do you have sufficient volume of business to justify using an outside company?
If you have frequent meetings at the same hotel or convention center, is it more cost-effective to partner with the in-house company?
Remember that once you add a perceived upgrade to your program, its almost impossible to take it away in future years.
Find out in-house contract terms to determine if they may affect the current year and whether you should consider a multiple-year contract.
Gather as much information as possible about past programs going back three years, including equipment lists, programs, pictures and any ancillary revenue opportunities available to the A/V company, such as working with exhibitors and meetings held in conjunction with the event.
Rule of thumb: Look at your goals and needs before your budget is set in stone. You cant achieve high-tech results on a small budget, and negotiating power diminishes after the contract is signed.
What to include in your RFP
As much historical information as possible so the A/V company can produce an accurate estimate. Particularly, past program or schedule of events so labor can be quoted accurately. Also include previous years general session specifications, diagrams or renderings.
Reasonable and achievable deadlines to prepare and set up equipment.
Specific names of equipment, lumen counts, screen sizes, etc.
Expectations of the number and type of technicians required.
What properties will be serviced by the A/V company, whether theres more than one hotel or a headquarters hotel in addition to a convention center.
Exclusive providers, if any, at the facilities or charges associated with bringing in an outside A/V company.
Potential patch fees (to house system for sound associated with a videotape or computer presentation) to be incurred.
Meet the experts
Samantha Bowerman, CMP, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, (201) 938-3159, www.aicpa.org Karen Cuviello, Projection Presentation Technology, (301) 575-2721, www.projection.com Matt Kormann, AVW-TELAV, 214-623-1465, www.avwtelav.com Wanda Kovacs, CMP, Conferon Inc, (330) 425-8333, www.conferon.com
Linda C. Chandler is a freelance writer/editor based in Tyler, TX. She has written for association and convention publications for 17 years. She served as Director of Publications and Editor of Meeting Professionals Internationals magazine.
Contact her at linda.chandler@earthlink.net.
More on expoweb.com
Find this related archived EXPO article:
Cheat Sheet: Sight and sound, April 2004
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Working with an in-house A/V provider at a convention center or hotel
Advantages
No load-in or load-out time or expense except for possibly very large conventions where equipment beyond the in-house inventory may be required.
Set/strike labor for most sets with the exception of perhaps general session sets.
Local expertise, understanding of the internal politics and how the facility operates.
Disadvantages
The A/V company has to consider the commission it pays to the building, which may result in higher pricing; however, in-house A/V companies may be willing to negotiate to secure the business.
In-house suppliers may have fewer or older resources and be less creative. They may staff for the norm but not for the exceptional.
You may be re-inventing the wheel at different venues.
Working with a separately contracted A/V provider
Advantages
Vendor is specifically focused on your event, not everything else in the facility.
Opportunity for more options and creativity for your money.
Ongoing relationship with mutual expectations.
Disadvantages
Vendor may have little experience in the city and be less familiar with the facilities chosen.
Vendor may have few connections with local labor.
Outside vendors may be charged flat fees or patch fees for using the in-house sound system.
Rule of thumb: Generally, a planner still signs a separate contract with an A/V company, regardless of its preferred in-house status.
Using an A/V company tied to another vendor/contractor
Advantages
One-stop shopping and better discounts, at least in theory.
Potential better communication among the service providers.
Disadvantages
Paying for more than you really need.
Vendor may not have same level of expertise in A/V as in other areas.
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