AV Your Way, by Steve Wildemann

AV YOUR WAY

How to preserve the freedom to choose between independent and in-house audiovisual providers

By Steve Wildemann

Audiovisual (AV) providers come in as many shapes and sizes as there are kinds of events. There are large and small companies, in-house and independent providers. It’s up to you, as the planner, to evaluate what type of AV company will work best for your event and client. But if you want the event done your way, you need to be proactive. Before a venue contract is signed, planners should secure their freedom of choice between the in-house AV company and an independent provider. Here’s how to preserve that freedom:

START WITH THE RFP AND CONTRACT

Once the venue contract is signed, a planner has lost negotiation power. At that point, you’re committed to the in-house AV option, or to paying a variety of fees if you opt to bring in your own AV partner.

Start off early with the RFP and include a provision that allows the freedom to bring in outside AV providers. Supply the venue with terms that maintain freedom of choice with no additional fees or penalties. All fees are negotiable during the contract stage and are easily avoided if planners take a proactive stance during their site selection process.

INCLUDE LANGUAGE TO PROTECT FREEDOM OF CHOICE

Here is a sample clause planners can use in the RFP to preserve freedom of choice:

Due to the unique nature of our meeting program format, [Your company] has a partnership with an AV provider that is familiar with our needs. We will plan to utilize their services for much of our AV meeting requirements. They, in turn, may rent equipment and/ or labor from the in-house provider to augment their needs while onsite. When replying to this RFP, please address our requirement to exclude any fees or charges or requirements to [Your company] or our AV partner. It is incumbent upon the facility to remove clauses regarding such fees or requirements from any proposals prior to submission to [Your company]. [Your Company] expects the facility to openly bring up and address these items for a detailed discussion prior to including any of them within our final agreement.

The following is sample language planners can use in the contract when negotiating with the venue: [Your company] reserves the option to use our own

AV provider for all of our AV needs with no additional charges, fees or penalties of any type to [Your company] or our AV partner. Examples of these include, but are not limited to:

• Requirements for supervisory labor to move-in/out of the facility • Fees to prepare rooms for use • Charges for podiums, basic power, staging, heating, air conditioning or lights within the meeting room • Flat daily outside vendor fees • Requirements to use floor or wall coverings when not practiced by the in-house AV company • New labor/union contracts (if there were none at the submission of the proposal or when signing the contract) • Wi-Fi rates that are higher than if the in-house AV company were utilized. A planner’s choice of AV provider should not impact the cost of Wi-Fi service.

An independent AV partner can assist planners with the contract language and provide sample terms and advice for negotiating with venues.

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE VALUE INDEPENDENT AV CAN OFFER

If preserving freedom of choice seems difficult and going with the in-house option looks more convenient, there is a reason for that. It’s in the venue’s interest for planners to use the in-house company.

In-house AV vendors pay venues commissions for their “preferred vendor” status. Ultimately, you as the event planner pay for these commissions as in-house vendors set their prices so they can cover the costs. Outsourced AV partners don’t have the burden of paying the facility, and that freedom often lets those companies deliver the same

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