A plain-English breakdown of how Your AV Department gets paid, why it never costs you anything extra, and what the ongoing partnership actually looks like.
After more than three decades in the AV production trenches — experiencing both the exceptional and the unreliable — it became clear to me that national associations and corporate groups need a dedicated advocate. Your AV Department is a completely free gateway to a vetted network of top-tier production professionals, effectively acting as your virtual, in-house AV department.
I have been in the AV production business for over 30 years. In that time, I have worked with some great — and some not-so-great — companies and people. With Your AV Department, I am putting my network of vetted professionals to work for you, at no cost.
I have a handful of trusted companies all over the country — people I trust enough to put my name on their work.
I evaluate your event requirements and get a quote from the partner — or partners — I believe are the perfect fit, based on capabilities, unique specialties, and geography.
I negotiate all-inclusive charges on your behalf, ensuring complete transparency and eliminating hidden fees before ink ever hits paper.
Your contract is signed directly with the chosen production company, keeping you in complete control of the relationship. You don't pay me — they do.
The standard model for AV production companies is to pay their sales reps a base salary plus commission. My model removes the base salary entirely.
| Traditional AV Vendor Model | Your AV Department Model |
|---|---|
| High vendor acquisition costs (base salary + commission) | 80% lower acquisition cost (zero base-salary overhead) |
| You pay the vendor | You pay the vendor; the vendor pays my commission |
| Prices inflated to cover internal overhead | Potentially lower costs, thanks to reduced vendor overhead |
Will it cost more because the vendor has to pay my commission?
No — probably less. In practical terms, a production partner's cost of acquisition with me is reduced by at least 80%, because my base salary is $0.
It's not about brokering a single contract and walking away. It's about flawless event execution and long-term budget management.
I'm on every planning call, and I'm happy to be on site if you'd like. I represent your interests to the venue and the production team — not just for one event, but as your ongoing, virtually in-house AV department.
When your venue's in-house team is the most logical choice for a flagship or mid-size event, I audit their quotes and oversee execution to make sure they're protecting your interests — not just the venue's.
I develop long-term budget management strategies — stacking business for volume discounts, securing early quotes, and other tactics I've picked up over 30 years — to help maximize your ROI.
Straight answers, from me, about how this actually works.
The standard model for AV production companies is to pay a base salary plus commission. My model removes the base salary. In practical terms, their cost of acquisition with me is reduced by at least 80%, because my base salary is $0.
Absolutely not. I'm happy to be on site if you'd like. I'll be on all the planning calls. I'll represent you to the venue and the production team. It's not about getting a contract for a single conference — it's about becoming your virtually in-house AV department.
Sometimes the in-house team is the best option for all of your AV on a given event. Whatever the case, I'll work with the in-house vendor to protect your interests — just like the in-house team protects the interests of their partner, the venue.
I'll help you there too — by making sure the in-house team is fully prepared to execute exactly what you need, even on smaller events that don't warrant a full outside production partner.
First, I make sure all quotes are in line with expectations and that there are no hidden fees you need to account for. In the long term, I'll help you manage your budget with strategies like getting quotes earlier and stacking business for a volume discount. Sometimes it's as simple as asking.
It's a free conversation — no obligation, no pressure.
