Reasons why you should choose Production Headquarters over a hotel's In-House AV provider:
#1 – R.O.I. Return on Investment:
The most important factor in choosing an AV provider, vs the In House AV company, is
the correlation between what you invest vs. what you receive. While their quotes may seem similar to ours, keep in mind that every In-House provider must pay the venue a percentage of your overall program. This percentage is typically 50% or higher!! When you invest in your program, do you want only 50 cents of every dollar to actually go towards your event success? Most venues will make commission when booking audio visual services through the In House AV provider. If you bring in your preferred provider they can’t contract the work out and they don’t get incentive pay. However they make more money from Food, Beverage and Hotel Meeting Room Rentals than Audio Visual, so let them know you will NOT be using the In House AV company BEFORE you book the hotel.
#2 – Watch out for their Tactics
In order to overcome the above R-O-I issue, most In-house providers will use tactics like:
-Donating or Discounting your Internet Fees.
This is their largest mark up as the service is already there for the guests of the hotel.
Since it is already paid for it costs them nothing to discount the inflated cost.
-They will require you to pay for using the existing power in meeting rooms if you
use an outside provider.
-They will add in a required “Liaison” to oversee your vendor and to be on “Standby”
just incase you need anything. This “Liaison” is usually just the in house AV tech
already on duty in his office.
-They will tell you “Outside AV companies won’t be able to accommodate last minute
changes.” Don’t let this deceptive statement fool you! Much of a hotel’s equipment,
especially any specialty gear, is actually shipped from other hotels or their warehouse
since hotels have very little space for AV storage. How is that different from us
running back to our warehouse?
-Some venues even say you “have to” use their preferred Provider.
KNOW your rights and know the law.
YOU have the choice to bring in your own provider.
Don’t be fooled by the lure of Free Internet & Power to hide your true R-O-I.
#3 – Gear Is Gear
While anyone can obtain nice state of the art equipment. Not everyone knows how to use it to it’s potential. This is what makes us different. With our broad knowledge base, our experience with working many unique events and working in many different venues, we are able to provide you with superior service. We don’t inflate the cost of internet access, charge ridiculous rigging fees, or make you pay for existing power so we can discount those items to win your business.
We earn your business by providing you an experienced crew, a fair price, state of the art equipment, and a solid Return On your Investment.
#4 – Experience & Ownership
This is actually the key to our success. 100% of every dollar you invest, stays with Your Program. We are able to provide you with experienced AV technicians, Audio Engineers and Lighting Designers vs the AV techs on duty at that hotel. Most of our front line techs specialize in their specific field and some have toured with Major Acts. Our Audio Engineers for example can provide sound for small groups in an intimate venue all the way up to full concert systems and have worked with many national headline acts.
We take ownership of you event’s success. You have 100% of our attention. Our crews are not pulled in several directions as is the case with In-House providers. If you did not buy out your venue 100%, you are NOT getting 100% of their attention. Our people have extensive experience working in diverse situations and in many different types of venues.
Be confident with your selection, not bullied into it! Relax and enjoy your event with us.
From an article in an industry magazine: