10 A/V NEGOTIATING COMMANDMENTS FOR MEETING PLANNERS

Don't have FOBO (Fear Of Better Offers). At SSAV we believe that high quality Audio/Visual services don't need to come with a high price-tag and that all our clients should be receiving an incredible value on their purchases. Hotels and convention spaces usually have in-house vendors that are often times giving out high AV quotes, have hidden fees, and terms that are difficult to understand. We’re here to make you look good and we can help you save thousands of dollars by letting you know 10 things to consider when negotiating for your event, even if you don’t choose our services.

1) Are there penalties, liaison fees, or supervisor fees for using an outside AV company?

If you're able to negotiate these fees, make sure you have it reflected in your contract. If they don't budge, insist that if the outside AV company follows venue standards the fees should be removed. You can save up to 100% of your fees by using this tactic.

2) Is this an AV Union Hotel?

This is an important question because union fees are often overlooked and can add up $$$$$. Full disclosure allows you to lock in rates and avoid inflated pricing. If they are an AV Union Hotel, request for fixed rates.

3) Does the hotel charge for power in the meeting space?

If the hotel charges for power, request for it to be free! There's no harm in asking and if will not comp it, ask for a blanket discount of 25% or more.

4) Check to plug into the wall outlets.

Wall outlets should be free as they are not dedicated power. Asking this question can save you up to $25 per power outlet.

5) Ask to waive service charges and technology support fees.

If they do not waive the fees, ask for a discounted rate. Here we'd suggest for you to aim for reducing 10-30% off your bill.

6) Is there free connection to the in-house sound?

If the answer is no, then ask for a free connection. Again, if it's not possible, then ask for a discounted rate. If it is, LUCKY YOU! You probably won't have to spend a dime on audio!

7) WiFi, spa days, and free rooms should be free.

After all, you are going to be generating them quite a bit of revenue. If you can't get it for free, ask for a discounted rate.

8) Ask for the venue to cover rigging fees.

If they tell you know, ask for fixed weekly rigging points. For example, if rigging is $350 a day, ask for the weekly $200 rate.

9) Ask to remove overtime fees.

If the venue won't remove these fees, try asking for them to be applied only after 8 straight hours.

10) If a company’s FIRST quote is better than the hotel’s, honor it.

Hotels will often come down a considerable amount to compete with an outside vendor’s pricing as they receive 40-55% commission when you use in house A/V. Ask yourself why they charged you so much in the first place!