Reading the fine print to save $$$

When the in-house AV company says no, you have other options.

Note: Due to NDA's the names of the vendors and company have been changed.

Company X booked the brand new ballroom in town and needed multiple projectors, screens, and audio systems for the main room and break out rooms. The brand new ballroom insists that Company X uses their in house AV company, "Paymore Global". As the AV budget swells to over 80k, Company X calls BEL to review the proposal sent by Paymore. Here at BEL we reviewed the AV proposal, and while the first few pages had fair prices, the last few were full of outrageous and predatory fees. $25 for each television power cord, trucking fees for equipment that is supposedly already in the hotel, $3000 worth of labor to put up a piece of drape a day early. We at BEL brokered a meeting between Company X and Paymore where line by line we questioned the purpose of the extra fees and exorbitant labor.

Paymore offed a small discount as compromise, but insisted that they still had to be used. We at BEL pointed out that there is no legally binding language in the venue's contract and therefore any AV company had the right to provide competitive AV services. On our recommendation, Company X rejected Paymore's proposal and used BEL to broker new deals with local AV companies. With a few phone calls and 3 1-hour meetings, we at BEL managed to bring in Company X's show at a budget of $45k, for a savings of $35000.