PSAV

PSAV
Name	PSAV
Type	Private
Industry	Event technology services
Founded	1903
Headquarters	Orlando, Florida
Area served	Global
Key people	Jacob Stammen
Employees	5,000+
Revenue	US$1 billion (est.)

PSAV PSAV is an American event technology and audiovisual services company providing production, sound, lighting, staging, and staging support for conferences, conventions, trade shows, and live events. Founded in the early 20th century, the company grew into a major supplier for hospitality venues, convention centers, and corporate events across North America, Europe, and Asia. PSAV works with hotel chains, convention bureaus, and associations to deliver integrated event services and technical production.

Overview

PSAV operates as a full-service provider of audiovisual production, staging, and event technology, partnering with venues such as Walt Disney World, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and Gaylord Hotels. It serves major conventions produced by organizations including American Society of Association Executives, Meeting Professionals International, International Association of Exhibitions and Events and has delivered services for events featuring entities like Microsoft, Apple Inc., Google, Amazon (company), and Facebook. PSAV's operations intersect with facility managers at locations like the Orange County Convention Center, McCormick Place, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, and Las Vegas Convention Center while coordinating logistics with firms such as Live Nation Entertainment, Aramark, Compass Group, and SMG (company). The company frequently engages production partners including Freeman (company), GES (company), PRG, and NEP Group.

History

PSAV traces roots to early 20th-century audiovisual rental services and expanded alongside growth in trade shows and convention travel. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries the company scaled through contracts with major hospitality brands like Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Hyatt Hotels Corporation and partnered with convention bureaus including Visit Orlando, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and Convention Industry Council (CIC). Private equity transactions involved firms such as Blackstone Group, Thomas H. Lee Partners, and Platinum Equity. PSAV navigated industry shifts influenced by events tied to CES, South by Southwest, Consumer Electronics Show, and global gatherings like World Economic Forum and United Nations Climate Change Conference. During the 2010s and 2020s PSAV restructured operations amid technological transformation and competitive pressures from companies including Encore Global, Solotech, and Stageco.

Services and Operations

PSAV provides audiovisual production, on-site technicians, stage design, rigging, projection, live streaming, content management, and event logistics. Typical engagements involve collaboration with associations such as Society for Human Resource Management, American Bar Association, and American Medical Association, corporate clients like IBM, Intel, Salesforce, and entertainment clients represented by CAA (agency), WME, and United Talent Agency. For trade shows and exhibitions PSAV coordinates with organizers of International Consumer Electronics Show, Natural Products Expo, National Retail Federation and venues managed by operators like ASM Global and Oak View Group. Services extend to education and training events hosted by institutions including Harvard University, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology and cultural programs at institutions such as Smithsonian Institution, Lincoln Center, and Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Technology and Equipment

PSAV's equipment inventory includes sound systems from manufacturers like Shure, Sennheiser, and Meyer Sound, lighting consoles by ETC (company), fixtures from Philips Lighting, and projection systems from Barco (company) and Christie Digital Systems. Video production workflows incorporate cameras from Sony, Canon Inc., and Panasonic Corporation, switchers by Blackmagic Design, and streaming solutions compatible with platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom Video Communications. PSAV integrates networking and broadcast infrastructure involving partners like Cisco Systems, Arista Networks, and Akamai Technologies and deploys staging and rigging equipment compliant with standards from Occupational Safety and Health Administration and industry bodies such as Entertainment Services and Technology Association.

Corporate Structure and Financials

As a privately held company PSAV has undergone ownership changes involving private equity firms including Blackstone Group, Thomas H. Lee Partners, Platinum Equity, and has pursued transactions with strategic partners in the hospitality and events ecosystem like InterContinental Hotels Group and Accor. Senior executives have included leaders with backgrounds at Live Nation Entertainment, Disney, and Marriott International. Financial performance correlates with trade show calendars (e.g., Consumer Electronics Show, IMEX America), corporate meeting cycles, and macroeconomic conditions; revenue estimates have approached the billion-dollar range in peak years. PSAV's cost structure reflects capital equipment, event personnel, logistics, and venue contracts, and it has engaged financial institutions such as JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup for advisory and credit facilities.

Market Presence and Clients

PSAV operates in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East with footprint in cities like Orlando, Florida, Las Vegas, New York City, London, Dubai, and Hong Kong. Key clients include multinational corporations (Microsoft, Apple Inc., Google), trade associations (American Society of Association Executives), and major hospitality brands (Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International). The company competes with firms such as Encore Global, PRG, NEP Group, and Freeman (company) for business at flagship events like CES, NAB Show, CEDIA Expo, and IBC (conference), while also serving cultural institutions including Kennedy Center and Royal Albert Hall.

Controversies and Legal Issues

PSAV has faced disputes typical in the events sector, including litigation over contract terms with venues and clients, labor and union negotiations with local chapters of unions such as IATSE, and regulatory compliance matters involving authorities like Occupational Safety and Health Administration and local building departments. Competitive tensions with firms such as Encore Global and Freeman (company) have led to legal and contractual challenges around exclusive service agreements at venues managed by operators like ASM Global and SMG (company). Economic shocks affecting events—illustrated by cancellations at gatherings like South by Southwest—have prompted restructuring and renegotiations with creditors and landlords overseen by advisors linked to KPMG and Deloitte.

Category:Event technology companies