Introducing the Canadian Audio Visual Providers Association (CAVPA)

Following countless discussions and planning sessions, we are pleased to introduce the Canadian Audio Visual Providers Association (CAVPA). CAVPA is the first association in Canada to represent Canadian audio visual providers.

Over the past year, five privately owned, Canadian audio visual companies from across the country came together with a common purpose and laid the foundations for a national association specifically aimed at audio visual service providers to represent their interests to governments and challenge anti-competitive practices that seek to disadvantage Canadian owned businesses. Advanced Systems, Expert’Ease, Bespoke Audio Visual, AVentPro and Proshow Audiovisual are the founding members of CAVPA and welcome other Canadian firms to join.

“Canadian AV companies have had an extremely challenging time throughout the pandemic. For those of us that have survived, we now have to compete with the deep pockets of international investment firms that own global AV companies that continue to use anti-competitive tactics. CAVPA is here to ensure the thousands of employees of Canadian AV companies can continue working in an industry they love.” said Kyle Brooks, CEO of Bespoke Audio Visual.

The audio visual industry provides services to many areas of the economy, hospitality, tourism, food and beverage, meetings and events, international travel, education, concerts, art and theatre. CAVPA will be the voice for audio visual providers across the country on issues such as monopolistic practices in the industry, wireless spectrum auctions, protections for gig workers, and other issues with government, business and within the event industry.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw our industry consistently underrepresented in the dialogue with the government. Because most of our work revolves around mass gathering, we were one of the very first industries to shut down and one of the last to reopen and we had no voice with which to tell our story.” said Tim Lang, President of Proshow Audiovisual on the creation of CAVPA.

The inaugural board of directors of CAVPA has set forth an ambitious agenda which starts with an information campaign and a membership drive launching Q1 of 2022. By the end of 2022, CAVPA has a goal to have an active and robust membership.

We are very proud of the contribution that Bespoke has made to the creation of CAVPA. It will help our members and their employees continue building thriving businesses that contribute to the economic and cultural fabric of the country.

Please visit cavpa.ca to learn more.

Who is CAVPA?

The Canadian Audio Visual Providers Association represents Canadian-owned sound, light and audio visual equipment rental and production companies. Our membership focus is primarily on those businesses that service the corporate audio visual space, including meetings, conferences, galas, trade shows, ceremonies and other types of events typically held in convention centers, hotels and other venues.

What does CAVPA do?

Engage, Educate and Advocate with all levels government, event planners, hotel & conference facilities and the public on the benefits and value provided by Canadian-owned audio visual companies and promote recognition of the audio visual and event technology industry as critical supply chain service providers supporting many other key sectors.

A couple of key areas of focus to start:

• • Allowing for Canadian AV providers to have fair opportunity to provide their services at events and venues across the country and challenge monopolistic and anti-competitive practices. This includes highlighting options available to event planners when booking venues that will enable them to have freedom of choice in audio visual vendor without financial penalties from the facility
  • Highlighting the importance of our industry and its impact on the economic and employment contribution made by Canadian audio visual companies and culture of our cities.

How to get involved

By joining together, Canadian-owned audio visual companies can amplify our message and influence with a much larger voice. Your membership in CAVPA will enable our industry to be better heard by governments and other stakeholders and will represent our interests in a way that no single company could achieve on their own.