The Value of AV Consulting

When people think about audiovisual (AV) systems, they often picture the hardware—displays, loudspeakers, microphones. But behind every successful AV deployment lies a critical role that is often overlooked: the AV consultant.

Many project teams are familiar with AV integrators but less so with consultants. This lack of awareness can lead to missed opportunities for better planning, smoother coordination, and more cost-effective outcomes. This blog explores the unique role AV consultants play, how they differ from integrators, and why engaging them early in a project can make a measurable impact.

What Is an AV Consultant?

An AV consultant is a design and strategy partner who works alongside architects, engineers, end users, and technical departments (AV and IT) from the earliest stages of a project. Rather than selling equipment, consultants focus on understanding how technology supports user needs within the project budget. They design systems, create documentation, coordinate across disciplines, and ensure the technology integrates seamlessly into the built environment.

AV consultants are vendor-agnostic. They don’t have ties to specific manufacturers, allowing them to help clients choose the right-fit technologies based on functionality, budget, and long-term strategy.

Consultants vs. Integrators: What’s the Difference?

Although both AV consultants and integrators are essential to delivering a complete system, their roles are fundamentally different.

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Consultants help define system goals, coordinate infrastructure, and ensure the design aligns with the broader architectural and operational vision. Integrators bring the design to life by installing and configuring the technology. When consultants are left out of the early design process, projects are often forced to retrofit solutions—leading to performance issues, increased costs, and schedule delays.

Why Early Involvement Matters

Treating AV as an afterthought can result in significant challenges. When consultants are brought in too late, there may be limited flexibility to accommodate critical infrastructure such as equipment racks, ventilation requirements, or cable routing pathways.

Early involvement allows consultants to plan for space, power, and network requirements, thereby reducing the risk of costly change orders. It also enables coordination with other design teams—ensuring that AV systems are considered in architectural layouts, mechanical and electrical planning, and IT infrastructure from the start.

Balancing Architecture and Experience

AV systems must do more than function—they must also integrate smoothly with the architecture and enhance the user experience. This requires careful planning to ensure that technology is both discreet and effective.

Consultants help align design intent with technical requirements. This includes selecting equipment make/model and placement to align with aesthetic goals and integrating control systems that are intuitive and aligned with brand identity, or specifying solutions that minimize maintenance. The result is a space that performs well without compromising aesthetics.

Managing Risk, Delivering Value

AV consultants provide clear, coordinated design documentation that reduces ambiguity during construction. They support clients with services such as:

• Standards development and enforcement
• Lifecycle and scalability planning
• Infrastructure and space planning
• Product research and cost-benefit analysis
• Bid documentation and vendor evaluation
• Submittal reviews and QA/QC
• Construction administration to guide the quality and progress of the system installation  

With deep product knowledge and visibility into evolving technologies, consultants help clients avoid short-lived solutions and design for long-term flexibility. This is particularly important for organizations undergoing rapid growth, developing global technology standards, or seeking to reduce long-term operational costs.

Consultants and Integrators: A Collaborative Relationship

AV consultants and integrators perform complementary roles that are both essential to a successful project. With clear scope definition, open communication, and shared goals, collaboration between the two leads to better project outcomes.

At TEECOM, many of our AV consultants have previous experience as integrators. This firsthand knowledge of the integration process helps us to understand the workflows, constraints, and motivations that drive integrator decisions. As a result, we’re able to anticipate challenges, foster stronger collaboration, and create documentation that supports a smoother handoff during construction.

Consultants lead early design and documentation, ensuring that infrastructure, systems, and user experience are aligned. Integrators bring that vision to life during construction, installing and commissioning the technology as specified. When consultants remain involved through the construction phase, they help ensure the design intent is maintained, review submittals, and respond to field conditions in real time.

This balanced partnership supports seamless technology integration, clearer communication, and greater client satisfaction.

Where AV Consulting Adds the Most Value

While AV consultants add value to nearly all projects, they are especially critical in spaces that require high performance, flexibility, or visibility:

• Executive briefing centers (EBCs)
• Multipurpose conference and training rooms
• Performing Arts Venues 
• Broadcast and recording
• Visualization and Simulation spaces 
• Lobbies, museums, and public experience spaces
• Classrooms and hybrid learning environments
• Labs and mission-critical operations centers
• Large-scale or global portfolio rollouts
  
  

These environments demand both functional reliability and thoughtful integration—and the cost of missteps can be high.

Conclusion: The Strategic Advantage

AV consultants play a strategic role in delivering technology systems that are reliable, scalable, and user-friendly. They reduce risk, enhance design integration, and advocate for the owner’s long-term interests.

By engaging an AV consultant early in the process, project teams can avoid pitfalls, improve coordination, and deliver spaces where technology works seamlessly in the background. Whether it’s a headquarters buildout, a campus expansion, or a complex R&D facility, AV consultants ensure that technology is a source of strength—not stress—for the organization.

TEECOM Can Help

Whether you’re planning a new facility, upgrading existing systems, or developing global AV standards, TEECOM can help. Our team of AV consultants brings deep technical expertise, design sensitivity, and project coordination skills to every engagement. We work as an extension of your team—helping you make informed decisions, avoid costly issues, and deliver technology systems that truly work for your users. Contact us to learn how we can support your next project.

About the Authors

Jason Brounstein, is Principal Consultant at TEECOM with a background in AV integration and a passion for user-centered design. He specializes in translating complex technical requirements into intuitive, reliable systems that enhance collaboration and support long-term scalability.

Elisabeth Kelson, is a Principal, Senior Consultant with a dual background in acoustics and audiovisual systems. She brings a holistic approach to technology design, aligning technical performance with architectural vision and client goals. Elisabeth excels at guiding clients through every phase of project delivery.