Harvey Marshall Berling Associates

What Harvey Marshall Berling Associates does

Harvey Marshall Berling Associates (HMBA) is a privately held professional services firm specializing in integrated theater planning, acoustics engineering, architectural and stage lighting, and audio-visual/IT consulting for performing arts centers, educational facilities, museums, and cultural institutions. Founded and led by named partners Bill Marshall, David Harvey, and Todd Berling, the firm delivers four core service lines — Theater Design, Acoustics, Lighting, and AV/IT — under a single engagement model that consolidates the technical disciplines normally split across multiple specialty consultants. Project work spans programming and pre-planning studies through system equipment commissioning, with a proprietary "Inside-Out" methodology built on decades of practice and a Principal Consultant assigned to each engagement from first meeting through handover.

HMBA's business model is project-based professional consulting: revenue is generated through fees tied to the scope and complexity of individual engagements rather than recurring subscriptions or product sales. Client project budgets observed in the portfolio range from approximately $3M (Mount Notre Dame) to $220M (Kennedy Center The Reach), with notable engagements including the Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center ($27M), Harlem Stage Gatehouse ($21M), Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center ($25M), and Baha Mar Resort. The firm does not publicly disclose pricing; engagements are custom-scoped. Go-to-market relies on direct enterprise sales through institutional client relationships and partnerships with major architectural firms including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, NE Add, and Stonemill Taylor.

The firm operates from three U.S. offices — New York City (headquarters, relocated in 2025 to 2121 Broadway, Suite 212), Ft. Wright, Kentucky (opened 2024, greater Cincinnati), and Cleveland (opened early 2025) — and serves clients across U.S. regions (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest) as well as internationally in China, Thailand, Brazil, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Africa. Headcount sits in the 11-50 band with six named senior professionals, including three Partners and a Principal (Raymond Kent, hired in 2025). The firm holds professional certifications across ASTC, USITT, AES, ASA, and New York Registered Architect credentials, and has received industry recognition including USITT Architecture Awards, Drama Desk Awards, and Drama Critics Awards.

Name

Harvey Marshall Berling Associates

Legal name

Harvey Marshall Berling Associates

Website

https://hmb-a.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harvey Marshall Berling Associates is a privately held U.S. consulting firm providing integrated theater planning, acoustics, lighting, and AV/IT design services to performing arts centers, educational institutions, museums, and cultural venues via project-based engagements led by named principals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Theater Design Consulting: Project-based professional consulting fees for theater planning and design services, from pre-planning studies through system equipment commissioning. Revenue is generated through direct engagement with institutional clients on specific projects.
2. Acoustical Consulting Services: Expert acoustical consulting for educational facilities, theaters, auditoriums, and commercial buildings. Services include room acoustics analysis, noise isolation, and HVAC noise control.
3. Lighting Design Services: Comprehensive lighting designs for architecture with particular expertise in stage and studio control systems, including dimming, control systems, architectural and entertainment lighting, and emergency lighting.
4. AV & Information Technology Consulting: Designing audio-video, IT, and security systems for educational, institutional, and broadcast facilities, including voice/data/Wi-Fi cable plant, network technology, and integrated control systems.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Harvey Marshall Berling Associates is a design consulting firm that delivers integrated theater planning, acoustics engineering, architectural and stage lighting design, and audio-video and information technology consulting services for performing arts centers, educational facilities, museums, and cultural institutions. The firm bundles all four disciplines under a single engagement with one Principal Consultant managing each project from initial programming through system commissioning, eliminating the need for clients to coordinate multiple specialty consultants.

Product overview

Harvey Marshall Berling Associates (HMBA) is a full-service consulting firm providing integrated theater planning, acoustics engineering, architectural and stage lighting, and audio-video and information technology consulting services. The firm operates as a single unified offering under the HMBA brand, with all four core service areas (Theater Planning, Acoustics, Lighting, and AV/IT) offered under one roof to ensure cohesive design and streamlined communication. The services integrate from programming through commissioning, with a focus on performing arts centers, educational facilities, and commercial buildings across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Theater Planning Services
• Acoustics Engineering Consulting Expert acoustical consulting covering room acoustics for performance and production facilities, noise and vibration control, sound isolation systems, and environmental noise control. Services include interior room acoustics analysis, architectural noise isolation, and HVAC mechanical system noise control for educational facilities, theaters, auditoriums, and commercial buildings.
• Architectural and Stage Lighting Design Comprehensive lighting design services including dimming and control systems, architectural and entertainment lighting, emergency lighting, and energy code compliance. Particular expertise in stage and studio control systems for performance facilities, including modern light control systems coordination and simplification.
• Audio-Video and Information Technology Consulting IT infrastructure consulting including voice, data, and Wi-Fi cable plant design, lecture capture systems, network technology, integrated control systems, videoconference and webstreaming systems. Also includes broadcast technology systems design for corporate, educational, and performance facilities, including live-streaming technology for performance venues and security systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center described by a major touring artist as 'one of the finest sounding rooms on Earth'
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• NE Add ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural firm partner in New York City. Bill Marshall notes relationships with NE Add among architects in NYC.
• Skidmore (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor architectural firm partner. HMBA has worked with Skidmore architects on projects in New York City.
• Stonemill TaylorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural firm partner in New York City. Listed among HMBA's architectural firm relationships.
• National Association of BroadcastersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBill Marshall authored the last three editions of the National Association of Broadcasters Handbook of Studio Design, establishing professional standards.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Arup: Global engineering consultancy with dedicated acoustics, theater, and audiovisual design practices serving performing arts centers and cultural institutions — competes with HMBA on large integrated cultural venue projects but offers a much broader portfolio beyond theater/acoustics.
• WSP: Global professional services firm with acoustics, AV, and theater design capabilities (including through acquired specialty practices) — competes with HMBA on larger institutional and cultural building projects.
• Buro Happold: International engineering consultancy with theater and acoustics specialists serving cultural, education, and performing arts clients — competes with HMBA on integrated multidisciplinary projects at scale.

Direct peers

• Threshold Acoustics: Acoustics consulting firm with strong performing arts, cultural, and higher education portfolios — comparable to HMBA's acoustical engineering practice across concert halls, theaters, and museums.
• Kirkegaard Associates: Acoustics and audiovisual consulting firm specializing in concert halls, theaters, museums, and educational facilities — comparable to HMBA's room acoustics, noise isolation, and AV system design services.
• Akustiks (SLR Consulting): Acoustics, audiovisual, and theater consulting firm, now part of SLR Consulting, serving performing arts centers, museums, educational institutions, and cultural venues — directly competitive with HMBA's acoustics and integrated technology consulting.
• Charcoalblue: UK-origin global theater and performance venue design consultancy offering theater planning, acoustics, lighting, and AV consulting — the closest direct competitor to HMBA in terms of integrated performing arts center consulting services.
• Cerami & Associates: Acoustics, audiovisual, information technology, and security design consultancy serving performing arts centers, museums, healthcare, and education clients — directly overlapping with HMBA's acoustics and AV/IT service lines.
• Jaffe Holden: Acoustics, audiovisual, and theater design consultancy focused on performing arts, cultural, and higher education facilities — directly overlapping with HMBA's acoustics and AV/IT consulting services for institutional clients.
• Theatre Projects Consultants: Specialist theater planning and performance venue design consultancy serving performing arts centers, concert halls, and cultural institutions worldwide — directly comparable in scope and client base to HMBA's theater planning practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Harvey Marshall Berling Associates