The Association for Quality in Audio Visual Technology, Inc.

What The Association for Quality in Audio Visual Technology, Inc. does

The Association for Quality in Audio Visual Technology, Inc. (AQAV) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation incorporated in New York and headquartered in Williston Park, NY. It was chartered on May 4, 2011 (founded 2009 by Mario Maltese) to develop and disseminate the AV9000 Standard, an ISO9000-based quality management framework purpose-built for audiovisual design, installation, staging, commissioning, and system acceptance. The organization is lean — one paid employee plus a volunteer base — and positions itself as "the resistance" against defects in an industry where cost-of-poor-quality exceeds $15 billion annually.

AQAV's core product is the AV9000 Standard, supported by a tiered service and product portfolio: AV9000 Compliance (self-attested) and AV9000 Certification (third-party audit) for integrators; three professional certifications — CQT (technician), CQD (designer), and CQL (leader); the C2.0 Commissioning Kit hardware line (Standard, Lite, Deluxe) bundling calibrated Fluke, NTi, RDL, and other test instruments; an Education Portal for course delivery; a membership program anchored by a $1 Technology Manager tier; and an awards program (Quality Champion, Quality Volunteer, Certificate of Recognition). The AV9000 framework includes a battery of milestone-based tests, RFP boilerplate language, checklists, and a Costs-of-Poor-Quality calculator.

Revenue is generated across four streams: training and certification fees (professional services), recurring membership dues (with a quasi-nominal $1/3-year Technology Manager tier), commission-based hardware sales of the C2.0 kits, and tiered manufacturer and dealer sponsorships ($250 to $5,000 annually). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven — YouTube, blog, social media, webinars, ILT events, and InfoComm presence — with sponsors as both funding sources and distribution partners. AQAV serves AV integration companies, AV end-user technology managers, AV equipment manufacturers (Crestron, Shure, SynAudCon among sponsors), and downstream construction and architectural firms, primarily within the United States.

Name

The Association for Quality in Audio Visual Technology, Inc.

Legal name

The Association for Quality in Audio Visual Technology, Inc.

Website

https://aqav.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AQAV is a US non-profit that develops the proprietary AV9000 Standard and offers AV9000 Compliance/Certification, CQT/CQD/CQL professional credentials, calibrated commissioning kits, and a tiered sponsorship program for the audiovisual integration industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mineola

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Training and Certification Programs: Revenue from CQT, CQD, and CQL certification training programs for AV professionals. Training is offered through the Education Portal.
2. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to the Members Portal and association benefits. A Technology Manager membership is available at $1/year for 3 years.
3. Commissioning Kit Sales: Sale of C2.0 commissioning kits (Standard, Lite, Deluxe) containing calibrated instrumentation for AV system verification. Kits are quote-based with shipping and insurance extra ($150-$250).
4. Sponsorship Programs: Annual sponsorship tiers (Platinum $5,000, Gold $1,000, Silver $500 for manufacturers; Grey $1,000, Green $500, Blue $250 for dealers) providing brand visibility, social media promotion, and educational credits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AQAV is a non-profit 501(c)(3) association that develops and maintains the AV9000 Standard, an ISO9000-based quality management framework for audiovisual technology design, installation, staging, commissioning, and system acceptance. It sells access to this standard through professional certification training (CQT, CQD, CQL), a Compliance and Certification pathway for AV integration companies, annual memberships, and the C2.0 line of calibrated commissioning kits.

Product overview

AQAV offers a comprehensive quality management ecosystem for the audiovisual industry centered on the AV9000 Standard. The core offering includes AV9000 Compliance and AV9000 Certification programs, complemented by three professional certification courses: CQT (Certified Quality Technician) for installers, CQD (Certified Quality Designer) for designers, and CQL (Certified Quality Leader) for management. Physical products include the C2.0 Commissioning Kit line (Standard, Lite, and Deluxe configurations) containing calibrated test instruments for AV system verification. Additional services include an Education Portal for training, membership programs, and manufacturer/dealer sponsorship tiers. The organization operates as a non-profit 501(c)(3) focused on improving operational quality in AV design and installation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AV9000: A quality management standard for audiovisual technology companies, including a battery of tests applied at major milestones in AV project development.
• CQT
• CQD
• CQL

Products and services

• AV9000 Compliance Program A compliance program for AV integration companies that provides the first level of evidence to buyers that the AV company is applying Quality Management in its services, serving as a stepping stone to AV9000 Certification.
• AV9000 Standard A quality management standard for audiovisual systems that includes a battery of tests to be applied at each major milestone in the development of an AV project to ensure systems are designed and implemented according to customer specifications and best industry practices.
• CQT Certification Training Certified Quality Technician certification training best suited for tech managers, Project Managers, and anyone involved in installing AV systems, with focus on group activity and interdependency skills.
• CQD Certification Training Certified Quality Designer certification training best suited for tech managers, engineers, sales personnel, project managers, consultants, and anyone involved in selling and designing AV systems.
• CQL Certification Training Certified Quality Leader certification training best suited for company ownership and upper management, focusing on leadership and quality management culture.
• C2.0 Standard Commissioning Kit A comprehensive commissioning kit containing calibrated test instruments for verifying AV systems conforming to the AV9000 Standard, including Fluke Digital Multimeter, NTi XL2 Analyzer, NTi MR Pro, STIPA Option, Kramer Signal Generator, RDL Audio Tester, Sekonic Light Meter, Kill-a-Watt, and accessories in a Pelican case.
• C2.0 Lite Commissioning Kit A simplified commissioning kit containing a subset of calibrated instruments for AV system testing and compliance verification against the AV9000 Standard.
• C2.0 Deluxe Commissioning Kit A comprehensive commissioning kit that includes everything in the C2.0 Standard case plus the NTi TalkBox with a power adaptor, for AV system verification against the AV9000 Standard.
• AQAV Education Portal An online learning platform hosting AQAV certification courses and training materials, accessible after class registration for CQT, CQD, and CQL programs.
• AQAV Membership Program Annual membership program providing access to the Members Portal, member-only resources, and association benefits, including a Technology Manager membership tier at $1 per year for 3 years.
• Manufacturer and Dealer Sponsorship Programs Annual sponsorship programs offering tiered promotional benefits, social media exposure, educational credits, and association visibility for AV equipment manufacturers and dealers supporting AQAV's mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 24% decrease in warranty service hours for compliant companies (Vistacom, 2017-2019)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• CrestronminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrestron is listed as a sponsor of AQAV on the membership page. As a sponsor, Crestron's logo appears alongside other manufacturers and dealers supporting AQAV's mission. Crestron's sponsorship helps fund AQAV's training and quality initiatives.
• ShureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShure is listed as a sponsor of AQAV alongside Crestron and SynAudCon. Shure's sponsorship demonstrates its commitment to quality standards in the AV industry and aligns its brand with AQAV's quality-first positioning.
• SynAudConminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSynAudCon (Synergetic Audio Concepts) is listed as a sponsor of AQAV. SynAudCon is an audio engineering education organization whose sponsorship aligns their educational mission with AQAV's quality management focus.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AVIXA: The principal global trade association for the audiovisual industry (formerly InfoComm International). Offers CTS/CTS-D/CTS-I certifications and industry standards — the closest direct analogue to AQAV in scope, audience (AV integrators and end users), and credentialing model.
• BICSI: Professional association for ICT infrastructure design and installation, offering credentials (RCDD, etc.) and standards. Comparable to AQAV in its standards-body + certification + installer-audience model, though applied to ICT cabling rather than AV.
• NSCA: National Systems Contractors Association serves commercial AV/low-voltage integrators with education, certifications, and business resources. Targets the same AV integration buyer base as AQAV's AV9000 program.
• CEDIA: Trade association for residential electronic systems and AV integration professionals. Operates a similar membership + certification model (e.g., ESC certifications) for AV integrators and technology managers, making it a structural peer to AQAV.

Broad incumbents

• UL (Underwriters Laboratories): Global safety science organization offering standards, testing, and certification services. Comparable as an established third-party standards/auditing body whose model (compliance program + audit + certification mark) parallels AQAV's AV9000 Compliance pathway.
• CompTIA: Major vendor-neutral IT certification body (A+, Network+, Security+) with a similar training/certification/membership model. Comparable as a credentialing-standards organization, but operating at much greater scale and breadth than AQAV's AV-specific niche.
• American Society for Quality (ASQ): The largest US-based quality management membership body, custodian of broader quality standards and certifications (CQE, CQA — note AQAV's Executive Director holds a CQA). A scaled incumbent in the same quality/standards space AQAV occupies, but horizontal across all industries rather than AV-specialized.
• Crestron Electronics: Major AV equipment manufacturer and AQAV sponsor. A broad incumbent that could in principle launch competing quality programs; comparable because it sits at the intersection of training, certification, and the AV integrator channel AQAV serves.

Others

• ISO (International Organization for Standardization): Global standards-setting body whose ISO 9000 family forms the foundation that AV9000 is explicitly built upon. AQAV sits downstream of ISO in the standards hierarchy, much as certifying bodies sit downstream of standards bodies.
• SynAudCon: Audio engineering education organization and current AQAV sponsor. Comparable as a niche training/certification provider in the pro-AV ecosystem and ecosystem partner, though focused on audio rather than full AV quality management.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AQAV_AV9000
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCb9YGMrNAOgGWy6Db6dGn8g
• Facebookfacebook.com/AQAV.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-association-for-quality-in-audio-visual-technology-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/av9kstandard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 The Association for Quality in Audio Visual Technology, Inc.