Canadian Audio Visual Providers Association

What Canadian Audio Visual Providers Association does

Canadian Audio Visual Providers Association (CAVPA) is a federally registered Canadian non-profit trade association founded in 2021 and headquartered in Markham, Ontario. It represents Canadian-owned audio visual companies across Canada through advocacy, education, networking, and collective bargaining support, with membership open to firms meeting a 75% Canadian-ownership requirement. The association positions itself as the industry voice on issues such as venue exclusivity, anti-competitive procurement practices, and standards harmonization.

CAVPA's product surface is a tiered membership program (dues ranging from $595 to $2,995 CAD annually) plus a separate associate tier at $495 CAD, complemented by sponsorship packages for vendors such as IntelliEvent, SC Media, Theatrixx, and GerrAudio. Its platform consists of member communications, advocacy campaigns, education programming, and formal regulatory engagement, including a Competition Bureau complaint filed in 2024 regarding venue exclusive supplier practices in Mississauga.

The business model is non-dues-augmented subscription: predictable annual member dues form the core revenue base, with vendor sponsorships adding incremental income. CAVPA operates with 1-10 employees and its primary customer segment is Canadian-owned AV integration and rental firms, with secondary engagement from manufacturers, distributors, and industry adjacent associations (CFIB, CITT/ICTS, Barco, Advanced Systems) serving as the partnership ecosystem.

Name

Canadian Audio Visual Providers Association

Legal name

Canadian Audio Visual Providers Association

Website

https://cavpa.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Canadian Audio Visual Providers Association (CAVPA) is a Canadian non-profit trade association founded in 2021 that represents Canadian-owned AV companies through tiered membership, advocacy, education, and regulatory action against anti-competitive venue practices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association / Industry Advocacy

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)

Keywords

• Audio visual services
• Trade association membership
• Event production industry
• Government advocacy services
• Industry networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

Markham

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CAVPA generates revenue through annual membership dues structured by company revenue tiers. Active member dues range from $595 to $2,995 CAD annually plus applicable taxes. Associate member dues are $495 for corporations and $195 for individuals. Membership year runs November 1 to October 31.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

CAVPA is a non-profit trade association that sells tiered annual memberships to Canadian-owned audio visual companies, providing government advocacy against anti-competitive venue practices, industry education resources (RFP/RFQ templates, brand guides, AV career awareness), member directory listings, and networking events including the Canadian Reception at Infocomm. Revenue is generated exclusively through annual membership dues based on company revenue tiers, with no product sales or technology offerings.

Product overview

CAVPA is a non-profit trade association (founded in 2021) that represents Canadian-owned audio visual companies. It is not a software product company but rather provides membership services to its members. The association offers advocacy, government relations, industry education, career awareness programs, and networking opportunities for active and associate members in the AV industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CAVPA Active Membership

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Barco Inc.minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 May 2026Barco Inc. sponsors the Canadian Reception at Infocomm 2026 in Las Vegas. Barco is an AV technology company that co-sponsors CAVPA's annual networking event at the Infocomm trade show.
• Advanced SystemsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 May 2026Advanced Systems (a CAVPA member from Halifax, NS) sponsors the Canadian Reception at Infocomm 2026, demonstrating member support for association events.
• CITT/ICTS (Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2024CITT/ICTS and CAVPA co-present the Expert Panel webinar series on Thriving in the AV Industry. CITT/ICTS is also listed as an Associate Member of CAVPA. Both organizations collaborate on industry education and advocacy efforts.
• Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB/FCEI)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 November 2023CFIB partnership provides CAVPA members with access to CFIB's 97,000 member savings on essential business services including payment processing, banking, shipping, and payroll processing. Members also receive expert advice on HR, compliance, and business issues plus a stronger voice at all levels of government.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AVIXA (Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association): Global trade association serving the AV industry with thousands of members worldwide. Highly comparable as the dominant AV trade body, but operates globally and across all ownership types versus CAVPA's Canadian-only focus.
• CFIB (Canadian Federation of Independent Business): Canada's largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with ~97,000 members, focused on government advocacy and member services. CAVPA partner; highly comparable as a Canadian SMB advocacy organization but vastly larger and broader in scope.

Others

• Canadian Chamber of Commerce: Canada's largest national business association advocating on policy issues. Not a direct AV peer but a comparable Canadian advocacy-association model with member services and government relations.

Direct peers

• IAEE (International Association of Exhibitions and Events): Trade association for the exhibitions and events industry worldwide. Comparable as an industry-body serving exhibitions, trade shows, and event suppliers with similar advocacy, education, and networking offerings.
• PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association): Association for convention and event industry professionals globally. Comparable membership-association model targeting meeting planners and event suppliers, with overlapping Canadian event-industry stakeholders.
• MPI (Meeting Professionals International): Global association for meeting and event professionals, with chapters including a strong Canadian presence. Comparable as a trade body serving the corporate event ecosystem and overlapping with CAVPA's event-planner audience.
• Event Industry Council (EIC): Federation of event-industry associations and organizations globally. Comparable as a coordinating industry body serving the same corporate-event ecosystem as CAVPA's members and adjacent to its advocacy mission.
• CanSPEP (Canadian Sport Psychology and Event Planners) / Canadian Event Industry Advisory: Canadian advisory body supporting event-industry professionals. Comparable as a Canadian trade body adjacent to corporate event planning, with overlapping stakeholder base though focused on sport-related events.
• CITT/ICTS (Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology): Canadian non-profit association for live performance and event production technology professionals. Already a CAVPA associate member and webinar co-presenter, with overlapping membership and complementary Canadian-market focus.

Regional players

• PSA (Production Services Association): UK-based trade association for production services and AV/rigging companies. Directly comparable in mission (representing AV and event production companies, advocating on venue/exclusivity issues) but serving a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/cavpa_info
• Facebookfacebook.com/Canadian-Audio-Visual-Providers-Association-CAVPA-103581052212987
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canadianaudiovisualprovidersassociation
• Instagraminstagram.com/cavpa_info

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Canadian Audio Visual Providers Association