On Topic Episode 80: Inverse Seating Law

Sep 23

Written By AVSF

Recorded September 18, 2026

Where does the integrator’s job end and the owner’s responsibility begin? And more importantly, did anyone actually write that down?

This month, we dig into the occasionally diplomatic, frequently contentious relationship between in-house AV teams and commercial integrators. Using a real-world commissioning dispute as the starting point, we talk through scope, punch lists, handoffs, communication failures, owner expectations, integrator assumptions, and what happens when somebody shows up at the end of a project and discovers the system they’re expected to support isn’t quite what they thought they were getting.

Along the way, we also answer a listener question about the increasingly tempting world of giant 115-inch flat panels: when they make sense instead of projection, why they can look fantastic, and the very real logistical problem of getting a gigantic sheet of glass through doors, elevators, hallways, and onto a wall without turning it into an extremely expensive folding display.

The recurring lesson is pretty simple: document expectations, ask questions early, communicate constantly, and remember that both sides eventually have to live with the decisions made during the project. Preferably without requiring formal diplomatic intervention.

Article discussed:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/davidshriver_the-head-of-a-customers-in-house-av-team-share-7505594960058937344-PuCr/

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