Prestige AV & Creative Services

Prestige AV & Creative Services is a Cincinnati-based audio-visual rental, production, and creative service provider, producing experiences for live, virtual and hybrid events, corporate meetings, private parties, receptions, and fundraising events. 

I have been with Prestige in a sales management leadership role since 2013, when I was the sales manager. After four years, I was promoted to Director of Business Development in 2017 and then promoted to my current role less than a year later in 2018. In each role, I led a team of passionate sales and marketing professionals, ensuring they 

‣ Listen to the customer
‣ Put the customers’ needs first
‣ Create amazing customer experiences 

During this time, I:

‣ Successfully secured two major convention center contracts in new markets, valued at $10M.
‣ Efficiently led teams, raising contract renewals with venues from 50% to 90% in two years.
‣ Boosted revenue by $1M annually through the development of new markets.
‣ Improved company performance by launching a national marketing campaign.

Everything was great, but then COVID-19 happened. 

Business went from strong to scarce in a matter of weeks. As a result, layoffs occurred, and we were forced to change the way we looked at the event industry. 

Not knowing if things would ever go back to how it was, we reimagined what Prestige could become with a focus on virtual events, and planning for the eventual return of virtual and live events. 

It was a rough couple of quarters, but we came out on the other side. 

I am proud of my role as a guide in this evolution – a guide both for my company and for our clients. 

I helped Prestige find footing by reimagining the industry and how to approach it through amazing virtual and, eventually, hybrid events. With focus and determination, I was able to help Prestige regain its:

‣ Team members
‣ Customer Base
‣ Focus

Today, we are now stronger and more resilient than ever.

Let's connect >>  bmonahan at PrestigeAV dot com

Vice President of Sales and Business Development ► Event Producer  ► Live, Hybrid & Virtual Events

Director Of Business Development

I specialize in connecting meeting and event planners with the latest in AV technology to create memorable experiences.

I work with mid- to large-size associations, corporations and organizations to host first-class meetings, events, trade shows, conferences and conventions. 

And, with Prestige AV & Creative Services, meeting and event planners have a one-stop resource. We have a large inventory of the finest equipment. But what sets us apart is that we partner with our clients to determine what you really need to make your meeting or event successful.

To make it easy for you, Prestige does it all, including:

• AV planning and production
• Creative direction
• Project management
• In-house design, video and post-production
• Writing services
• Cost-effective budgeting

National Sales Manager

BRIAN MONAHAN

Owner & Founder ► Motivator & Inspirer ► Writer ► Speaker ► Connector

Are you living the life you dreamt about when you were younger, the life you want to live, the life of your dreams? 

If yes, congratulations, and keep at it! And if not, read on.

First, know you are not alone. Too many people feel stuck where they are and aren’t sure of the steps to take to get to a place they want to be. And that’s where I can help.

I’ve always had a passion for living an authentic life and helping others do the same. 

My 20+ years in the events industry have provided the opportunity to watch and absorb the words and perspectives of the thousands of speakers I helped support. 

Those presentations shaped my thinking, my actions, and my motivation. Each helped me realize that I don’t have time to live small, and that I have a drive to do more. I found the courage to act and unleash my passion, and now, I want to help others do the same. 

Through keynote speeches, articles and books, team training, and one-on-one sessions, I am building a foundation to help you live bigger. 

While your approach may look different than someone else’s, that’s OK because there is no one size fits all solution. One thing that rings true across the board, however, is that it’s not easy and can be scary. But the result is worth it. 

If you are ready to act, let’s talk. 

Let’s also talk if: 

‣ You are in the events industry and looking to do more with your life
‣ You are in any industry and want to take charge of your life
‣ You are looking for a keynote speaker on leadership 
 
Please feel free to reach out to me or email me at 
Brian at BrianMonahan dot me

Personal / Small Business Coach

ITA AudioVisual

Responsibilities included leading the company’s senior directors; purchasing; capital expenditures; recruiting staff; inventory management/control; preparing the company for major software upgrade. 

Created training platform for mentoring and training ITA’s regional managers and frontline employees across 30+ locations.

Assistant General Manager

Director of Business Development/Senior Project Manager – Director of Audio Visual Sales & Operations 

Responsibilities included: operations manager; account management; new business development; execution and planning AV for meetings and events for 10-5000 attendees; creating content for events; marketing support

Director of Business Development

United States Marine Corp

-Leader of Marines
-Oversaw Audio Visual Library for Recruit Training Base
-Manager Commanding Generals Board Room
-Managed Recruit Training Cable Broadcast Library and Scheduling
-Managed Repair and Maintenance Division

Audio Visual Specialist

545/730 🎤 #Eventprof by Day 📘 Book Writing Coach by Passion 🎸 Air Guitarist

Are you following your passion? Are you taking action every day to unleash it? Most people believe passion precedes action, but I believe it’s the other way around. To find your passion, you must act first, but sometimes taking the first step is difficult. 

I help those who want to take that first step. 

Being in the event industry for the past 20 years, I’ve had amazing access to authors, speakers and world dignitaries. True, my job is to ensure their presentations go off without a hitch, but it also provides the opportunity to watch and absorb every single one of those motivation speakers I helped support. 

Those presentations helped shape my thinking, my actions and my motivation. Each has helped me realize that I don’t have time to live small, and that I have a drive to do more. Each has helped me find the courage to take action, unleash my passion and I want to help others do the same. 

This revelation is nothing new, actually. I’ve always been interested in personal and professional development and have taken small steps to support that interest. In doing so, I have found my stage as an author of a book and as a speaker at numerous conferences. 

Now, as I continue to support my corporate clients with Prestige, I also work with those who are looking to find and embrace their stage. 

Do you have a calling to write a book, become a speaker or rise to the top of your profession? If so, let’s talk. 

I help my clients own their life and their brand through whatever stage they prefer to be on. 

After all, life is too short to not do what you feel you’ve been called to do. It may be scary to take those first steps, but it’s worth it to live an amazing life and you deserve it. 

However, I understand it may be daunting to take those first steps onto your stage alone. Let me be your guide by providing you with the motivation you need to act so your passions will follow. 

Please feel free to reach out to me here or email me at  
Brian at BrianMonahan Dot Me . 

I look forward to connecting.

Brian Monahan

The Connecticut Oral Health Initiative, Inc. 

Newly recruited to lead our fundraising efforts to support the mission of advancing oral health equity in Connecticut. I take a relational approach to development, building genuine connections with donors, partners, and community members.

Development Manager

Journaling for Growth

Chief Journaling Officer

CT Library Consortium

Community builder for librarians. First to fill the role of Events & Special Projects Manager for statewide membership collaborative serving ~1,000 Connecticut libraries. 

Known for my personal brand of magic - creating spaces where members felt safe to learn and grow, turning nebulous ideas into concrete programs and services, and planning and executing events so fun they didn't feel like work - I helped members of our community feel seen, heard, and valued, and provided opportunities for them to build skills to better serve their communities. 

Known for being an innovative thinker who imagines creative solutions to problems, often anticipating needs before they arose, I instigated moving our Roundtable program virtual in early 2020, teaching members to use Zoom and modeled how to run an effective meeting. (Librarians went on to use what they learned here to put on programs for their own communities.)

I partnered with the Connecticut Storytelling Center to launch a storytelling training workshop series for librarians. I conceptualized and executed three different vendor expo models, all of which were wildly successful. And I established a new Program Directory to connect libraries with performers and workshop providers. 

I led the national Take Your Child to the Library Day initiative, serving as project manager, growing the program in visibility through projects such as the creation of both community-centric and librarian-centric websites, speaking at the Public Library Association Conference in April 2024, and publishing an article in Public Libraries Magazine in Summer 2024. I partnered with EveryLibrary to create Advocacy Training webinar series to build capacity among children's librarians, and established State Ambassador program to build support and visibility nationwide. I partnered with Demco to create a line of promotional products for TYCLD 2025.

Events and Special Projects Manager

Northwest Village School

I was selected as the first certified library media specialist at this therapeutic day school for special education students ages 4-21.  

Tasked with creating our library media program, I transformed a humble bookroom into a vibrant library ecosystem welcoming and accessible to students of all ages and our teachers and support staff. 

I implemented a new library automation software system, replacing the traditional card catalog, revamped our entire collection of materials, assessing gaps for each section and curating age-appropriate resources, and established new collections of both print and digital resources. 

As the designer of library, information and research, and technology skills curricula that I delivered to students, I was part of our teaching team, delivering instruction to students, facilitating professional development for teachers and support staff, and collaborated with teachers on technology integration and co-teaching classes. 

I created safe and welcoming spaces for all of our students, differentiating instruction, employing de-escalation strategies as needed, and building strong relationships with our learners and instructors. 

I had the joy of surprising and delighting students and staff by instituting school literacy events including annual Read Across America celebrations, coordinated external speakers, and introduced graphic novel collection (our most popular and widely circulated school collection).

Library Media Specialist

Avon Free Public Library

As part of our children's services team, I had the amazing privilege of supporting children and families who came to the library.

While on desk, I assisted children and families with navigation of library materials, equipment and resources; provided readers’ advisory services, connecting readers with engaging materials.

I executed original programming for children including reader’s theater workshops, family thank you letter writing, and thematic creative programs connected to the Amazing Castle™ installation. 

I partnered with Teen Librarian on Book Buddies program pairing elementary school students with middle and high school students to foster reading skills.

And I brought my skills from my experience at Northwest Village School to tactfully manage challenging patrons (i.e. high energy and or poor in-library behavior) resulting in reduction of risk behaviors in the library.

Children's Library Specialist

Self-Employed

Family Sabbatical

Ketchum

At Ketchum (formerly Capital Strategies), I worked with associations such as the North Carolina Economic Developers' Association and NC Go! on events (meetings, conferences, legislative days), editing newsletters, and providing member support. I helped develop communications plans for organizations such as Junior League of Raleigh.

Project Coordinator

Journaling is one of the simplest, most beneficial habits you can use to create the life you want to live. 

And yet something is keeping you from it. 

Whether you’re completely new to journaling and don’t know where to start, you’ve journaled some but not found what works for you yet, or you’re a seasoned journaler looking for new ways to infuse your journaling with energy to get the results you want, I can help. 

✍️Why work with me?
If you were going to do it on your own, you would have by now. The information is out there. But you haven’t figured out how to make it work for you yet. And that’s okay. I love getting to help folks just like you create journaling practices that help you reach your goals. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach here. We start with you, what you want to achieve, and find simple, sustainable ways to make it happen. 

✍️How to work together
If you need:
🌱A LITTLE BIT OF SUPPORT, check out my curated journal prompt collections through my Substack newsletter. At just $8/month, you’ll receive a daily journal prompt designed to help you get to know and love yourself a little bit better AND solve the problem of not knowing what to write about. (journalingforgrowth.substack.com)

🍀MORE SUPPORT, we'll work together to create your bespoke journaling practice that aligns with your personal growth journey. It’s all about you and what you need to grow. And it starts with a conversation. (tidycal.com/amandastern/strategy-call)

✨ Beyond Journaling—Event Planning & Community Building
Along with my passion for journaling, I bring years of experience as a community builder, event planner, and facilitator. I thrive on creating spaces where people can show up as their true, authentic selves and have real conversations that spark connection, growth, and impact. Whether it’s a small gathering or a large-scale event, I specialize in curating experiences that foster meaningful connections and create positive change. If your organization or mission-driven nonprofit needs someone to plan and facilitate events or build a thriving community, let's talk about how we can make it happen.

✍️ About Me
I’ve been journaling since I was an angsty teenager, and it's my go-to tool for learning and growth. I've used it to uncover what I truly want, make plans to go after it, hold myself accountable, and celebrate success, all while creating a life I don’t want a vacation from. When I’m not journaling, you can find me with my nose in a book, puttering in my garden, laughing with my family, and trying to decide what to make for dinner again tonight.

taplio

The Battle

Brian Monahan

Amanda Stern ✍️

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