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

Government of Mongolia

Responsible for keeping His Excellency entertained as he completes the conquest of Eurasia and works out a tremendous trade deal with Paraguay.

Key highlights include:

- Told more than 3,000 jokes in calendar year 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 23% 

- Was not executed for offending His Excellency

- Ate copious amounts of goat stew otherwise reserved for court eunuchs

- Managed intern program

Court Jester to His Excellency Genghis Khan

World Tonger Federation

What if I told you that you could create a universe with a pair of kitchen tongs? 🤔

Ok, put down the phone and slowly back away from trying to get me committed.

Tonger is the Seinfeld of sports. A sport about nothing.

You want to play Custody Hearing Tonger? That's fun.

So is Skydiving Tonger.

As well as HR Write-up Tonger. 

It can be played anywhere, with anyone, at any time.

👉 All you need is a pair of kitchen tongs and the declaration of, "I tong, therefore I am."

Then the creativity to pick up something with said tongs, throw them, and name the rules and the game. Et, voila. A new Tongerverse is  born.

And hey, if you can create a Tongerverse, you can create anything 😁

Benefits of Tonger include:

👉 Lowering your cholesterol
👉 Nah, it probably won’t lower your cholesterol
👉 Present moment grounding
👉 Development of new neural pathways
👉 Increased social connections
👉 Stimulation of endorphins
👉 Vagal toning (like toning your abs and glutes, but better)
👉 Actually, glute toning is pretty fantastic
👉 Finding the love of your life, or at least someone who doesn’t completely suck
👉 Non-addictive dopamine hits
👉 A deeper appreciation for random 80s comedies

Want to begin your journey and join House Tongerian? Check us out at Tonger.org

El Jefe

BIZCATALYST 360°

Featured Contributor

Lights! Camera! Training!

I've been a comedian since 1999. 

"Being back at Comic Strip Live is great! Although, I suppose that depends on what the definition of "is", is..."

Ah. They just wrote themselves in those days.

But I also learned how to be a trainer/facilitator from the Leadership Institute and ASTD, and realized something...

Most content is PAINFULLY boring!

You know it's true.

So together with Master Trainer Sardek Love, I created the "Lights! Camera! Training!" workshop that teaches trainers how to become entertainers. And turn ANY content into something fun, engaging and memorable.

This workshop covers: 

👉 How to mentally transform from trainer to entertainer
👉 How to create a light, comedic and fun atmosphere
👉 Body language, tone and inflection techniques
👉 Transforming dry content into captivating, exciting information
👉 Training games to increase learners' energy and make the content stick

Contact me to bring one of these workshops to your organization/chapter!

Co-Founder & Faculty Member

tours4mobile.com

Writing and traveling have always been my two greatest passions. 

Mets baseball is the third, but it's a lot more depressing than the first two.

So Tours4Mobile gave me an incredible opportunity to take you on tours of Lower Manhattan, Midtown during Christmas, and Montreal from the convenience of your own phone. 

Sharing my perspective of my favorite places in the world with you has been one of the truly great joys of my life.

Travel Writer

Winning Wit

In the summer of 2011, I was on a road trip in Canada, and suddenly...it hit me!!

A moose.

Be careful driving in Canada.

But something else hit me too - an idea. 

"What if I could take my experience as a comedian, writer, trainer and recruiter, and create a service that would help others use the power of humor to boost their morale, and that of their organization?"

And on that fine summer day, Winning Wit was born. A beautiful, precious 7 lb., 8 oz. bundle of LLC paperwork.

Since that time, I've...

👉 Written over 2,000 speeches, presentations, comedy roasts, web copy pages and LinkedIn profiles for people on every continent.
👉 Coached everyone from NFL stars to flight attendants to heart surgeons on presentation and interview techniques to win the job/crowd/critical mother-in-law.
👉 Authored "Get Bitter to Get Better", "The Gen X Code", "The Adventures of SuperJay" and "Leaving 2020"

Helping people laugh through the pain of living has been the greatest honor of my life.

That, and winning 7th place in a bowling tournament when I was 10. A tournament with 8 contestants.

geoff@winningwit.com

www.WinningWit.com

Founder & CEO

American Society for Training and Development

It is ok to play favorites? Because this was my favorite job. 

After the world of agency recruiting, I was drawn to the road once again, and the opportunity to engage local leaders across the country, build up a national network, and create relationships that would stand the test of time. 

ASTD allowed me to...

👉 Design and implement a chapter engagement strategy, resulting in 90 percent of chapters complying with operational requirements (up from 32 percent in 2007)
👉 Serve as the primary liaison to 130 chapters nationwide, conduct on-site industry presentations, strategic planning sessions and member engagement events, and significantly increase best-practice sharing among chapters
👉 Manage a 50 state network of 500+ volunteer leaders and draft onboarding and retention strategies which led to a 40% increase in year-over-year retention
👉 Consult Chief Learning Officers at Fortune 500 companies to formulate employee learning solutions to fit business objectives

National Chapter Relations Manager 

AccountPros

After the program with the Leadership Institute ended, it was time to try my hand in the private sector. 

I'd learned about resumes, interviewing and hiring in my last role, but the opportunity to do it in a fast-paced agency? Let's rock 😎

While at AccountPros, I...

👉 Recruited and placed 100+ financial professionals in permanent positions in real estate, consulting, legal, investment management and professional services fields
👉 Conducted on-site screenings and interviews with more than 200 candidates in the Mid-Atlantic region
👉 Secured new clients by placing candidates in senior roles with oversight of departmental hiring

Executive Recruiter

The Leadership Institute

The Leadership Institute approached me with a mission in the summer of 2003:

"Geoff - we need you to run a national field team and start 200 groups on college campuses. And it all needs to happen in ten weeks. Are you up for it?"

So I lied and said, "Of course I am! Piece of cake!" 😁

As it turned out, this job ended up being one of the greatest experiences of my life. Learning on the fly and having to make adjustments as we went along, I...

👉 Recruited and managed 57 field representatives while handling on-boarding, debriefs and payroll
👉 Directed the entire field program, leading to 240 new campus groups and publications in all 50 states
👉 Managed a $1.3 million dollar budget and implemented financial systems that streamlined and lowered costs
👉 Coordinated 122 conferences, training more than 1,300 students on political technology techniques

National Field Director

Michigan House of Representatives

This was my first "real" job. No offense to the people who paid me to hand out furniture flyers when I was 15.

The Michigan House of Representatives gave me an opportunity to...

👉 Serve as the liaison between local campaigns and state caucus, implementing strategic political plans
👉 Coordinate logistics for on-the-ground volunteer activities statewide (and win two competitive races in the process), secure media interviews and respond to inquires on behalf of the campaigns
👉 Recruit and manage eight interns while coordinating the state house internship program

Communications Analyst

This is weird 🫠

I used to write these bios for a living. I helped people craft the perfect intro, a great hook, a compelling story and a killer call-to-action.

But now...I'm just here for the party 🥳

To help you remember this life is a dream. 

Through the Path to Perfectia book series, my podcasts, livestreams and events, the irreverent madness that is the sport of Tonger, and whatever else I decide to muster up when the mood strikes.

Unlike most other bios here, I'm not here to sell you anything. You don't need a single thing from me to be the best, most amazing, most joyful version of you.

Now that we've got that out of the way
...😄

...I'd love to connect and learn about *your* story. 

Because if you've made it this far in the dream, chances are it's a great one 🥂

taplio

The Battle

Brian Monahan

Geoff Woliner, CPCM 🇲🇳

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?