WAVE ON WAVE
Audiovisual Professionals Could Enjoy Big Payoffs — But They Need to Grasp the Way Churches Do Business

PHOENIX — A recent study released by TFCinfo, in conjunction with Church Production Magazine, shows how promising — yet challenging — the church and house-of-worship (HOW) markets are for audio manufacturers, dealers, consultants and integrators.

After two years of research, TFCinfo says many businesses currently selling to the HOW market are frustrated by this unique customer body’s long sales cycles, committee-based decision-making procedures, tendency to appoint volunteers as in-house experts, and faith-based language — and they’re losing sales because of it.

In its research, TFCinfo surveyed 1,000 churches and interviewed the staff members responsible for purchasing audiovisual equipment at their particular houses of worship. The study determined that 43 percent of churches purchase from audiovisual dealers, and 56 percent of them bought such equipment a few times a year.

The study also indicates churches have already spent $4.6 billion on audio equipment and predicts this spending will grow another 32 percent next year.

Many current trends in church audiovisual system design present more opportunities for integrators and dealers to increase their business, the study adds. This includes growing popularity of contemporary services, which calls for sophisticated audio and video systems. Further trends call for more praise worship and music ministries.