Streamliner Productions Joins the AV Alliance
Connecting New Zealand to the World's Leading Network of Event Production Companies
A NEW CHAPTER
In February 2026, Streamliner Productions became an official member of the AV Alliance — one of the most respected global networks of independently owned audiovisual and event production companies. Owners Chad Johnston, Emma Johnston, Rich Manu, and Marvin Karawana travelled from New Zealand to attend the network's 15th Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, formally placing New Zealand within a community that now spans 95 member companies across the world.
What is the AV Alliance and Why Was It Created?
The AV Alliance was founded in 2010 by Simon Ackermann, CEO of Habegger AG in Switzerland. Simon had identified a clear gap: clients planning events across multiple territories needed top-tier AV production with the consistency and personal expertise that only trusted local specialists can provide. No network existed that could guarantee the same high standards in every market.
So he built one. Not a franchise, not a corporation — a community grounded in personal relationships and shared values.
In his own words: "I wanted to ensure that clients, wherever they are in the world, could rely on the same high standards of quality, expertise, and reliability, delivered by trusted local partners."
Since its first formal meeting in June 2011, the Alliance has grown to 95 members who have collectively delivered close to one million events worldwide. What has not changed is the founding principle: that transparency, trust, and a genuine willingness to work together as partners will always be stronger than any company working alone.
WHY IT MATTERS
The AV Alliance is not simply a directory of production companies. It is a strategic business community where members share knowledge, resources, best practices, and real relationships. Having a trusted peer group of like-minded business owners to call on — for ideas, collaboration, and support on complex international projects — is something that cannot be purchased. It is built over time, and the Alliance provides the structure for it to happen.
For Streamliner, that access is now directly available.
RIO de Janeiro: The 15th AGM
More than a hundred members and sponsors gathered at the Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana from 25 to 28 February for four days of business, networking, and celebration. The programme covered everything from the Alliance's education and mentoring initiatives to succession planning and quality management — themes that land close to home for independently owned companies like ours.
Two new members were formally welcomed: MeyerPro from Seattle, and Streamliner Productions from New Zealand, representing three locations across the country.
Between sessions, the group explored Rio together — from the Carnival to Christ the Redeemer, from beach club dinners to the Roxy Dinner Show in Copacabana. Those experiences are not incidental to the Alliance's purpose. The friendships formed in those moments are exactly what makes the professional collaboration that follows feel natural and trusted.
What This Means for Streamliner
Streamliner was built around the belief that bold ideas only work when backed by solid planning and dependable execution. Joining the AV Alliance reflects where we are headed. As client expectations grow and events increasingly cross borders, being part of a global network of trusted peers provides a platform that would take decades to build independently. It also signals something for the New Zealand events industry more broadly: that a company based at the far end of the world can operate at the highest global level. Rio was the beginning. We are looking forward to everything that comes next.
Learn more about the AV Alliance here avalliance.com
