Hal was amazing to work with at an event where we needed audio set up in a cafe. He was incredibly…read moreresponsive and well priced for the level of service we got. Look forward to using him again for our next sf event!

Hal is awesome! I had a last-minute request for corporate event in a hotel meeting room that Hal…read morecapably helped us with. He was friendly and prompt, highly responsive, offered super competitive pricing, had just the right equipment, and and setup AV for our event just perfectly. I really appreciate him being so punctual and calm. He was able to meet our demands with a smile, so I highly recommend partnering with Hal and The Big Picture for your next event!

Nicholas and team are the best!! They truly made our wedding, and I couldn't recommend their…read moreservices enough. We needed to rent equipment for our out-of-town DJ, however I couldn't be less versed in how to make this happen - nor did I have the bandwidth to even try to learn. Bay Area Sound Systems came in knowing exactly what we needed, what to do, and provided the most efficient delivery, set-up, and break down. They didn't need a single thing from me on the wedding day (or the day after), which is THE ultimate gift any vendor could give a bride. Thank you, Nicholas!!

Super fast, efficient, and friendly team. Best on price, too. Thanks for the awesome event, BASS!read more

Excellent is the only word that comes to mind! Ryan and his team went above and beyond on…read moreeverything!! He was always thinking ahead, fixed every problem, and made everything easier!!

Ryan replied quickly to my inquiry and got the details of my job on a phone call. He was prompt…read morewith his quote which was reasonable. He is knowledgeable and they have the gear.

We had an extraordinary experience working with Stephen Dukleth at a high profile fundraiser for…read moreMeals on Wheels. After the site walkthrough our team was pinching ourselves at how lucky we were to get to work with Steve and his crew. He was thorough, personable and incredibly knowledge. At the event itself, Steve blew us away by not only his, warmth, graciousness and decades of knowhow, he generously educated us on the fine points of sound. Our Sound Engineer and Videographer came away with a master-course in troubleshooting complex remote devices (pic included). Brian, also from OAVS was a delight and ever-ready for all the exciting twists and turns the night held. This is the kind of company you don't see anymore. 3 generations of fellas, all truly lovely and at the cutting edge of their craft. We HIGHLY recommend Oakland Audio-Visual Services to anyone planning an event that wants to ensure a smooth and heartwarming experience!

I've had the pleasure to work with the Oakland Audio and Visual Services today. Wow! It has been a…read morewhile since I have worked with someone that friendly and professional. Michael (in the planning) and Steve (in the execution) have been creative problem solvers from the jump. That is so important in the A/V space. They've gone above and beyond, and they roll with any punch thrown their way. They care so much about their clients. I have been in great hands this entire time. They love their work and their entire team was so accommodating to their client needs. They had a positive demeanor the whole day and were an absolute joy to work with. You can just tell their is a culture of excellence at OAVS. Their knowledge and inventory is unmatched in the area. They are just plain awesome. Thanks you OAVS!

I can't speak highly enough about our experience with SJ AV. Brandon and Kevin were incredibly…read moreprofessional, responsive, and accommodating throughout the entire process. They worked seamlessly with us as plans evolved and timelines shifted, helping ensure everything came together smoothly. Thank you for all of your support, flexibility, and hard work in bringing our groundbreaking event to life. We truly appreciate the partnership and look forward to working with you again.

They did not show up to our annual event hosting 500+ families in the bay area. The league was a…read morereturning customer to them. Reservation was booked a month in advance. Did not pick up our phone calls the day of the scheduled arrival on a business day when they did not show up. Follow up conversation after the event was that we did not pay the deposit. We relooked at the contract, emails and their online policies, no mention of a deposit was required, asking for a credit card number or mention of collecting payment, we would have happily complied if that was asked of us. In fact, in their FAQ section there is a statement that a deposit was not required of rental reservations. In hindsight, we should have known when we reached out a week in advance to confirm and they did not reach out back to us. Luckily, we were saved by a DJ vendor we had hire annually for this annual event that had extra equipment to help us out. Truly disappointing and stressful to our group figuring out a no-show the night before our event.

OVM is my go to for event rental and production management needs. They've been as responsive to my…read moresmall local event requests as my large corporate, "shut down the streets," requests. I've been working with them for over 15 years and have witnessed their considerable growth and re-investment into their business and relationships. Their clients have benefited from their progression.

My company has been using OVM for years for events small (less than 1k) and large (over 3k). They…read moreare always early, and ready to go. When throwing events, its important to have reliable vendors and staff. OVM goes the extra mile for their clients to ensure the best possible events. In the Bay area, OVM is the go-to company for event production. Oakland is lucky to have such a gem!! Book early because you will have tons of competition for such a competent group.

Impact Lighting delivered an extremely poor AV set up. Lighting set up was fine. For AV, they did…read morenot set up equipment on time, had issues with their AV switcher, did not have audio properly set up, and did not bring AV connection equipment to support a high resolution display. I wish I had gone with another provider for a better quality production. Fine if you're just doing lighting and don't mind lighting trees vs suspended lights. For better quality go elsewhere.

WOW! We were so glad we decided to do lighting for our wedding. What a difference it made! It…read morereally set the mood and ambience in our reception room and highlighted all the beautiful centerpieces. 5 stars and more to Jesse and the Impact Lighting team. Jesse was so easy to work with. He is very professional and he really took the time to listen to all her needs and concerns. He even came in on a Saturday (his dayoff) to help set up a room for us to look at all the different lighting colors, styles and patterns so we could decide what we liked best. We highly recommend Impact Lighting for your next event and make sure you talk to Jesse, he is your go-to guy! Thanks so much again - we can't stop looking at our pictures! And were super excited to be featured in your new wedding brochure!

Swanson Sound did our outside Graduation ceremony at Chabot college in Hayward…read more The band was up on the terrace on the 2nd floor of the Library building. the graduation ceremony's were held on ground level. The sound was perfect. You could hear all the individual solos from even the flutes. The sound was perfect. We could here every Grads name perfect. I highly recommend this company for any event.

This company did the sound for SUNDAYS IN THE REDWOODS 2010. If I could give 0 stars, I would!…read more "Technicians" did not know their equipment and were completely clueless when the bands tried to cue them in on what they needed them to do . Several performers had to leave stage in the middle of performing to direct these "sound guys" on what they required to give optimal performance. I went to all four concerts so I know it was not an isolated event-it happened each time we were there! I hope next year Swanson Sound is NOT awarded the sound contract as they did such a poor job for the 2010 concert series!!!!

My husband and I went with ACE Entertainment after hearing great things through word of mouth, and…read moreluckily they were on our venue's preferred vendor list. We're SO glad we chose them! Rob brought amazing energy and knew exactly how to read the room and keep the party going. Our guests are still talking about how fun the night was! We ended up upgrading our package to include a white dance floor with our initials monogrammed and it was totally worth it. It added such a nice touch and really elevated the whole vibe of the space. If you're looking for a DJ who knows how to throw a party and keep everyone on the dance floor, I definitely recommend ACE Entertainment

Great DJ, extremely poor customer service -- proceed with caution…read more We hired Ace Entertainment, owned by Rob, for our wedding at Nella Terra Cellars in May 2025. We booked him way in advance--February 2024, well over a year before our date--because his reviews consistently said he was a great DJ. And to be fair, on the day of the wedding, he truly was. He knows how to read a crowd, hype up a room, and handle a mic. However, the customer service experience was by far the worst out of every single vendor we hired, and that's where everything fell apart. 1. Communication Was Nearly Nonexistent After our initial call and making our first payment, Rob completely vanished. I reached out every couple of months with simple questions and updates, and he would leave me on read for months. The only time he ever replied was after receiving his next payment (we had split payments into three). Each time a payment went through, he responded... and then ghosted again. The only reason we finally heard back from him close to the wedding was because our wedding coordinator had to chase him down and tell him to contact us regarding playlists. Otherwise, I'm not sure he would have reached out at all. 2. Last-Minute Meeting... and He Forgot About It We finally got a call scheduled about two weeks before the wedding, and even then, he forgot about the meeting. We ended up calling him, and it was obvious he was busy doing something else and had no idea we had a scheduled call. He gave an excuse involving a family death, but considering this same ghosting behavior has been mentioned in reviews dating back to 2023, it's clearly a pattern--not a one-time situation. 3. Promised Items Were Missing Rob apologized and offered free LED light sticks and the hydro gun, which was a nice gesture. But then the Photo Booth had zero props, despite him stating that props would be provided. Guests noticed, and it definitely took away from the experience. 4. Only Vendor We Had Problems With Out of all our wedding vendors, Ace Entertainment was the ONLY one who caused stress, uncertainty, and headaches. Every other vendor--venue, catering, photography, florals, coordinator, transportation--was smooth and reliable. With Rob, it felt like we were doing all the work just to get minimal communication. He never reached out on his own. Not once. 5. Not Surprised He's No Longer on Preferred Vendor Lists We're a little nosy--and based on the venues we toured, Ace Entertainment is no longer on any of the preferred DJ lists. After our experience, it honestly makes sense. TL;DR Rob is a talented DJ and people at our wedding loved the music and energy he brought. But the customer service is extremely poor, communication is almost nonexistent, and it was a constant worry whether he would even show up or follow through. Great DJ. Terrible communication. Would think twice before hiring unless major changes are made to how the business is managed.

Thank you Christine for being so pleasant to work with, accommodating, and helpful. Our group had…read moreso much fun with the photobooth! I loved how you helped with making sure folks were in the frame and cueing to change up their poses before the next take. From checking in every step of the way until our event, coming in earlier to set up and adjusting last minute to use a different backdrop, we are grateful for your thoughtfulness, patience and understanding. Hoping to have another opportunity to work with you and your team!

They arrived early, stayed longer than the contract and we were not charged extra, and everyone was…read morevery friendly. We had lots of fun. Highly recommend!