David Sonntag
CEO & Founder, Decibel Events
David Sonntag has spent over two decades producing high-stakes live events for federal agencies, Fortune 500
corporations, and national associations. As CEO and Founder of Decibel Events, a Washington, DC-based event
production firm continuously ranked on the Washington Business Journal's Largest Meeting and Event Planners
list since 2019 (#17 in 2026), he has led productions ranging from the Library of Congress National Book
Festival to Department of Defense trade shows, presidential campaign events, and Fortune 500 leadership
conferences.
Before founding Decibel Events, David served as Vice President at FleishmanHillard, where he produced
multi-million-dollar programs for the Library of Congress, AARP, and the Social Security Administration. He
served as Lead Site Advance for the 2008 Presidential Campaign and as Personal Aide to Senator Fred Thompson
during his presidential run.
Recognition
7 Silver Anvil Awards (PRSA), 11 Telly Awards including Gold, 2 PR Week Awards, Peabody Award (produced the
AARP Voices of Civil Rights bus tour featured in Peabody-winning coverage), Washington Business Journal Top
Event Firms since 2019, Triangle Business Journal 40 Under 40.
Clients
Library of Congress, Department of Defense, DSCA, T. Rowe Price, Trane Technologies, Amtrak, AARP, SSA,
National Park Foundation, RISE.
Speaking Topics
Producing events at scale for federal agencies and Fortune 500. Presidential campaign advance operations. What
corporate event buyers look for in a production partner. AI and technology impact on event production.
Building a boutique firm in a large-agency market. 15 years producing the Library of Congress National Book
Festival.
Contact
Email: david@decibelevents.com | Phone: 703.953.4493 | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davesonntag | Company:
decibelevents.com
David holds a BA in Economics from Wake Forest University and a Marketing Advantage Certificate from
Georgetown University. Available for podcast appearances, speaking engagements, and mentorship.