Tom Arata
Executive Vice President, arata expositions, inc. (AEI)
As Vice President of Arata Expositions, Inc. (AEI), Tom has utilized his strategic forward thinking, vision, loyalty, and commitment to his team to build upon the company’s legacy laid out by his father.Tom spent summers working in the Arata warehouse as a kid and on show floors during his high school years. There isn’t an aspect of the trade show industry operation Tom has not performed. Tom became more focused on learning the management aspect of the company as well as the sales development within the industry as he entered and finished college. Whether it was acquiring strategic pieces, like opening offices in Florida, New York and California, or investing in his employees and company software and technology, Tom’s dedication to AEI has helped navigate his organization to national prominence and to be a well-respected resource in the tradeshow and events industry.
Tom has had a succession of roles models and inspiration. His grandfather, Clarence Arata, was well established in the convention industry. Clarence’s dedication and success while at the Metropolitan Washington Board of Trade, and as the Executive Director of the Washington Convention and Visitors Bureau, resulted in D.C. becoming a leader in the trade show and events industry. His father, Tom Arata Sr., who founded AEI in 1971, taught him about long-term relationships, mutual trust, hard work and the core values which he still holds closely today. These influences and philosophies have served as the foundation for a family style type of office environment and customer partnership approach.
Tom and AEI are active and in good standing with IAEE, Visit Baltimore and Destination D.C. Tom looks forward to continued growth of Arata Expositions, Inc. while preserving the values instilled in him and inherent in his company.
