Rick Vymlatil, president and CEO of the South Florida Fair & Palm Beach County Expositions, has been elected the 2018 chair of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE).
Originally from Cleveland, Vymlatil became a Floridian when his parents relocated to Palm Beach County in 1961. He completed middle and high school here and received an associate’s degree from Palm Beach Junior College. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from Wilmington College in 1974.
Vymlatil began his fair career in November 1982 as assistant general manager of the South Florida Fair. During his 35-year career, he also served as manager of the St. Lucie County Fair in Fort Pierce and as executive director of the Florida State Fair in Tampa.
Vymlatil has served as president/CEO of the South Florida Fair & Palm Beach County Expositions since July 2004. In this position, he is responsible for overseeing every aspect of the fair and fairgrounds operations. He supervises a staff of 52 full -time employees.
Active in the fair industry, Vymlatil received his Certified Fair Executive designation from the IAFE in 1998. He has served as co-chair of the IAFE Management Conference Committee and previously served on the IAFE Industry Relations Committee, among other positions.
Vymlatil is a trustee of the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches and the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce. He also is a board member of the Law Enforcement Assistance Foundation.
