Andrew Darmohraj, APPMA’s senior vice president, leads the Association’s trade show department. He oversees all aspects of APPMA’s joint show with the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA), Global Pet Expo. He also supervises the activities of the marketing communications department, which promotes APPMA, its members and the pet product industry.

Since Andy’s arrival at APPMA in 1997, booth space at Global Pet Expo, the largest annual pet products trade show in the world, has doubled in size and show attendance is up 250%.The trade show is the premier event of the pet products industry and is ranked #118 in the prestigious Tradeshow Week 200 Show, which is a list of the top 200 largest trade shows in the United States and Canada, published by Tradeshow Week magazine. In 2007, Tradeshow Week named Global Pet Expo one of its Fastest 50, an award for the top 50 fastest growing trade shows, for the second straight year.

The success of the 2006 trade show was highlighted in a one-hour special featuring Global Pet Expo that aired on the HGTV channel in August.

Under Andy’s direction, the Association’s Marketing Communications and Public Relations department refocused to tout members, their products and the mission of APPMA—the many wonderful aspects of responsible pet ownership. Since 2003, APPMA has garnered millions of impressions in media coverage with such prestigious media outlets as The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNNFN, MSNBC, ABC World News Tonight, The View, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and The New York Times.

Andy has more than 15 years experience in association management and trade show production.Prior to joining the APPMA staff, he worked in management positions for association-owned trade shows in the hospitality and gift industries. Andy earned a M.S. in secondary education from St. John’s University, and a B.A. in English from Hunter College of the City University of New York. Andy earned the prestigious Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential, is an active member of the International Association for Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) and serves on the Board of Directors of the New York Society of Association Executives (NYSAE).

Andy lives in Pleasantville, New York with his wife, sons and their dog, Lola.