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 Ricky Arriola
Hometown Arts Hero
When
Miami
native Ricky Arriola took over as CEO of the Carnival Center for
the Performing Arts Trust in September 2007, he faced some tough
decisions. Within a year of opening its doors, the center had
already been panned as a boondoggle. The public was in an uproar
over the $473 million construction price tag, which was at least
$150 million over budget. County officials were furious about
footing the bill for millions in surprise costs that resulted from
ticket sales way below projections. The center also was under
attack because management had grossly underestimated its operating
costs, which led to an extra $4.1 million in unplanned expenses
the first year. Parking was all but nonexistent and valet parking
was unacceptably slow.
On top of that, fundraising efforts were below expectations. The
PAC Foundation, which raises private donations for the center, had
failed to deliver $48 million in contributions for construction or
raise enough money to fund a $10.75 million endowment due upon
completion of construction. Meanwhile, audiences were staying
away, parking lots were scary and dark with potholes, and ticket
sales were lacking.
Enter Arriola, 39, the president and CEO of Inktel Direct Corp, a
national provider of direct marketing services, with a law degree
and a Harvard master’s in business administration.
The first thing he did as the volunteer leader of the center’s
trust was locate Larry Wilker, the veteran CEO of Washington,
D.C.’s Kennedy Center who became known for revitalizing the venue
into an artistic and financial success.
Arriola said it wasn’t easy to persuade the Tony Award-winning
producer to come to the
Magic City, but Wilker agreed to serve as interim CEO for six
months. In less time than that, Arriola and Wilker performed a
public relations turnaround, launching public tours of the center
and a free concert series, planning a year-round jazz supper club
to open in November and drawing audiences to sold-out shows.
And Arriola, who has helped fill seats to 80 percent capacity,
expects nothing less than sold-out subscriptions to a new all-star
jazz series planned for next winter.
“It’s going unbelievably well,” he said. Even the parking situation
has been cured, with plenty of well-lighted lots. Wilker,
meanwhile, has signed up for another six months to complete the
transformation.
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