As New CEO of NYC Tourism, Julie Coker Aims to Replicate San Diego’s Convention Success

October 22nd, 2024 at 10:31 PM EDT

Skift Take

Julie Coker, president and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority, is heading to the Big Apple to help revitalize business travel and group business.

Julie Coker is the new president and CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions. Can she do for New York City what she did for San Diego?

As president and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority since 2020, Coker has helped the city increase quality convention bookings.

She helped lead the vision and execution of the Professional Convention Management Association’s (PCMA) annual Convening Leaders conference in January. Frequently referred to as the Super Bowl of business events, it attracts decision-makers looking for destinations for their next meetings. This represents hundreds of millions of dollars in potential revenue.

San Diego Hosts Numerous Medical Conferences

Among some of the other bigger 2024 conventions held in San Diego have been the American Academy of Dermatology, American Association for Cancer Research, and the BIO International Convention.

San Diego’s convention business has improved from a hotel performance and economic impact standpoint since before the pandemic. In 2018, the city hosted 59 conventions which attracted 601,000 attendees and 791,000 contracted room nights. In addition, direct attendee spending was $733.4 million.

In 2023, the city hosted 55 conventions which attracted 551,000 attendees. They contracted 1.1 million room nights. This is a 44% increase from 2018. Direct attendee spending in 2023 was $817.2 million, up 11.4% from 2018. The city’s strategy has been to book fewer but higher-impact conventions that include medical shows and corporate gatherings. 

Coker assumes her new role on December 9. San Diego Tourism Authority’s board of directors is creating a search committee to replace her.

Manhattan skyline in New York at night

New York City Business Travel has not Fully Recovered

There is work to do. According to NYC Tourism + Conventions, business travel will grow to 12.5 million visitors in 2024. In 2025, it will be 13.2 million. It is not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2026. 

Major upcoming events are expected to draw record crowds to New York City. The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final is one. New York City’s 400th Birthday and the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States are others.

Coker replaces Nancy Mammana, CMO of NYC Tourism + Conventions, who had been serving as interim CEO since Fred Dixon left. Dixon served as NYC Tourism’s CEO for nearly a decade before stepping down earlier this year to join Brand USA as its president and CEO. Brand USA is America’s official destination marketing organization.

Coker Headed up Philadelphia CVB

Previously, Coker was president and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. She oversaw events including the NFL Draft and the Democratic National Convention.

“Breaking Barriers and Paving the Way” is a Skift Meetings podcast in which Coker shares her journey int the events industry.

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