The official marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for New York City’s five boroughs, NYC Tourism + Conventions, has named a new president and CEO. Julie Coker will step into the dual roles beginning on Dec. 9. Coker takes over from Nancy Mammana, the company’s chief marketing officer who had been serving as interim CEO for the past four months.
NYC Tourism + Conventions is intimately connected to the Broadway industry. “NYC Tourism + Conventions works closely with our Broadway partners to support visitation across all Broadway theaters and to ensure that Broadway is benefiting from incoming tourism dollars,” Mammana told Broadway News. “Throughout the year, we promote Broadway across our marketing, sales, trade and press channels. We have a dedicated Broadway landing page on our website, the official visitor’s guide to NYC’s five boroughs.”
The organization has also hosted NYC Broadway Week, in partnership with the Broadway League, for 10 years. The twice-yearly program is a staple of NYC Tourism + Conventions and provides two-for-one tickets to participating audiences in an effort to bring new audiences to Broadway. “We created NYC Broadway Week in 2011 to support the theater industry during its less frequented periods,” Mammana said. “Since its launch in winter 2011, NYC Broadway Week has cumulatively sold more than 2,400,000 tickets, generating over $170 million in revenue for Broadway.”
“We also partner with Broadway shows and partners including Broadway Inbound on activations in NYC and in various domestic and international markets to promote Broadway to global trade, press and business event professionals, among many other initiatives,” Mammana noted. “Broadway is synonymous with New York City and remains a key focus of our work and a major driver of tourism.”
Charles Flateman, EVP of the Shubert Organization, is the current chair of the board for NYC Tourism + Conventions.
“I want to thank Nancy Mammana, our CMO, for also serving as our interim CEO for the past four months and paving the way for a seamless transition,” Flateman said in a statement. “Julie is a respected industry expert and deeply experienced leader who will steward both NYC Tourism + Conventions and New York City’s $74 billion tourism economy.”
Coker currently serves as president and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA), supervising efforts to make the California city a top destination for business activity and leisure.
NYC Tourism + Conventions reported that under Coker’s tenure, San Diego has ranked as one of the top-performing destinations in the nation, ranking third in hotel occupancy at 73.5% in 2023. The city’s groups and convention business surpassed 2019 levels and the tourism industry generated $14.3 billion in visitor spending. Tourism jobs in San Diego also returned to pre-pandemic levels. Also of note, SDTA’s sales and marketing programs delivered a $30 to $1 return on investment, the highest in the organization’s history.
Prior to her time at SDTA, Coker served as president and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. Further back, she was PHLCVB’s executive vice president, convention division. Earlier in her career, Coker served as general manager for the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing, having spent 21 years total with Hyatt.
Coker is a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. The 32-person group advises the secretary of commerce with regard to travel priorities.
The search committee for NYC Tourism + Conventions’ president and CEO role included Emily Rafferty, Luis Miranda, Melba Wilson, John Calvelli, Dan Nadeau and Marlene Poynder.
