After two years in New York, Julie Coker is heading West to take the top job at Visit California  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Read online 🐻 NY CEO Heading to California After two years leading New York City Tourism and Conventions, Julie Coker is departing to become president and CEO of Visit California — a move that arrives as she is pressing New York City Hall for a major budget increase she argued the organization needs to stay competitive. IN THIS EDITION Hawaii Convention Center funding only covers repairs, not refurbishment. Conference attendance justification has never been harder, layoffs are to blame. Julie Coker is leaving NYC Tourism + Conventions to join Visit California. Plus, the key incentive stats that matter, how Europe’s heatwave is impacting events, tips on writing a strong meeting justification letter, and JW Marriott’s first all-inclusive resort. One more thing: Join us in celebrating our new partnership with MPI.     AWARDS Submit your entry by July 1. The Skift IDEA Awards features five meetings and events categories: hotels, venues & convention centers, destination marketing organizations, event technology, and cruise lines. SECURE YOUR ENTRY         FEATURED STORIES Hawaii Convention Center Funding Falls Short By Andrea Doyle As convention centers nationwide reinvent themselves, Hawaii risks reopening with a facility that's repaired but not fully ready to compete. GET THE STORY Employees Struggle to Justify Attending Conferences as Colleagues are Being Laid Off By Barbara Scofidio Attending the same conference every year used to be a given. Now employees have to fight for it. GET THE STORY Julie Coker Is Leaving NYC Tourism + Conventions as City Funding Push Continues By Andrea Doyle Julie Coker lobbied publicly for $11.9 million in additional city funding, then announced she's leaving for Visit California. Whether New York answers that ask, or doesn’t, is now a question the next CEO inherits. GET THE STORY         The Meeting Destination Planners Have Been Underestimating Visit Anaheim + Skift Meetings Planners used to only associate Anaheim with Disneyland. Not anymore. Learn how a wave of chef-driven dining, upscale late-night venues, and flexible private spaces is reshaping what the city means for meetings. GET THE STORY         FREE REPORT Our latest report uncovers how AI is transforming the event experience and provides crucial insights for anyone looking to invest in event tech today. What’s inside: A vision of a reimagined the ideal AI-powered event experience. A plain-language explainer on LLMs, agentic AI, and MCP. 130+ AI-native event tech tools mapped across event phases. Questions to ask and red flags to look out for buying event tech. This report was produced in partnership with MPI and is sponsored by Wordly. GET THE REPORT         DON’T MISS THESE STORIES As Europe Swelters, Event Organizers Face a New Reality: Heat Emergency Planning By Andrea Doyle Europe's heatwave is forcing organizers to cancel events and rethink attendee safety in real-time. The question is no longer whether extreme heat will disrupt the events calendar; it's whether the industry has built the protocols to respond when it does. View Article The Key Incentive Industry Statistics That Matter By Barbara Scofidio Data, facts, and figures from across the incentive industry reflect the impact of rising costs and geopolitical uncertainty on spending. View Article How to Write a Strong Meeting Justification Letter By Barbara Scofidio A closer look at materials from 10 professional associations identified the most essential elements of a meeting justification letter. View Article         First JW Marriott All-Inclusive Resort Reflects Growing Trend Toward Luxury Barbara Scofidio For VIP groups, luxury all-inclusive resorts are emerging that are on par with many top-tier properties in their destination. GET THE STORY         Skift Meetings Toolkit Great events are built on strategy, innovation, and the right resources. The Skift Meetings Toolkit is your go-to hub for best practices in managing meetings and events. EXPLORE THE TOOLKIT         Thanks for being a regular reader. We are switching to a new email platform. Why? This change will allow for better delivery, and more engaging newsletters. Please take a moment to add this new email address to your contacts to ensure you continue receiving your newsletters without interruption. During this transition, these emails might land in your promotions or spam folder. To ensure you don’t miss out, please move this newsletter to your primary inbox.       DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL. Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 Skift 35 W 31st St. New York, New York 10001, United States Terms of Service