Virginia Beach CVB Adds New Director, VP of Marketing

Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau (VBCVB), the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Virginia Beach, VA, has announced the appointment of Nancy Helman as its new director and Lauren Townsend as vice president of marketing and communications.

Helman, the first female to lead the city’s tourism program since its inception, was tapped as the interim VBCVB director in November 2020 and is responsible for driving demand for the city as a leisure, meeting and sports event destination. Following a nearly three-decade career managing sports tourism efforts from Florida to Virginia Beach, her most recent role was director of the Sports Marketing Program for VBCVB after helping to launch the division in 1999. She managed the planning and development of the new Virginia Beach Sports Center, ultimately securing it as the host site for four NCAA Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championship events planned for 2023 – 2026.

Helman earned her B.A. in Journalism with a minor in Sports Administration from the University of South Carolina and also has obtained the Certified Sports Event Executive professional designation from the Sports Events and Tourism Association.

Townsend has served as director of marketing and Interim VP of marketing communications at the VBCVB for nearly five years leading the planning, direction and successful execution of strategic destination marketing programs focused on driving demand and visitation. Previously, she led the advertising and brand direction efforts as the in-house Marketing Manager at VisitNorfolk, and also served as the agency-side account manager for the Virginia Tourism Corporation account at BCF agency. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Townsend has received an advanced diploma in Cities and Urban Economic Development from New York University and recently was admitted into the Economic Development Institute at Oklahoma University. 

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