The body that runs the City of London has poached a top West End marketing boss to throw off the Square Mile’s “nine to five” image and turn it into a “vibrant” global leisure destination.
Luciana Magliocco joins the City of London Corporation in September in a new senior role. She is currently at business group New West End Company, where she was the marketing chief in charge of events such as the Oxford Christmas Lights switch-on.
She has been given a £2.5 million budget for the Destination City programme “to drive the Square Mile’s recovery from the pandemic” and will be the director overseeing the initiative.
Corporation Policy Chairman Chris Hayward, said:
“We are thrilled to welcome someone of Luciana’s calibre and experience to oversee this flagship programme.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine the Square Mile, just as the Elizabeth line is connecting more people to the City than ever before.
“We are putting the City of London on the map as a world-leading destination, which is fun, creative, and inclusive.”
Destination City will include outdoor festivals featuring music, art, education, sport, and wellness, “in the City’s iconic settings and hidden spaces.”
A first of three major events is planned for this autumn and will “tell the City’s story through immersive theatre, taking audiences on a journey through 2,000 years of history, and looking towards the even greener, cleaner, and more sustainable Square Mile of the future.”
Ms Magliocco said:“This is an extraordinary opportunity to enhance and shape the future of the Square Mile – the heart of the most exciting, dynamic, and historic city in the world.
“We want to create something truly special – a destination that is fresh and innovative - by providing events that are uniquely City but globally renowned.
“Destination City will also enhance the Square Mile’s green ambitions, leading to a more sustainable City.”