Other Women's Jobs // Laura Macartney

NAME: Laura Macartney

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @lauramacartney

JOB TITLE: Events & Digital Marketing Manager

MOVED TO THE UAE IN: 2015

Laura Macartney works as the Events & Digital Marketing Manager at Spinneys Beverages Abu Dhabi. With nearly seven years of in her role at Spinneys, Laura has spearheaded numerous achievements, including notable partnerships with global events like Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in partnership with Ethara and leading various digital marketing initiatives.

Let's take a look at a typical day in her life:

7 AM: Wake up to the sound of my one-year-old babbling away in his room, like he's holding a full-on conversation with himself. Get myself out of bed, ready for a jam-packed day, and gear up to tackle any challenges thrown my way. But first, I spend some time getting him dressed and ready for another day of play.

8.30 AM: I always pre-order my morning coffee enroute to work, to make sure it is awaiting my arrival, as we all need a little coffee to get us through! It’s a 35-minute drive to work, and I love either listening to Dubai92 for some classic tunes to lift my mood, or podcasts. Lately, for obvious reasons, I’ve been tuning to parenting podcasts – my favourite at the moment is Parenting Hell with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe – it’s hilarious, relatable, and sometimes a much-needed boost in the morning.

9.00 AM: Morning meetings with the team. With a variety of Spinneys Beverages Abu Dhabi activations across the month, I need to ensure we plan and discuss upcoming projects. It’s also a time for us to monitor workloads as a team and ensure that we are all working to maximum efficiency. Working in both marketing and events means that my time is split very differently depending on the month, so my focus tends to adapt based on the business needs – not always easy, but I love a challenge and it’s rewarding when it’s a success.

10.00 AM: Today we have a meeting with a new client venue. Here we will discuss what we can supply to them and how we will ensure our support as their supplier in terms of promoting their offering. From a Marketing standpoint, I don’t just look after Spinneys Abu Dhabi marketing, but also help to bolster our clients marketing and promotions too.

NOON: Head back to HQ for a quick lunch break. My lunch plans are always up in the air, depending on how the day shakes out. Today, it's a no-brainer  - I’m hitting up the top shawarma spot behind the office. It’s an old favourite in the capital, called Al Farah and I love eating the Shawarma Plate from there.

2.00 PM: Popping over to one of our customer venues for a content shoot for our social media channels. I get fully involved with our client’s content, as I want to make sure it’s representing both their brand and ours, in the best possible way. This usually involves cameras, props, and a story board. I really enjoy bringing brands into the light and showing them off in a creative way. We also have community bartender events, where we showcase the talent in the city, so that involves taking a seat at whichever bar they work at and finding innovative and engaging ways to display their skills.

4 PM: We are already preparing for F1 season. So it’s back to meetings and more planning. It’s the biggest weekend on the capital’s calendar, and we are an integral part of it, so as one race finishes we start planning the next. My main focus is on the branding around the track, what brands we will be supplying, and how the products will get into the venue. Plus, we will consider any activations that we feel as a team will fit into the event from both an F1 perspective, and a client/brand perspective.

6 PM: To wrap up for the day, I plan for the next morning, as I could be starting the day anywhere in Abu Dhabi, or sometimes, even Dubai. I can’t work without my laptop – it may have to be surgically removed one day. Even though our HQ is very central in the city, we spend a good chunk of time on the road, visiting clients or checking out what’s new in the industry.

6.30 PM: Roll through the door, just in time for the feeding frenzy with my little one – and it’s honestly my favourite part of the day. Then it's all about wrangling him into bedtime mode.

8 PM: With the little one finally asleep, it's my cue for some reality TV and relaxing. My favourite show at the moment is Drive to Survive – a series about Drivers, managers and team owners living life in the fast lane — both on and off the track — during each cutthroat season of Formula 1 racing. I feel an affinity to it, considering I spend a lot of time working on Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

10.00 PM: Bedtime isn’t too late though, as I find sleep so important to ensure a positive outlook on the following day. I try to read when I can, but lately I only seem to read children’s books to my son. – His favourite is Bizzy Bear: Football Player, because he is mad about footie! – we’ve only read it 5,956 times.