A marketing and brand expert among other things, Maddy Spicer has a lot to share about bringing some of the best events to town
The Marketing Director of MENA Live Events, Maddy Spicer has several interesting stories to tell about her work, and of course, life since moving to Abu Dhabi.
Having lived and worked in several countries, Maddy loves the community vibes of the UAE capital and of course, its natural beauty to name a few things.
Come spend 5 minutes getting to know her a little better!
Tell us a little bit of yourself
I’m a 30 year old Canadian cat mom of 2, marketing director of MENA Live Events, and closet sudoku enthusiast. I love road trips, country music and a bit of dancing!
How and when did you move here, and what inspired the move?
I moved to Abu Dhabi in 2016 just for a 4 month internship through my university. After this I had to move back to Canada to complete my degree, but right after graduation I made my way right back to Abu Dhabi to start my career in events & marketing.
How has living in Abu Dhabi shaped your sense of belonging and community?
Having moved around several times in my life from infancy, my sense of belonging has always been a very intrapersonal concept rather than being connected to any certain place.
When I moved to Abu Dhabi however, I quickly felt that this place would become my home. I joined a community sports team, made wonderful friends, and recognised that everybody here plays a part in shaping the community, and by way of that, has a responsibility to uphold in taking care of each other and our shared home.
Can you tell us about a particular person in Abu Dhabi who has had a significant impact on your life and why?
This one has to go out to the marketing ladies of Abu Dhabi! Having started my career here, I looked up to so many strong, wonderful women that had made a name for themselves and a positive impact in their field. There are so many things that I’ve taken with me through my journey that are because of them, and they probably don’t even know it!
More than just professionally, the gentle guidance they’ve given me as a young expat woman has also been invaluable. Everybody has a different path, and things have a mysteriously wonderful way of working out when the time is right. Be guided by your intuition, not a construct of where you think you should be. That’s a big one that I remember to carry with me.
What is your favourite thing about the emirate and why?
The natural beauty of the emirate. Each time I go to Saadiyat Beach, I’m in absolute awe of the place and remind myself how lucky I am that this is at my doorstep (well, 20 minutes or so from my doorstep) I still can’t believe that I get to live in a place that people would consider a dream holiday. Every now and then I get out to do a yoga class on the beach, at the Louvre or at the Jubail Mangroves, and the serenity is just unmatched.
Once or twice a year I try to get out to the desert with friends for camping, and I get the same feeling of ‘how is this real!’ Waking up in the dunes with camels walking by is such a unique experience that I’m so grateful is my reality.
A myth about Abu Dhabi that you would like to bust?
Not so much a myth, but I have noticed that I’ve had visitors arrive weary of safety (as travellers are in any new city) and leave with a completely changed opinion. The city is unbelievably safe, and I think it’s something that should be recognized more.
In most cities you can’t leave your door unlocked, car unlocked, handbag on the table etc, but here we don’t even have to think twice about it. I’ve left my mobile phone in a taxi once and had it retrieved within the hour. I think it all comes back to honesty and a shared sense of responsibility for the community.
Could you share a memorable moment when you felt the genuine warmth and hospitality of the Abu Dhabi community in your own life?
Working in events, I get the privilege of seeing people come together and celebrate for all different occasions. Our company MENA Live Events re-launched the community favourite event Taste of Abu Dhabi last November, and the response from our visitors was overwhelmingly joyous.
We had over 16,000 community members come out to celebrate good food, good friends and good times. The event was a tapestry of Abu Dhabi based restaurants, vendors and more, all coming together to display their products and hard work. Seeing the smiles on so many people’s faces, and their appreciation of these local businesses really made me feel proud to be part of the Abu Dhabi culture, and happy to be able to provide a platform for these celebratory moments to happen.
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