Growth & Jobs | Romario Laing making marketing his main event
In a recently concluded socio-economic impact assessment, it was determined that for every direct employment through Red Stripe, 14 more jobs are created in the economy.
Twenty-five-year-old Romario Laing is an example of this. As a client service coordinator at Main Event Entertainment Group Ltd, he has learnt the value of collaboration, teamwork, and a good work ethic through the company’s relationship with Red Stripe over the years.
Eight years ago, Laing started working with the events company as an intern. Although his job was light years away from his studies in construction management, his newly gained experience in marketing ignited a passion for event production.
He said: “When I started here, I had no expectations of what working with a premier marketing agency would offer. As an intern, I had to spend a week in all departments. My first week was in receptionist training and my second was with the client service department. Before the end of that week, I went to the HR director and told her I wanted to stay in that department because it felt like home.”
After this internship ended, Laing continued seeking avenues to acquire work experience. His next job came by way of Kemiserv – a household chemical distribution company – where he worked part time as a store clerk for six months before he returned to Main Event. Wanting to expand his knowledge in marketing, Laing applied for an internship with one of the company’s top clients, Red Stripe, to get an understanding of marketing from their perspective.
As an intern at Red Stripe, Laing worked with the spirits team, where he supported the brand managers in carrying out marketing activities.
Laing quickly learnt the value of collaboration in the world of marketing. In their symbiotic relationship, Main Event has aided in the growth of Red Stripe’s brand identity as ‘experience facilitating’ experts while Red Stripe provides continued and secure partnership for opportunities of business growth. Their mutually benefiting partnership facilitates sustained growth and a healthy corporate relationship.
Dianne Ashton-Smith, Red Stripe’s head of corporate affairs, noted: “At Red Stripe, we pride ourselves in recruiting a team of talented, creative, and effervescent minds. Young people like Romario offer new insights into and a fresh perspective on how we approach our brands and speak to our audience. Teamwork is one of our core values, and so we also take pride in the relationships we have built and maintained over the years. Through these connections, partnerships and opportunities are created that help to achieve the overall success of our staff and our business.”
Red Stripe and Main Event have played salient roles in Laing’s professional growth, allowing him to gain invaluable lessons. Upon completing his internship at the beer giant, he returned to the events company, where he has been since. Even after many years of working at Main Event, Laing still loves his job. He especially enjoys giving his clients a winning event and realising the dream from concept to execution. Having acquired this wealth of knowledge, he uses every opportunity to help those who show an interest in production and execution.
Laing says: “Be passionate and hungry and always learn new things. The unknown might be scary, but accept and appreciate the lessons because it is in this area where you grow and discover new things about yourself. Embrace them all on your journey of professional and personal growth.”