What’s it like to work at an award-winning Distillery Visitor Centre?

25 Aug 2022 Asia PacificAustraliaVisitor Experience
What’s it like to work at an award-winning Distillery Visitor Centre?

Bundaberg Rum Distillery Visitor Centre has been awarded a Double Gold at the 2022 International Spirits Challenge (ISC) for the third year running. We hear from the driving force behind the Distillery’s double gold win - Shannyn Smith, Front of House Operations Manager. Shannyn takes us behind the scenes and tells us about her passion for delighting customers and fostering a positive team culture.

Bundaberg Rum Distillery Visitor Centre has been awarded a Double Gold at the 2022 International Spirits Challenge (ISC) for the third year running. We hear from the driving force behind the Distillery’s double gold win - Shannyn Smith, Front of House Operations Manager. Shannyn takes us behind the scenes and tells us about her passion for delighting customers and fostering a positive team culture.

Tell us about your role? What’s the most exciting thing about it? 

As the Visitor Experience Front of House Operations Manager, I oversee the running and planning of activities that happen in our customer facing tourist facility. This includes, but isn’t limited to, areas such as arrivals, the museum, tours, retail as well as other ad hoc events that we may host at any one time. No two days are the same in my role.

It’s this variety, and the freedom to succeed, that gives me a steady stream of opportunities to make an impact. Whether it’s driving collaborative team performance, building relationships across various departments internally, or managing key external stakeholders - it’s so exciting to know that you can continually learn new skills, meet new people, and strive to deliver our commercial commitments, all within a day’s work! 

Bundaberg Distillery Visitor Centre has won multiple awards for hospitality. What makes the experience so unique? 

I’m a little biased, but what we have here is an experience like no other, run by a team like no other, in a region like no other! We’re situated within one of Australia’s premier food bowls and we produce one of the nation’s most loved liquids, the famous Bundaberg Rum!

To complement that we have three unique customer experiences (Museum Experience, Distillery Experience and Blend Your Own Rum) as well as our retail store. There is something for everyone - whether they’re locals popping in to do some shopping or guests that have made us part of their holiday plans. It’s a true bucket list experience no matter who you are!

To be able to deliver these exceptional experiences we are a diverse, cross functional team that champion all areas of the Visitor Experience from arrivals, tours, and retail through to finance, marketing, stock and consumer management. Our team collaboratively strive to provide a unique multifaceted experience that delights customers consistently day in and day out. 

What matters most to you in your work? 

Part of my role is to ensure the smooth running of all our experiences, as well as ensuring that the facility is well maintained and is always looking its best. You only get one chance to make a good first impression, so I’m passionate about maintaining high standards from all angles. 

I also take great pride in my role as a people manager, or my preferred word, people leader! From finding the right recruits to join the team, to being a coach and mentor. I get great satisfaction seeing the positive team culture we’ve created - which translates into exceptional reviews from guests, and continual acknowledgment of our achievements through the awards we’re proud to have received. 

What makes you most proud to work for Diageo? 

I’m proud of Diageo’s commitment to workplace inclusion and diversity, as well as setting ambitious targets to reduce our environmental impact on a global scale. We obviously strive to be the best we can be on a commercial level day to day, but it excites me that the company is so invested in our people and the environment, both things that I also feel passionately about. 

What would be your top tips for someone looking for join Diageo? 

  • Live and breathe our core values – 1. Value each other, 2. Be the best, 3. Be proud, 4. Be passionate about customers and consumers, and 5. Give each other and ourselves the freedom to succeed. 
  • Apply a growth mindset to all that you do. 
  • Have big picture mentality - aspire to be part of something bigger.