From Bungy to Wētā Workshop Unleashed

I'm the Auckland Area Manager* at Wētā Workshop Unleashed in Auckland. My main responsibilities are ensuring our team is well supported so that we can achieve our business targets of guest experience, culture and finances. *Please note that Sam's title changed from Operations Manager to Area Manager - Auckland since these assets were made.

The people. From the guests coming in through the doors to the teams you get to work with. Especially here at Unleashed and the wider Wētā Workshop team... I work with some incredible people. Plus, the variety in Tourism is something that I’ve always cherished - I love being outside, not needing to be at a desk all the time, and interacting with people and the team.

I studied Tourism in the last two years of secondary school and then went on to study a Bachelor of International Tourism Management at AUT. During my studies I got a job at AJ Hackett Bungy, which I loved, and after my degree wrapped up I spent a summer down in Queenstown as well. This led me to Japan, where I spent three years working for Bungy Japan and had the awesome opportunity to set up a range of different bungy sites across the country. After that, I headed to Australia where I landed a job as head of operations for the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel, then I moved onto Funfields Themepark before going back to Auckland and finding the role I’m in now. It’s been quite a varied career!

The incredible people I get to work with. They come from a really creative background and I love seeing what they create or build and the storytelling behind it all. Also, it's great being able to get to know the film industry and understanding what makes it tick.

My day is spent planning and scheduling, such as staffing or tour departures, working out maintenance schedules, looking at marketing and understanding what targets we have, and understanding guest feedback and seeing how we can improve the product for them. I’ll collaborate with the team in Wellington on all of this too.

One of my best experiences in Tourism was working in Japan and having the opportunity to design and set up a bungy site, then being the first one to jump off that site. That is something I will never forget!

If you love people and you want to work in a fun environment, then Tourism is absolutely the industry for you. It can be anything you want. There is a future beyond a tour guide and other entry level roles. Don't give up, because there are lots of opportunities available.

As a young person getting into Tourism, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. However, studying the International Tourism Management degree at AUT set up a great foundation for me. Education is a great first step. You don't need to come into it with a goal in mind, because it will evolve over time. That's the exciting thing about Tourism, there's so many different opportunities that will open up for you.