![]() ![]() Pouring a pint is not as simple as it sounds. “They get their own certificate, and a picture that they can send to their friends around the world.” “In fact, we have two academies now, where we teach people to pour the perfect pint of Guinness,” says Carty. One of those changes involves the introduction of the Guinness Academy. “Since we’ve opened, we’ve changed so much.” “I think the key element in our success is that we are constantly refreshing and keeping the experience up-to-date,” says Carty. The Storehouse was Ireland’s most visited attraction in 2016. All of this money is generated by the free cash flow of the Guinness Storehouse.” Constant change is key to success And now we’re about to spend another €16 million on top of that again. Since then we’ve spent a further €26 million on it. “We spent €42 million opening the Storehouse. However, the attraction became unashamedly profitable. The main point of the exercise was to provide an outstanding brand experience. They’ve had fun, they’ve engaged with the brand, and they got the messages we were trying to get across, in an engaging and entertaining way.” When the visitor leaves, they understand what it’s about. “Each is themed but there’s a common thread running through. “There are seven floors in the Guinness storehouse,” explains Carty. Visitor engagement combined with profitability Subtle changes, intelligent reinvestment and a meaningful narrative lifted visitor numbers and overall productivity to a new level. Existing exhibits were refreshed both to communicate the Guinness brand values and, at the same time, to entertain guests more efficiently. It also provided a multi-sensory experience socialised with widely accessible technology. The new tour ‘emotionalised’ the guest’s visit with a better sequenced and story-driven journey. Above all, it needed to bring the Guinness story to life. The brief to BRC was to create a future vision for the visitor experience. Although it was successful from the start, it gained a further boost in 2010 when it was themed with a storyline by experience design and production agency, BRC Imagination Arts. The sleek contemporary Storehouse was set up to make people think differently about Guinness and to attract a younger following. “So the business has grown substantially.” “This year we will finish with 1.75 million, not far off 1.8 million visitors, which is going to be an incredible year for us,” says Carty. It opened in 2000 and attracted 300,000 visitors that year. The Guinness Storehouse is Ireland’s most popular paid visitor attraction. There was a proper P&L and a balance sheet attached to it.” Ireland’s most popular paid attraction It also helped in the sense that it had a commercial purpose as well as a brand purpose. It put a shape and discipline around the whole thing. “I thought, I’m going to run this just like a five-star hotel without the bedrooms. “I had opened hotels, but I had never opened an international global brand experience,” he says. Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: GUINNESS STOREHOUSE ANNOUNCES €16 MILLION EXPANSION () He was well-versed in the hospitality business model, with its emphasis on a good food and beverage offering attached to the attraction. “I was fortunate enough to be in time to get involved with the architects and the creatives to put a bit of shape to it,” he says.Ĭarty brought many skills to the table, not least his expertise in the hospitality industry. “And I left there to join the largest alcoholic beverage company in the world, Diageo, so it was a case of from one extreme to the other.” Carty was in from the start at the StorehouseĪt this time, Guinness was planning on opening its new brand experience – the Guinness Storehouse – and Carty was headhunted to lead the project. “You can’t sell alcohol in Saudi Arabia,” says Carty. Just before joining Diageo, he had been in charge of an alcohol-free hotel in Saudi Arabia. In 1999, he joined Diageo, one of the world’s largest producers of spirits and a key producer of beers, including the iconic Guinness brand. The majority of his career was spent with Trusthouse Forte and Le Méridien Hotels. He graduated from Shannon College of Hotel Management in 1980 and spent twenty years managing hotels in the UK, Ireland, Asia and the Middle East. The Guinness Storehouse’s famous rooftop Gravity Bar, which boasts 360 degree views over Dublin, is undergoing a €16 million renovation.īlooloop discussed the continuing evolution of the Guinness Storehouse with Paul Carty, who has been Managing Director since it opened in 1999, and Brent Raynor, Digital and Content Manager at the Storehouse.Ĭarty (below) initially trained to be a chef, however his background is predominantly in hotel management. ![]()
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