Real Talk with Tanya Bennett of Vancouver Mysteries
WORTH’s very own Director of Partnerships, Tracy Volb recently connected with Tanya Bennett, Owner of Vancouver Mysteries. Under Bennett’s creative leadership, Vancouver Mysteries was able to adapt quickly to the uncertainty of COVID-19 and has been operating since May of 2020, when restrictions permitted. Tanya shared with us more on this experience and advice for other women in tourism finding themselves at a career crossroads.
Her business career has taken her from training and development to digital marketing and project management. At the same time, she is a highly creative individual and brings innovation and original expression to all of her work. Tanya collects mystery and detective pulp fiction and loves mysteries almost as much as she loves Vancouver.
Can you share what your Tourism business focuses on, and how you have been able to operate safely since reopening began?
Vancouver Mysteries games put players out on the streets of Vancouver, armed with their wits and a magnifying glass. Players work in teams to investigate a murder or solve a mystery by unravelling puzzles and cracking brain-teasers.
The outdoor nature of our games has been a big advantage for us to be able to adapt to restrictions – each participating team in any of our four outdoor games have always been "physically distanced" from each other, so when restrictions change, we can easily scale back our capacity and offer private games to local households only. It’s worked out well for us as a company and allowed our team to be employed safely.
As travel restrictions continue to evolve and borders remain closed, how have you connected with locals to support your business?
Travel restrictions mean locals are looking for new things to do closer to home, in their own health region. Our outdoor games are unique: the challenges incorporate local architecture and landmarks, so you can only play them in Vancouver! We have always been popular with locals but we have seen lots more families playing together this year, I'm guessing because there were lots of family "staycations".
What words of advice do you have for women in our industry, who may be considering a different career path right now?
Three points of advice: watch for opportunities, take risks and be generous.
I would encourage other women in our industry who are looking for new opportunities to look at each experience as an addition to what makes their skill set unique. Sometimes, unexpected dips in your career path can renew your love for your work or open you to new directions. When we reopened I jumped in to host games, and that has given me new insight into how to improve our games and how to be a better leader. It also taught me that my Vancouver Mysteries team can handle anything. All the hard work of figuring out how to operate safely for both my team and players has been worth it. It was a risk, but the reward is that I have a renewed enthusiasm for my work and a stronger team as a result.
The third piece of advice I would give everyone is to be generous with each other. One positive outcome of these challenging times has been to see how generous women in our industry are to each other. Recently I noticed that a woman I had met in the ‘before times’ at a Tourism Vancouver member mixers had left Vancouver Mysteries a positive online review. It’s such a great feeling to have support from our tourism community and inspires me to give back when I can. I’m flattered that I’ve been asked by women starting out in this industry to meet with me - I enjoy answering their questions and helping out when I can.
Can you talk about one woman who has impacted your life and career?
100% without question, that woman is my mom. Her advice about relationships, real estate and business has always been bang on, so she has had a huge impact on both my life and career. My kids were quite young when I was just starting my businesses and she looked after them for me so I could work. She has overcome many obstacles in her life and I strive to be as resilient as she is. She loves life and is a lot of fun. I wouldn't be where I am without her.
Where is your favourite local destination or experience in BC?
My favourite experience in BC is the classic road trip. Whether it is Vancouver Island or the Kootenays, count me in for windy roads, diners, visitor centres and roadside attractions. I think my all-time favourite experience is the Enchanted Forest just outside of Revelstoke. It is a forested hill dotted with handcrafted animals and creatures from storybooks - you can spot Little Bo Beep and then go around a corner and see where the three little pigs live. It is completely unique, magical, made with love and fun. If I didn't live and work in downtown Vancouver, I would love to own a roadside attraction.
Running your own business is obviously a passion for you, when you are not working, what do you do in your spare time?
My daughters and I track fairy doors on our website fairydoorsofvancouver.com. We also recently set up a Fairy Village in East Vancouver with our neighbours thanks to a Neighbourhood Small Grant. I also play bass in a local band, Mink Valley.
Can you share something with us that you would consider your Career Highlight?
I think my career highlight is still coming - maybe this year, maybe not. We'll see!
What does the summer season look like for 2021 for Vancouver Mysteries?
I'm feeling so optimistic about the summer season for 2021 that I just hired 6 new people!
We have worked hard to develop our experiences that we offer to include a locally produced ‘Virtual Game’ Big Top Werewolf, which launched in March of this year, and it’s been very well received! As part of our response to the Pandemic, we worked quickly to bring in virtual games from all over the world to Vancouver. It’s so fun to see Families, Friends and Co-workers have the chance to be social in this way. So this summer we will be offering both our 4 outdoor games AND virtual games.
A lot of our guests tell us they are happy to be able to support a local business at the same time as having a great time. Win-Win!