Asilomar Conference Grounds Awarded Prestigious Environmental Designations

Pacific Grove, Calif., July 29, 2013 / 3BL Media/ – The 100-year-old Asilomar Conference Grounds has recently been awarded a Trip Advisor Gold Level GreenLeader designation. The GreenLeader program helps travelers plan greener trips by identifying environmentally-friendly accommodations across the U.S. The award comes on the heels of the National Historic Landmark receiving International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 certification.

“ARAMARK Parks and Destinations strives to operate Asilomar Conference Grounds in a way that honors and protects the environment,” said Mairead  Hennessy, resident district manager for Asilomar Conference Grounds, “Being a Trip Advisor Gold Level GreenLeader and an ISO-certified facility certifies that we are doing our due diligence to minimize Asilomar Conference Center’s environmental footprint.”

TripAdvisor GreenLeaders have met a set of environmental standards developed for TripAdvisor with input from expert partners including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR® program, the United Nations Environment Programme, the U.S. Green Building Council, and other sustainability experts.

“TripAdvisor GreenLeaders are leading the hospitality industry in making efforts to improve their environmental footprint,” said Jenny Rushmore, director of responsible travel at TripAdvisor. “We greatly applaud these accommodations and are pleased to share their eco-friendly practices with our online audience of more than 200 million travelers.”

ISO 14001:2004 annual certification is the international standard for environmental management systems.  This standard assists organizations in protecting the environment through practices that reduce consumption, divert waste, reduce emissions, and improve environmental performance. ISO 14001:2004 certification is earned by businesses that have found and successfully executed improvements and expansions to their environmental programs.

Some of the programs Asilomar initiated or strengthened to receive these certifications include:

• Overhauling food ordering processes leading to a reduction of 55 percent of food waste
• Sourcing more than half of food from organic sources
• Using recycled paper products
• Diverting up to 62 percent of all waste from landfills with recycling and composting programs
• Converting lighting systems to LED

To book your next eco-friendly conference or vacation, visit www.visitasilomar.com. For up-to-the-moment news and information, like us on Facebook.

About Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds

Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds has been a part of the California State Parks system since 1956.  The conference grounds are managed by ARAMARK Parks and Destinations, an authorized concessioner of California State Parks.

The grounds were founded by the YWCA as a young women’s leadership summer camp in 1913. The 100-year-old site features the largest collection of architect Julia Morgan-designed buildings in the world, and is a National Historic Landmark.  Today, the conference grounds host leisure guests and groups of up to 1,000 in historic and newer buildings set among Monterey pines, steps from the Asilomar Dunes Natural Preserve and State Beach.

Learn more about Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds at http://www.parks.ca.gov/Asilomar,www.visitasilomar.com or www.facebook.com/VisitAsilomar.

About ARAMARK Parks and Destinations

ARAMARK Parks and Destinations, a division of ARAMARK, delivers authentic and memorable experiences at national and state parks, national forests, specialty hotels, conference centers, museums and other tourist destinations throughout the United States. In partnership with its clients, ARAMARK Parks and Destinations seeks to enhance the guest experience by offering industry-leading hospitality, environmental stewardship, recreational and interpretive programs. For more information on ARAMARK Parks and Destinations visit www.aramarkparksanddestinations.comor follow us on Twitter @TravelARAMARK.

About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor^® is the world's largest travel site*, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 200 million unique monthly visitors**, and over 100 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 30 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to millions of monthly TripAdvisor visitors.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, January 2013

**Source: Google Analytics, worldwide data, January 2013

About ISO

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world’s largest developer of voluntary International Standards. International Standards give state of the art specifications for products, services and good practice, helping to make industry more efficient and effective. Developed through global consensus, they help to break down barriers to international trade.