National Conference Center Partners With Belmont Ridge Middle School

LEESBURG, VA, December 22, 2010

The National Conference Center (NCC) is partnering with Belmont Ridge Middle School this year with a program that gives eighth-grade students a real behind-the-scenes look at business operations, and various aspects of the hospitality industry. The middle school's business partnership program includes six hands-on lesson plans held at NCC that teach the value of the hospitality industry. This is the 3rd year of this award-winning program.

By experiencing everything from planning an event, marketing to customers, to practicing culinary techniques, the students learn what's involved in running a hospitality operation as well as various employees' roles and responsibilities.

"This program is extremely beneficial to students in learning about our industry so that, if interested in exploring a career in hospitality, they have a good understanding of what to study to ensure a better chance at career placement," explained Kurt Krause general manager at NCC. For students who may not be interested in hospitality as a career, the experience provides them with a good sense of how a business operates and how what they are learning in school may be applied to the "real" world.

The program has also been insightful to NCC employees who are able to view their occupations as interpreted through the eyes of eighth graders. "I really enjoy this program," stated Sharon Meyers, director of catering at NCC. "These kids bring a new perspective and a fresh eye to our business. They ask great questions and offer creative ideas."

This program is part of a larger initiative at NCC to support education. Each spring, the property hires interns from around the country who work in various departments throughout NCC, collaborate on special projects and provide NCC with ideas on streamlining various sectors. Last summer, the numbers of interns at NCC was up 30% with the property seeing a record number of applicants. The interns designed a signage system with a 50-page manual on way finding at NCC; and an extensive safety program that incentivized employees to follow safety practices.

"Through our dedication to education and with these various programs, we're able to help more students who have an interest in the hospitality industry find employment in their respective field," Krause stated. "By the time they graduate high school and college, they should have a good understanding of the many types of jobs available and what it takes to succeed in hospitality."

"Our education program is also part of our overall sustainability efforts," Krause continued. "We continue to set the bar in our community for our commitment to sustainability. And now, through this school partnership, we're also able to educate the next generation on the importance."

Located in Northern Virginia 12 miles from Dulles International Airport and 35 miles from Washington, D.C., the National Conference Center (NCC) is one of the largest and most comprehensive conference centers in the nation. With 917 guest rooms and over 250,000 square feet of meeting space, NCC has become a hub for productive meetings. NCC is also on the GSA schedule. For information call 800-640-2684 or visit http://www.conferencecenter.com.

The National Conference Center is managed by ARAMARK Conference Centers. ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. In FORTUNE magazine's 2009 list of "World's Most Admired Companies," ARAMARK was ranked number one in its industry, consistently ranking since 1998 as one of the top three most admired companies in its industry as evaluated by peers and analysts. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 260,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries. Learn more at the company's Web site, http://www.aramark.com.

Editor's Note: The Belmont Ridge Middle School/NCC Business Partnership continues with students participating in various lesson plans at NCC on January 11-12, February 8-9, and March 1-2. The program culminates with a Partnership Breakfast on March 11, 2011. To follow the students at NCC, or for more information, please contact Vicki Bendure at 540-687-3360 or vicki@bendurepr.com.