Gaylord Palms Resort Eco-Logical Initiatives Water conservation and efficiency

KISSIMMEE, FL (February 28, 2008) – Gaylord Palms Resort is working to conserve water. Through efforts like these, conservative estimates indicate that 10-30 gallons of water per room per night are saved, saving millions of gallons of water per year. A government study found in 2000 that hotels that aggressively use water-saving technologies, such as low-flow toilets and drip irrigation, consume one-fifth of the water per guest as similar hotels with less aggressive water-efficiency actions.

• Gaylord Palms guests are asked to reuse their bathroom towels and bed linen, reducing the resort's laundry by more than 1 million pounds and saving 1.5 million gallons of water in the past 12 months alone.

• Guest rooms feature low-flow faucets (less than 2.5 gal/min), dramatically reducing water consumption.

• Guest rooms and public restrooms feature low-flow toilets (less than 1.6 gal/flush), reducing water consumption. Assuming 2 flushes per day per guest room, these low-flow toilets save more than 3 million gallons of water per year. An important fact, considering that 40 percent of the world's water supplied to homes is flushed down the toilet.

• Public restrooms feature water-efficient urinals that use less water as the system is used in greater frequency, reducing water consumption.

• Water faucets in public restrooms have been upgraded with automatic water conservation features, reducing water consumption. Depending on intensity of use, these new faucets are estimated to save between 10 and 50 percent of previous total water use.

• By converting turf areas to native Florida shrubs that require less water, the resort's award-winning Horticulture department is reducing total water consumption.

• The resort's outdoor irrigation system uses reclaimed water. In addition, the system communicates with rain meters to run only if needed, reducing total water consumption

• All Gaylord Palms indoor waterways, including Key West Lagoon and the waterfalls of Gator Springs, use water that is filtered and recycled.

Clean Air Practices
With Gaylord Palms' unique atrium environments, guests often feel as if they are in the middle of the great outdoors. In order to maintain this pristine environment, Gaylord has many clean-air practices in place.

• Gaylord Hotels was among the first hotel brands to announce a resort-wide "no smoking" policy, clearing the air for our guests and staff.

• High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are in use in guest rooms and public spaces, ensuring clean air.
  To ensure maximum efficiency, air handler units and coils are cleaned regularly and systematically, ensuring clean air and substantially increased energy efficiency.

• Gaylord Palms atriums are home to more than 200,000 individual plant specimens. Studies have shown that the atmosphere in indoor spaces filled with houseplants typically contains substantially cleaner air and 50 to 60 percent fewer mold spores and bacteria. One tree can filter up to 60 pounds of pollutants from the air every year.
  

Energy Efficiency
According to industry reports, electricity use accounts for about 70 percent of the utility costs of an average hotel. Gaylord Palms has discovered that this cost is controllable, without sacrificing guest comfort.

• The resort's 4.5-acre glass-covered atrium uses high-tech thinking to minimize energy use. By using an innovative series of "air fountains," cooler air is only distributed in areas where people are found, maintaining optimal comfort and energy efficient operation without air-conditioning the entire atrium. Computational Fluid Dynamics were used to optimize the air-conditioning system, which provides cooler air-conditioned temperatures in the lower occupied zones of the atrium, while allowing heat to remain in the "unpopulated" areas above the heads of visitors.

• All guest rooms now feature energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs in most fixtures, ensuring energy efficiency. Hotel lighting, especially guest room lighting, accounts for about 30 to 40 percent of hotel electricity consumption. According to Energy Star statistics, by replacing an average of ten bulbs in every Gaylord Palms guest room, the annual energy saved could light more than 117 homes for one year, and save the emissions equivalent to taking nearly 880 cars off the road for one year. In addition, only 10 percent of the energy used by an incandescent bulb produces light; the rest is given off as heat.

• An in-room "comfort management" system helps to reduce energy consumption in guest rooms by an estimated one-third. This innovative technology features occupancy sensors that automatically monitor and adjust individual room temperatures. For example, a sensor will automatically modify the room temperature to "energy efficient" mode when no guests are detected, then back to the most comfortable temperature upon the guest's return. In addition, normal "high and low" temperature points can be set for all rooms, which are adjusted based on time of year.

• Gaylord Palms has an energy management system in place, ensuring energy efficiency. An example of innovative programming, the system interfaces with the hotel's computer system that keeps track of scheduled meeting space. These two programs can now coordinate so that air conditioning is appropriate when meeting rooms are in use, based on the number of people in the room. In addition, air conditioning is adjusted in meeting rooms that are unoccupied.

• In partnership with Johnson Controls, we have designed a system of specific scenarios to save energy in our central plant. The system looks for a trigger that sets a series of events in motion (i.e., when x happens, the system is programmed to do y). Triggers can include things like water flow, outside temperature, or demand. We consistently push the system boundaries, and test new energy-saving scenarios that can be replayed time and time again. This is state-of-the-art thinking for a building as large as Gaylord Palms.

• Gaylord Palms strives to purchase office equipment with built-in power management features, ensuring energy efficiency. Power management features switch to a low-energy mode when not in use, which not only saves energy but helps equipment run cooler and last longer.

• Programmable thermostats are in place throughout the resort, ensuring energy efficiency.

• Lighting upgrades to fluorescent lights and electronic ballasts are complete in all office areas, ensuring energy efficiency.

• Motion sensors are in place in all offices, ensuring energy efficiency. In a "high-touch" business like hospitality, Gaylord Palms Leaders are often out of their office. After a pre-determined absence, motion sensors turn off individual office lights.

• A programmable lighting system with sensor and timer capabilities is in place, ensuring energy efficiency.
  Conversion of Exhibit Hall fixtures to dimmable fluorescents, scheduled for 2008, will ensure energy efficiency in this large space.

• Demand limiting meters monitor energy demand and reduce consumption in place. In addition, variable frequency drives for the building's air-conditioning chillers are scheduled to be installed in 2008. These "back of the house" processes are un-noticeable to guests, but provides big energy efficiencies. This upgrade allows the Engineering team to monitor the demand from specific equipment and make adjustments in a just-in-time manner. It can also alert the team when we reach specific thresholds.
  

Waste Reduction
Did you know that every year in the United States enough paper is thrown away to make a 12 foot wall from New York to California? Recycling of every ton of paper saves 17 trees and 7,000 gallons of water. Since one-fifth of all wood harvested in the world ends up in paper it just makes sense to recycle and conserve this valuable resource.

• Extensive cardboard recycling program in place, reducing total waste. Last year, Gaylord Palms recycled more than 100 tons of cardboard, or the equivalent weight of about 25 adult elephants. This saved more than 900 cubic yards of landfill space. Recycling corrugated cardboard cuts the emissions of sulfur dioxide in half and uses about 25 percent less energy than making cardboard from virgin pulp.

• Plastic recycling program in place (and soon to be expanded) in public areas and back-of-house areas, reducing waste. According to the National Resources Defense Council, it takes 70 percent less energy to recycle plastic versus using raw materials to manufacture.

• Office paper recycling program in place (and soon to be expanded) in back-of-house and business center, reducing waste.

• Gaylord Palms is currently developing a newspaper recycling program for guest participation, reducing waste.
  The resort is purchasing post-consumer recycled content for targeted paper products, reducing waste. As the "green lodging" movement grows, more products utilizing recycled contents are expected to be available, giving the resort more opportunities to make a difference in the area of purchasing.

• The resort participates in bulk purchasing, reduced packaging and manufacturer take-back initiatives, reducing waste. For instance, by switching to a bulk dilution control system for our cleaning products, we were able to substantially reduce packaging.

• Ink cartridge and toner cartridge recycling program at on-site business center, reducing waste. According to Office Depot, each remanufactured toner cartridge keeps approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic out of landfills, and conserves about a half-gallon of oil.

• Gaylord Palms is now transitioning to recycled paper for its printing needs. And for a good reason! It takes 64 percent less energy and 58 percent less water to manufacture paper from recycled stock.

• Gaylord's retail partner, The Paradies Shops, has a Read & Return Program allowing travelers to buy a book, read it, and then return it within six months to receive 50 percent of their money back. The program is available at 500 stores in more than 60 airports and hotels, and is good on hardcover or paperback books. Books are then resold at half price or donated to a local charity.

• Gaylord Palms is going "paperless" whenever possible. For instance:

  • The Sales department process has been changed to electronically store client files, instead of printing hard copies to store in paper files.

  • Convention Services is providing client materials, including interactive floor plans of the meeting space, in electronic form via Gaylord Hotels' "MyMeetingPlanner" website.

  • Accounting now provides detailed meeting-specific invoices – sometimes large enough to fill an entire binder – on a single compact disc.

  • Payroll now offers an option to view pay statements online, eliminating the need to print a pay statement for every STAR employee.

  • Human Resources posts internal manuals and similar materials online.
    

Food-Related Initiatives
Since opening in 2002, the chefs at Gaylord Palms Resort have had a "market inspired" philosophy in menu planning. This year, these culinary professionals have taken the philosophy one step further, by committing to supporting local, organic and sustainable farming in an effort to protect our environment, and enhance and grow our local economy.

• The chefs at Gaylord Palms work with Second Harvest Food Bank to provide excess prepared food to needy families and local soup kitchens, reducing waste while helping the community.

• We have consolidated regular deliveries from our primary food supplier by 50 percent, to three days a week. In one year, this will eliminate more than 150 two-way trips from the warehouse.

• Gaylord Palms restaurants and banquet chefs have committed to supporting local and organic farming. Some industry publications estimate that the average meal travels approximately 1,500 miles before it reaches your table. Eliminating air travel and shorter transit distances drastically reduces the amount of fossil fuel consumed in bringing foods from farm to table.

• The resort supports sustainable fishing and agriculture programs, changing purchasing requirements in response to external factors and as new information is made available.

• The resort is a member of the Slow Food organization, a group formed to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people's dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.
  

Eco-Logical Meetings
The Green Meeting Industry Council states that a green meeting incorporates environmental considerations throughout all stages of the meeting in order to minimize the negative impact on the environment and positively contribute to host communities. According to recent research, 67% of meeting and incentive professionals have taken environmental considerations intoaccount when planning a conference or incentive program.

• Gaylord Palms will soon introduce several "green meeting" packages for smaller meetings that may find it difficult to hold such a meeting otherwise.

• Gaylord Palms is developing a new system of electronic signs throughout public spaces, allowing meeting planners to display dynamic event-specific messages, while eliminating the need for disposable signage.

• Gaylord Palms is working with individual meeting planners to incorporate "Earth-friendly" components into their meeting plans. Some easy changes include:

  • Using potted plants instead of "cut flower" arrangements on banquet tables (Gaylord Palms has these available on site, giving meeting planners an easy alternative)

  • Eliminating bottled water in favor of pitchers of water.

  • Asking banquet bartenders not to automatically give a cocktail napkin with every drink.

  • Using fewer disposable items at food functions, when appropriate.

  • Only setting pads of paper and ink pens when necessary, or having these resources available at the front of the room.

  • Providing meeting flyers and hand outs electronically, via a special Internet site or email.

  • Using in-room iConnect computer system for attendee surveys, instead of paper-based surveys

  • Reusing name badge holders.

  • Accepting all Banquet Event Orders (BEOs) electronically during the planning phase, meeting planners can save a substantial amount of paper.

    • By incorporating a volunteer or eco-logical activity into a meeting, a meeting planner can offset the "carbon footprint" of the function.

• Gaylord's meeting partners are participating as well. For instance:

  • Freeman, Gaylord's preferred exhibition services company, has:

    • Recycled more than 25 million square yards of used aisle carpet as part of a company-wide program, enough run a 9-foot carpeted aisle from Orlando to Key West. 3.6 million pounds has been remanufactured into drainage pipe for septic systems.

    • Saved more than 24 million pieces of paper company-wide, by putting show-specific Exhibitor Manuals online.

  • Presentation Services (PSAV), our in-house audiovisual and rigging services provider, is expanding use ofLED lights, whichuse up to 80 percent less energy than incandescent light, while offering increased versatility and design effect.

  • Convention Planning Services, Inc. (CPS), our full-service destination management company, is helping meeting planners "think green" by sourcing eco-friendly promotional products, and identifying 24 different speakers who can talk on green topics. The company is also working to assist meeting planners who want to off-set the carbon footprints of their meetings through local and national initiatives.

  • Freeze Frame, our on-site preferred photographer, is utilizing specialized digital imaging systems in order to eliminate excessive paper and film waste.
    

Communication
Communications is one of the most important components of any hotel's environmental efforts. Continually engaging employees and guests is critical for a well-rounded and sustainable program.

• Gaylord Palms has launched "We're Eco-Logical," a new guest-communication program used to share information about the resort's green initiatives, and to help guests and meeting planners become involved in our efforts.

• A new internal campaign – called GET Green -- provides ongoing STAR (employee) communications and training.

• A new internal Energy Committee and Recycling Committee in place.

• Gaylord Palms received its Green Lodging certification from the state of Florida Department of Environmental Protection, in February 2008.

About Gaylord Palms Resort
Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center has gained the attention of the meeting and convention industry by providing world-class convention and leisure-focused amenities – all in one place. The award-winning Gaylord Palms is a Gaylord Hotels-branded property owned by Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET), a leading hospitality and entertainment company based in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, visit www.gaylordpalms.com or www.gaylordentertainment.com.

###

Media Contact:
Keith Salwoski, 407-586-0315, ksalwoski@gaylordhotels.com