Mark This! is a podcast in which we peel back the corporate curtain to reveal the cool and innovative people, programs, and projects that are happening all over Aramark’s varied lines of business. These remarkable initiatives happen because we have remarkable people behind them--building opportunity, building innovation, and building community.
| |
Mark This: Episode 45, Landmarks of Legacy
Host: Heather Dotchel, Corporate Communications:
Guests:
Sasha Day, President and CEO, Aramark Destinations
Katarina Stanisic, Chief Commercial Officer, Aramark Destinations
It's time to Mark This!, a podcast in which we peel back the corporate curtain to reveal the cool and innovative people, programs, and projects that are happening all over Aramark's varied lines of business. I'm Heather Dotchel. As a member of Aramark's communications team, I see and hear amazing things that are happening across our company every day. These remarkable initiatives happen because we have remarkable people behind them, building opportunity, building innovation, and building community. Aramark Destinations Landmarks of Legacy is an invitation to experience America's history where it truly lives across iconic parks, lodges, and cultural sites that have helped define the nation's past, present, and future. Through immersive storytelling, thoughtful stewardship, and meaningful guest experience, the program connects visitors to the parks, traditions, and moments that make each destination unique, turning every visit into a living part of a larger American story.
To explore Landmarks of Legacy and talk about some of the other significant milestones at our national locations, Destinations' president and CEO, Sasha Day, and vice president, Katarina Stanisic, have joined us today. Sasha, welcome back. You were previously on our podcast a few years ago talking about the Collegiate Hospitality ecosystem. Tell us about your journey to lead Aramark destinations, please.
Heather, thank you for having us. Yes, the last time I joined you on this podcast, I was serving as chief growth officer of Collegiate Hospitality. In October of 2023, I was asked to take on this role, the president and CEO of Aramark Destinations. It was really a full circle moment for me. I joined Aramark in 2003, and started in this business in fact, and had various roles until about 2011. From there, I went to Sports + Entertainment and Collegiate Hospitality, and then coming back to Destinations has really been an honor for me again, full circle moment.
I have the privilege of leading a portfolio of properties and businesses, really providing comprehensive hospitality services and a lot of outdoor recreation in some of the most amazing places in this country. So we operate in the lower 48 and Alaska. As you mentioned, we operate at national parks. We operate in other public lands, and we operate on behalf of clients for hotel, conference center, and training locations. So quite a diverse portfolio.
Katarina, you are the chief commercial officer for Destinations. What does that mean, and what has your Aramark journey looked like?
Well, Heather, first of all, it's so nice to be here. Thank you for having us both. I am fortunate to lead the commercial team at Aramark Destinations, where in the hospitality industry, commercial encompasses sales, marketing, revenue management, and in our case, also our SeaRES organization or our frontline reservations team. My journey at Aramark Destinations over the past 18 months has been incredibly rewarding. I joined to lead this extraordinary team and have had the opportunity to bring to life go-to-market strategies across some of the most iconic and magnificent destinations in the country. One could even argue in the world. Places defined not only by their natural beauty, but the incredibly special stories they hold.
Let's face it, in today's travel landscape, guests have more choices than ever when planning their next adventure. We're not only competing with competitive vacation options, but with an ever-expanding set of experiences, adventures, platforms, and ways to spend precious time and money. So that reality challenges us to be sharper, more intentional, more compelling in how we show up in market with a commercial growth mindset to win over every guest.
All right. Well, let's dig into Landmarks of Legacy. Sasha, can you give us some detail about Landmarks of Legacy and what inspired the idea as...
Absolutely, Heather. Landmarks of Legacy, that is a mouthful, I think, for me, is our way of bringing America250 to life in a meaningful and experiential way. At its core, it's really about telling a national story, but one place at a time. And as Katarina discussed, we operate in some amazing magnificent locations around the country. Our history, 250-year history, has been shaped by places, our parks, historic lodges, cultural sites. Many of these are represented in our portfolio, and we have the privilege of operating at these locations. Through this initiative, we're inviting guests to experience that history where it actually lives and resides. So not just in textbooks or reading about it, and it's not just about a 4th of July celebration. We're doing that through a lot of immersive storytelling at our locations, and also before guests even arrive through curated experiences and really through our team members, so the people that our guests interact with each and every day when they're at our locations.
So it's both a celebration of the past but also a way to ensure that these places remain relevant for future generations, and that's a big piece of the stewardship that we feel responsible for. In 2025, so last year as we started to learn more and more about the various organizations and efforts to celebrate our semiquincentennial, it really became apparent to us that we needed to activate our own celebrations across our properties given their role on the national stage, and really given their rich history and their significance.
Katarina, at its core, how does Landmarks of Legacy connect destinations across the country while still honoring what makes each place distinct?
What makes Landmarks of Legacy so powerful is that it's both unified and deeply local. It connects destinations through a shared purpose, especially this year, telling America's story, but does so through the lens of each location's unique history, culture, and community. Each property has its own reason to celebrate, rooted in what makes it so special and so unique. So while the platform ties everything together as one national narrative like you can see on our portfolio webpage, LandmarksofLegacy.com, our intention is that the guest experience feels incredibly personal and specific to that location. And those property-specific offerings and events are then further detailed on each distinct property website.
So let's dig into the particulars then, Katarina. How are food, retail, tours, and activations helping guests feel an emotional connection once they arrive?
Heather, we think about every touchpoint in the guest journey as a storytelling opportunity, as true marketers. Whether it's a guided interpretive tour or legacy experience that's specific to that property, a special event or celebration, a locally inspired menu, or a retail that offers a commemorative keepsake, each of these elements is designed to deepen the guest's connection. The guests may hear a story from a local guide about the history of the area. They may taste ingredients that are tied to that local region, or they may take something home that reflects the spirit of the destination. It transforms that visit from being transactional to emotional and memorable. So while the historic storytelling is inherit to every single one of our destinations, the food and beverage and retail part of the initiative could not have been possible without the collaboration and expertise of our partners on our operational excellence team.
Their innovative work across many of our locations, guests can then enjoy core celebratory offerings like the All-American Hotdog Slider, red, white, and blue burgers, red, white, and blue blonde Sundaes. And in some cases they've added a regional twist and select destinations will also feature specialty takes on classic favorites like West Virginia Hot Dogs at Adventures on the Gorge, alongside themed cocktails and mocktails inspired by the spirit of America250. So from festive drinks to nostalgic sweet treats served in collectible souvenir mugs and glasses, these limited time offerings are designed to bring guests together through food, flavor, celebration, as well as many retail offerings commemorating America250, which guests can then take home with them to remember their time with us.
Sasha, the campaign embraces less planning, more discovery. Why is simplifying the guest journey so important to deeper exploration and meaning?
Katarina has touched on this, but really it's all about the traveler today. They want meaningful experiences. They don't want friction getting in the way. They want things to be seamless for them. So for us, when we say, "Less planning, more discovery," that's removing barriers so that guests can spend more time engaging with a place instead of navigating the place or navigating the vacation.
So that's everything from what Katarina talked about and spoke about in terms of how we're activating against Landmarks of Legacy on our properties, but there's also so much more around that beyond this campaign. Our business, we're focused, extremely focused on removing barriers and enhancing that guest experience and we talk about it all the time. We want a seamless, frictionless guest journey. That is the ideal for us. One of the ways we're really focused on enabling that beyond Landmarks of Legacy even is through investments in technology.
We are very excited about how we can advance our guest experience through these investments, and this will persist beyond Landmarks of Legacy, but is really important for us, and it's a key enabler. When we think about the guest experiences, we're really focused on how to curate those experiences. And this is everything from when they're even starting to dream about their vacation or their trip all the way through when they get on property, and then they have an integrated approach and they can develop an itinerary and programming so that those guests can really have that experience that they're looking for.
We're looking for ways in which we can tell the stories to the guests that they can understand the history, that they can have the experiences they're looking for all in a simple manner because we think... And when I think about the business that we operate and the places in which we operate, the place is what it's all about. So when guests can take that moment and experience place versus being on the run, so to speak, and really have that connection however they want it at that particular location, that's really what we're trying to manifest and that's the experience that guests are looking for when they visit the types of iconic locations that we operate.
So along, I guess, that theme of a frictionless experience of something simple creating more power, Katarina, how do you decide which experiences, whether that's merchandise, menus, tours, best tell a destination's story without overwhelming guests?
We're so fortunate that there's so many to choose from. This is really where the magic has to happen. Each of our landmarks has its own unique voice, history, and legacy, but through side-by-side collaboration with each of our property associates and our Landmarks of Legacy team, we work with them to identify those stories through what we're calling very intentional curation. We anchor everything in three pillars. Stewardship, these destinations were shaped by history and entrusted to our care. So we hold that responsibility very seriously because it means protecting what is irreplaceable. The stories, every landmark has a voice. Our expert guides and curated experiences are here to help our guests hear it. And then those experiences, from guided tours and commemorative events to culinary tributes, every visit offers a new way to make history tangible and personal and unforgettable.
And Sasha said it well, this has to be simple. It shouldn't be forced or overwhelming. It's not about offering more, it's about offering what matters most so that upon arrival, each guest has choices and options to make the most of their stay for a truly memorable guest experience.
So now I'm going to put both of you on the spot. So you have all of these pieces of Landmarks of Legacy. What is your particular favorite piece? Is there a particular piece of merch, a particular menu item that you just can't get enough of, Sasha?
I can go first. And I don't have it with me to show you, but I did use it this morning. So I have been a regular user of our America250 mug. I'm a coffee drinker and I love my mugs, and I love this particular mug, and I did happen to get an early view of it or early version of it. So that is-
Yes, the perks. I had to check it out and make sure it worked. But I think I got that back in February. So I am a very regular user of the mug and I love the mug. It makes me very happy to see it on my desk every day when I'm here at home. So that would be my item. I'm sure I can name some food items, but it's the mug. I use it regularly.
That is fair. Katarina, how about you?
Heather, it's like asking us to choose our favorite child. That is difficult. There's so many to choose from, but I guess it's all about the food sometimes. I love the patriotic nature of what our culinary teams have come up with, and it's not even just in the naming and the branding, but even in the colors. So when you come to visit us, you'll see red, white, and blue, different items that just make it much more fun and memorable. It's going to be a fun year, a fun summer, and definitely a fun year as we commemorate the semiquincentennial.
And Katarina, I was worried that she was going to ask us which was our favorite property. Thank goodness you didn't do that, Heather, because we cannot.
We cannot pick amongst our favorite children.
Katarina, across destinations, how do milestone anniversaries help balance preservation and innovation under the Landmarks of Legacy umbrella? We have quite a few milestones that we're celebrating this year. Can you share them?
We do. This year especially, milestone anniversaries are a powerful opportunity to do both. They allow us to celebrate and preserve what makes a place historically significant, but they also introduce new ways for guests to engage with that story. So this year, across our portfolio, we're recognizing key milestones from historic lodges and parks marking centennial moments to iconic structures tied to regional history and architecture. So I would love to share a few of them with you if I could.
While Mesa Verde National Park holds a 700-year-old UNESCO archeological site in Colorado, this year marks the 120th anniversary since its establishment as a national park. Lake Quinault Lodge, that beautiful lodge on the Olympic Peninsula, celebrates its 100th anniversary. The Ahwahnee, I mean, come on. Yosemite's crown jewel celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Beckie's Cafe in Union Creek, known for its world-famous Huckleberry Pie, celebrates its centennial and 100th anniversary. We didn't make these up, Heather. These are actually happening this year. It's amazing, right? The timing?
Mad River is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Mad River is one of Aramark Destinations' signature outdoor adventure experiences located in Wyoming and it offers guests a premier whitewater rafting destination. SpiritLine, which offers sightseeing boat tours, luxury dinner cruises, and private dining events on the Charleston Harbor, it celebrates its 35th anniversary. And then last but definitely not least, our Desert Princess on Lake Mead celebrates its 35th anniversary. It too offers cruises that are narrated to include educational information about Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam. So each one of these milestones becomes a reason for guests to visit or revisit and come back to see us, but with a fresh perspective.
How do Aramark's decades long partnerships with national parks and iconic sites make a campaign like Landmarks of Legacy possible, Sasha, especially during milestone years?
Our partnerships are foundational, and fun fact, Aramark operated at its first national park in 1972. So we have been partnering with the park service and operating in national parks for over 50 years. So we've been at it for quite a bit of time now. Across our portfolio and in varying durations where we've operated at different parks and different locations, we've built very deep relationships with both our clients but also with the communities in which we operate. And I think that's critical here. So we think about our national parks. When I use the term public lands, that could be US Forest Service, could be state parks, other types of public lands and locations, and a lot of iconic destinations. With this experience, we have both the credibility but also the responsibility, and Katarina mentioned it a couple questions ago around our responsibility of stewardship. So we are able to though with this credibility and with our responsibility, we can really focus in on the storytelling and the preservation.
We have spent years understanding with our partners, everything from the history of the particular location, maybe the significance of the architecture, which is very critical at a lot of these locations, very significant historic structures, the stewardship of the lands, the history of the lands. And again, like I mentioned, the communities. So I could say communities both within the particular location or park, but also the communities surrounding that, both past and present. So all of that is very critical. And we are able to understand all of that through our partners and through the other individuals with which we work side by side, frankly, at many of our locations.
So this is what really allows us to bring this to life in an authentic way. So we think of it as not as an overlay, it's really something embedded in the experience. We've really taken this opportunity for celebration. It's America's birthday, and we're bringing that forward under Landmarks of Legacy, but much of it was preexisting. We're just bringing it forward in a celebratory way this year because of the semiquincentennial. So again, it's something less we're adding it on and more something that we are building towards and we've been building towards. So we're just very excited to bring it out in the forefront.
So what do you hope guests remember most about experiencing destinations through Landmarks of Legacy?
Oh gosh, that's a tough question because each guest has their own, I'll use the word objective. I don't know that I use the term objective when I think about planning my own vacation, but their own outcome of what they're looking for, what they're trying to experience, what they're trying to feel, and what they're trying to get out of their own experience and their own vacation. So one is I want to meet the guest in a place that they're looking for, at what they're looking to accomplish or how they're trying to feel or what they're trying to experience on their vacation. So hopefully when they depart one of our locations, it's not just, "Oh, I had a great weekend," or, "I had a great week off." It's, "I was connected." There's something they're taking from that experience, some story, something about the place, some experience they had, a view they had, a hike they had, a hamburger they had.
It could be anything. But really something that connects them. So it's more than just, "I went on vacation." It's something that they will talk about in the future. They will tell kids about, they will tell grandkids about. So really we want to make sure we can provide that opportunity for our guests each time they visit us, anywhere they visit us, every time they visit us, we have a lot of repeat guests at a lot of our locations, and really create those memories. So that's really what we're looking for. And I think that's why we used this term legacy when we thought about it. It's not just preserving something, but it's passing something on. And so we view our ability to help guest experience that place as something like that legacy. That resonates with us, that term resonates with us.
If you'd like to know more about Aramark destinations and the Landmarks of Legacy, visit our newsroom on Aramark.com to access more information. Sasha and Katarina, it was a pleasure to have you on the podcast. Mark This! listeners, we are so glad, as always, that you could join us.
| |
|
|
|
|
