American Association of Port Authorities recognizes excellence in community, marketing, multimedia work

VANCOUVER, Wash. – The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has recognized the Port of Vancouver USA with six 2017 Communications Competition awards for exemplary work in community outreach and education, marketing and multimedia.

The port earned Awards of Excellence for its 2017 Lecture Series and Terminal 1 Waterfront Master Plan; Awards of Distinction for its 2016 Christmas Ships event, Terminal 5 Statement of Interest and “Happy” video, and; an Award of Merit for “1 Great Region, 3 Great Ports,” a joint marketing and government affairs initiative with the ports of Camas-Washougal and Ridgefield.

“These awards recognize best practices and effectiveness in communications,” said CEO Julianna Marler. “International ports are complex organizations with many stakeholders. It can be challenging to reach everyone, but we’re making great strides with proactive and creative communications that help us engage with neighbors, community partners, tenants and future customers.

“I’m very proud of our staff’s hard work and honored by AAPA’s recognition of the quality of our communications program,” Marler said.

The judges’ comments included praise for the port’s strategic planning and analysis, diverse use of media and attractive marketing materials.

The 2017 Lecture Series was “very well planned and measured,” said judge John Scally. “I was impressed by the planning and the use of social media in promoting the events. I like the use of experts and thought leaders. The content looked very engaging.”

Judge Judy Phair said the Terminal 5 Statement of Interest was a “nicely planned and executed campaign designed to meet a specific goal in a short time frame. (It had a) nice mix of social, digital (and) traditional media, (and) very extensive and well-defined metrics for evaluation.”

“The waterfront pull-up banner is absolutely gorgeous,” said judge Pam Shepherd in her comments about the port’s Terminal 1 Waterfront Master Plan. “The photography is sharp and the design is crisp and eye-catching.”

The port will accept its awards at AAPA’s 106th Annual Convention and Expo in Long Beach, California, in October.

About AAPA’s awards program
AAPA’s annual Communications Awards Program has recognized excellence in port communications since 1966, with 15 entry classifications ranging from education programs and advertisements to videos and social media.

Entries are judged by an independent panel of experienced communications professionals on situation analysis and research; identification of audience, goals, objectives, strategies and tactics; quality/clarity of content and style; skillful use of copy, photography, design, layout and graphics; and evaluation methods used to determine communication success.

– POV –

The Port of Vancouver USA is one of the major ports on the Pacific Coast, and its competitive strengths include available land, versatile cargo handling capabilities, vast transportation networks, a skilled labor force and an exceptional level of service to its customers and community. For more information, please visit us at www.portvanusa.com.