American Association of Port Authorities

2020 AAPA Communications Awards

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), the unified and recognized voice of seaports in the Americas, notified 23 of its 130-member seaports throughout the Western Hemisphere that they’ve earned one or more awards for exemplary communications projects and programs as part of the trade association’s annual Communications Awards Program.

Sponsored by the AAPA Public Relations Committee, the annual Communications Awards Program has recognized excellence in port communications since 1966. For its 54th Annual Communications Awards Program, the Port of Cleveland earned four awards:

Flotsam & Jetsam

  • Award/Accolade: AAPA Communications Award of Distinction
  • Category: Video
  • Firm: shark&minnow
  • Client: Port of Cleveland

Great Lakes Forward

  • Award/Accolade: AAPA Communications Award of Distinction
  • Category:Audio-Only
  • Firm: shark&minnow
  • Client: Port of Cleveland

The North Coast Campaign

  • Award/Accolade: AAPA Communications Award of Distinction
  • Category:Advertisements
  • Firm: shark&minnow
  • Client: Port of Cleveland

Infrastructure Week 2019

  • Award/Accolade: AAPA Communications Award of Merit
  • Category: Special Events
  • Firm: shark&minnow
  • Client: Port of Cleveland

“The Communications Awards Program judges told us they were very impressed with the quality of this year’s winning entries, especially considering the extreme budget restrictions imposed on most ports by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Chris Connor, AAPA’s president and CEO. “This competition helps our member ports by rewarding strategic communications through peer-reviewed analyses of their programs and projects, and by showcasing best practices and lessons learned.”

He added: “When port authorities communicate strategically with their many audiences, including community residents, business leaders, policymakers, customers and other stakeholders, they’re better able to show their tremendous value as drivers of economic development, environmental enhancement and job creation.”

The 2020 AAPA Communications Awards Program utilized 37 professional public relations practitioners from the Washington, D.C. area who cumulatively spent more than 180 hours over two weeks judging the 14 classifications of entries, ranging from advertisements, periodicals, videos and websites, to social media and overall campaigns.

Based on the number of points awarded each entry by the judges, three of the 75 entries earned an Award of Overall Communications Excellence trophy, while 20 entries earned an Award of Excellence (similar to first place), 36 entries scored an Award of Distinction (similar to second place), and 12 entries netted an Award of Merit (similar to third place).

Founded in 1912 and recognized as the unified voice of seaports in the Americas, AAPA today represents 130 of the leading seaport authorities in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean and more than 200 sustaining and associate members, firms and individuals with an interest in seaports.
According to IHS Markit’s GTA Forecasting (previously known as World Trade Service), combined international sea trade moving through Western Hemisphere seaports in 2018 totaled nearly 4.2 billion metric tons in volume and US$3.7 trillion in value. Of that combined total, seaports in Central and South America handled 1.86 billion metric tons of cargo valued at US$1.17 trillion, while North American seaports handled 2.34 billion metric tons of goods, valued at US$2.53 trillion.  Within North America, U.S. seaports handled 1.01 billion metric tons of international trade valued at US$1.95 trillion, while Canada’s seaports handled 380.53 million metric tons of goods valued at US$266.67 billion, and Mexico’s seaports handled 352.53 million metric tons of cargo valued at US$312.91 billion. For more information, visit www.aapa-ports.org.

Read the AAPA Announcement
Read the AAPA Article