NEW ORLEANS – Videos aimed at marketing Port of New Orleans facilities to potential customers and helping community stakeholders relate to Port operations and economic benefits took top honors in the 50th American Association of Port Authorities 2016 Communications Awards Program. Overall, Port staff received 10 awards for work ranging from its quarterly magazine Port Record to programs recognizing the 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, advertising campaigns and community outreach efforts.
“When port authorities communicate strategically with their many audiences, including their communities, business leaders and policymakers, they’re better able to show their tremendous value as drivers of economic development, environmental enhancement and job creation,” said Kurt Nagle, AAPA’s President and CEO. “This competition helps our member ports by rewarding effective communication and highlighting best practices and lessons learned.”
Winning entries and ports will be recognized at an Oct. 26 awards luncheon in conjunction with AAPA’s 105th Annual Convention and Expo in New Orleans, which is hosted by the Port of New Orleans Oct. 23-26.
“The Port of New Orleans has a great story to tell, not only regarding its superior connections and opportunities for shippers, but of its people and worth to the communities we serve,” said Gary LaGrange, Port President and CEO. “We are very proud of the hard working staff which dedicates themselves to producing the materials to tell that story to help people understand the Port belongs to the region and all of Louisiana.”
AAPA’s awards program utilized 48 professional public relations specialists from the Washington, D.C. area, cumulatively spending 200 hours over three weeks judging entries.
Port of New Orleans winning entries included:
• “Your Port of New Orleans” – Community Engagement Video
Award of Excellence
Produced in conjunction with New Orleans-based Metric Creative
• “Our Connections Run Deep” – Container and Breakbulk Marketing Videos
Award of Excellence
Produced in conjunction with Baton Rouge-based JCW Productions
• Port Record Magazine – Periodicals
Award of Excellence
Published in conjunction with Metairie, LA-based Renaissance Publishing
• Officials Directory of the Port of New Orleans – Directories
Award of Distinction
Published in conjunction with Metairie, LA-based Renaissance Publishing
• 2016 French Quarter Festival – Special Events
Award of Distinction
• The Maritime Workforce Summit – Special Events
Award of Merit
• “K10: Hurricane Katrina Anniversary, A Partnership in Resilience” – Special Events
Award of Merit
Produced in conjunction with New Orleans-based Spears Group
• “Our Connections Run Deep” – Overall Campaign
Award of Merit
• “Making Big Look Easy” – Advertisement, Single
Award of Merit
• “We Choose Louisiana” Campaign – Video
Award of Merit
Produced in conjunction with New Orleans-based WWL-TV
The Port of New Orleans is a deep-draft multipurpose port at the center of the world’s busiest port system — Louisiana’s Lower Mississippi River. Connected to major inland markets and Canada via 14,500 miles of waterways, six class-1 railroads and the interstate highway system, the Port is the ideal gateway for steel, project cargo, containers, coffee, natural rubber, chemicals, forest products, manufactured goods and cruising, Port reps said.
An extensive network of ocean carrier services, along with added-value services like transloading of bulk into containers, make the Port of New Orleans the superior logistics solution for many types of cargo, Port reps said. To stay ahead of market demand, the Port has invested more than $100 million in capital-improvement projects since 2012 and has a Master Plan to expand the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal to an annual capacity of 1.5 million TEUs.
