The Port of Vancouver USA has been awarded a top communications prize by the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). The port was notified in June that it was selected to receive the prestigious Award of Excellence, Best Overall Campaign for its centennial celebration efforts. The award will be presented to the port in October during AAPA’s annual convention in Mobile, Alabama.

The Port of Vancouver is celebrating its centennial in 2012, commemorating the establishment of the port on April 6, 1912. To highlight its history, the port created the award-winning communications campaign, which includes a centennial logo, promotional materials, traveling displays, and a special centennial website that presents information on the port’s first 100 years through short narratives and photographs. The port also published a commemorative book entitled, All Ahead Full, Port of Vancouver USA Marks 100 Years of Possibilities and Progress, written by local author and historian Ted Van Arsdol. To learn more about the port’s centennial, please visit http://www.portvanusa.com/centennial/.

“As our centennial year approached, we felt it was important to not just celebrate an anniversary, but to share our history and the role we’ve played in building our community,” Port of Vancouver Commission President Nancy Baker said. “Our goal was to talk about the jobs we’ve created and the economic development value we’ve brought to Southwest Washington over the past 100 years and how we plan to continue these efforts throughout our next century.”

The AAPA Communications Awards went to member ports that demonstrated excellence in port communications. There were a total of 15 entry classifications ranging from advertisements to video productions, and magazines and social media sites. The entries were judged by 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 the communication’s success.

The port’s centennial celebration has been chaired by Port Commission President Nancy Baker and executed by a team of port staff. The effort has also received support from a citizen advisory group, the Port of Vancouver Centennial Committee.

“This was really a team effort and a true testament to the amount of work that goes into such a campaign, from centennial committee meetings to staff involvement,” Baker said. “The award demonstrates that it’s not about who has the biggest budget; it’s about the amount of ambition and initiative it takes to tackle a campaign of this magnitude.”