Port of Grays Harbor earns third top port communications award for Westport’s Fresh Catch
Press Release:
September 29, 2021
Contact:
Kayla Dunlap, Director of Government and Public Affairs
kdunlap@portgrays.org or 360-533-9590
For Immediate Release
Aberdeen, WA. – The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has awarded the Port of Grays Harbor the 2021 Lighthouse Award for overall communications excellence for its Westport’s Fresh Catch community outreach entry at its 110th Annual Convention.
A collaborative effort between the City of Westport’s tourism-arm, Experience Westport, Catch Invest: Catch Together, Capture.Share.Repeat and the Westport Marina, Westport’s Fresh Catch was launched to connect local residents and the thousands of visitors to the South Beach area to the abundance of fresh, local seafood that comes across Westport’s docks every day.
To date, the public outreach initiative has included new signage on the Westport Marina Esplanade, a new webpage on Experiencewestport.com, a Facebook page, and three videos, with two more to come. While the project is still in its infancy and growing, benefits are already being realized by local fishermen and businesses, as well as happy consumers who are easily able to find fresh, local seafood.
“Westport’s Fresh Catch has been a great asset for our residents, visitors, local fishermen, and businesses alike,” said Commissioner Tom Quigg. “We applaud our staff and the many partners that have worked so hard on this effort over the last year or so. It is certainly rewarding to see the community benefit from the effort and we are honored and proud to be recognized along with all of our partners for this effort.”
“Westport’s Fresh Catch project has been a great addition to Westport’s communication and advertising campaign. It helps our local residents, fishing community, and visitors alike as it effectively communicates where to locate Westport’s top-notch, fresh seafood and teaches the world about what our community has to offer. We thank all of our partners for their hard work on this project, and we are excited to see where Westport’s Fresh Catch goes from here,” expressed City of Westport Mayor Rob Bearden.
The Port of Grays Harbor took home the prestigious, top award in the Category 1 division. The Ports of Everett and Vancouver USA shared the honor for Category 2 ports, and the Georgia Ports Authority was the overall winner amongst Category 3 ports. The three categories are based on the size of the port's public relations and marketing budget.
AAPA President and CEO Chris Conner and AAPA Chairman of the Board Mario Cordero present the Port of Grays Harbor with Lighthouse Award for excellence in communication at the 110th Annual Convention
Founded in 1911, the Port of Grays Harbor is one of Washington State’s oldest port districts and Washington’s only deep-water port located directly on the Pacific Ocean. The Port of Grays Harbor operates 4 deep-water marine terminals, the Westport Marina, Bowerman Airport, Grays Harbor ship assist services, numerous public waterfront access facilities, in addition to industrial and business parks throughout the County. Strategically located midway between Seattle and Portland and only 1 ½ hours from open sea, the Port of Grays Harbor provides businesses a diverse portfolio of facilities.
