2014 AAPA Public and Government Relations Workshop

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AAPA’s PR/GR Workshop in Toronto Focuses on Communications Results

AAPA President Kurt Nagle (right) presenting the host port plaque to Toronto Port Authority Harbour Master and Chief of Security Angus Armstrong during the AAPA Public and Government Relations Workshop.
Photo/AAPA

AAPA’s Public and Government Relations Workshop, hosted June 24-25 by the Toronto Port Authority, drew registrants from nine Canadian ports, 16 U.S. ports, the U.S. Maritime Administration and various port industry service providers.

Program presenters offered a host of great tips on everything from planning awareness-building campaigns and strengthening relationships with key port stakeholders, to developing buzz-worthy digital communications programs and creating proactive community and policymaker relationships by helping those outside the port industry realize "what’s in it for them" for supporting port programs and local/national policy recommendations.

Overall, the workshop attracted about 45 port and industry-related public relations and public affairs professionals, together with several port commissioners and two port CEOs. It culminated with a half-day exercise titled "Controlling the Narrative in Broadcast Media Interviews" that included an unrehearsed, on-stage broadcast media interview with one of the workshop participants, who volunteered to be interviewed on-camera after going through an extensive media messaging exercise with the media trainer and the audience. Although the workshop program ended just before noon on the second day, the broadcast media interview training continued well into the afternoon with individual one-on-one training exercises for several workshop participants who had requested personalized training in advance.

Individual presentations and handouts from the workshop are now available on the AAPA website, under "Presentations from Past Seminars," or by clicking here.