2021 State of the Port - "The Year of Recovery" - 2021 AAPA LIGHTHOUSE AWARDS - COMMUNICATIONS

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2021 State of the Port - "The Year of Recovery" - 2021 AAPA LIGHTHOUSE AWARDS - COMMUNICATIONS
2021 AAPA LIGHTHOUSE AWARDS – COMMUNICATIONS
      Classification #11: Special Events

     2021 State of the Port – “The Year of Recovery”

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications           Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   1
2021 State of the Port - "The Year of Recovery" - 2021 AAPA LIGHTHOUSE AWARDS - COMMUNICATIONS
2021 State of the Port –
“The Year of Recovery”

Summary

The Port of Long Beach’s status as a major economic engine for the region and
an international standard bearer for excellent service as well as sustainable
movement of cargo make the Port’s annual State of the Port a “must attend”
event for the regional maritime and business community, as all face the same
challenges of trade wars, competition and other developing issues. The usual
challenges of sharing information about Port achievements and future goals
with a large, diverse audience were greatly augmented for the 2021 event by the
restrictions demanded to meet COVID-19 protocols, specifically transitioning
from an in-person to a virtual presentation.

The State of the Port event, produced in video format this year by the Port’s
Communications and Community Relations Division, highlights the past year’s
accomplishments and milestones and sets the tone for the Port for the year
ahead to address those challenges, especially recovery from the lingering effects
of the COVID-19 pandemic. Comments by Long Beach Mayor Dr. Robert Garcia,
Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna, union officials and
others led into Executive Director Mario Cordero’s main State of the Port address,
focusing on the 2021 “A Year of Recovery” theme, the grand opening of a new
bridge and citing the extraordinary cooperation among all Port stakeholders
in response to the pandemic as an essential element of the Port’s record cargo
year in 2020. The Port’s creative team incorporated stunning videos, music,
photography and design – in addition to compelling speech-writing – to reinforce
key presentation points and maximize the impact of the event. On social media
and video platforms the program video garnered more than 7,000 views, post                                            The Port of Long Beach

media coverage was extensive, and the project was completed on time and
dramatically below the cost of the traditional, in-person event.

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2021 State of the Port - "The Year of Recovery" - 2021 AAPA LIGHTHOUSE AWARDS - COMMUNICATIONS
1         Communication Challenges and Opportunities

The Port of Long Beach is the Port of          is a “must attend” event for the regional   •   Continuing uninterrupted
Choice – the premier U.S. gateway for          maritime and business community,                operations through the Port, a
trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in       as all face the same challenges of              major economic engine, to keep
innovative goods movement, safety,             trade wars, competition and other               vital goods and supplies moving
environmental stewardship and                  developing issues.                              to their destinations during the
sustainability. As the second-busiest                                                          COVID-19 pandemic;
container seaport in the United States,        However, because COVID-19                   •   The safety of front-line Port
the Port handles trade valued at more          restrictions made it impossible to              workers during the pandemic;
than $170 billion annually and supports        gather the intended audience for an in-
                                                                                           •   The completion of ongoing Port
2.6 million trade-related jobs across the      person event, State of the Port needed
                                                                                               construction/infrastructure
nation, including more than 575,000 in         to be reimagined to reach the same
                                                                                               projects during the pandemic;
Southern California. The Port of Long          audience, but virtually.
Beach prides itself on its top-notch                                                       •   Continuing top-caliber customer
customer service and operational               In addition to ongoing considerations,          service while transitioning to
excellence, and in both 2019 and 2020          the COVID-19 pandemic introduced                telecommuting;
industry leaders named it “The Best            many jarring new challenges to              •   Supporting and maintaining close
West Coast Seaport in North America.”          international trade during 2020,                ties with the local community and
Founded in 1911 with a single municipal        extending into 2021. All these issues,          other local stakeholders during the
dock at the mouth of the Los Angeles           existing and developing, needed to be           pandemic.
River, today the Port encompasses              addressed at the event, including:
3,200 acres with 35 miles of
waterfront, 10 piers, 80 berths and 70         •   Declining cargo during the first half
gantry cranes. The five-member Long                of 2020;
Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners
                                               •   A cargo surge during the last half
is responsible for setting policy for the
                                                   of 2020 that elevated Port of Long
Port of Long Beach and managing the
                                                   Beach cargo to 8.1 million TEUs (20-
City’s Harbor Department.
                                                   foot equivalent units), resulting in
                                                   an all-time record year;
Under normal circumstances, The Port
of Long Beach’s annual State of the            •   Ongoing fallout from the trade war
Port, traditionally held in late January,          with China;

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications                                                                                         Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   3
2021 State of the Port - "The Year of Recovery" - 2021 AAPA LIGHTHOUSE AWARDS - COMMUNICATIONS
2         Complementing the Overall Mission

To accomplish the Harbor                       extensive educational outreach,            •   Strengthen the Port’s competitive        At the 2021 State of the Port,
Commission’s goal of providing open            community sponsorships, industry               position through secure and              identifying problems and solutions
channels of communication between              conferences and outreach to                    efficient movement of cargo while        related to the pandemic was aimed at
the Port and its various constituencies        customers, Port stakeholders and the           providing outstanding customer           reassuring all Port stakeholders that
– a goal shared by Port executive              local community at events such as the          service;                                 these Strategic Plan objectives are
management and staff – the Port                annual State of the Port Address. Due      •   Maintain financial strength and          unchanged during the pandemic, that
of Long Beach Communications                   to COVID-19 restrictions, all in-person        security of assets;                      business at the Port of Long Beach
and Community Relations Division               activities needed to be reimagined                                                      continues to operate and can even
                                                                                          •   Develop and maintain state-of-the-
implements a comprehensive annual              to achieve the same results, but in a                                                   thrive during a crisis, and that the
                                                                                              art infrastructure that enhances
campaign to reach all of its critical          virtual format.                                                                         Port is on track to make 2021 “A Year
                                                                                              productivity and efficiency in goods
target markets.                                                                                                                        of Recovery” as business operations
                                                                                              movement;
                                               The State of the Port is tailored to                                                    slowly return to something closer to
During the COVID-19 pandemic that              focus on sharing the Port’s efforts to     •   Improve the environment through          normal.
has had such a dramatic impact on not          meet the goals of its Strategic Plan,          sustainable practices and the
just the industry but everyday life, it is     and the speeches at the 2021 event             reduction of environmental               In addition, the event is designed to be a
critical to keep our core audience and         focused on how the Port is meeting             impacts from Port operations and         bellwether for the Communications and
the general public informed about our          the six goals set by the Board of Harbor       development;                             Community Relations Division to follow
crucial sector of the economy.                 Commissioners in the most recent           •   Broaden community access to Port-        in speeches, appearances and events
                                               version of the Strategic Plan, updated         related opportunities and economic       during the remainder of the year.
This annual campaign includes                  and released in April 2019:                    benefits;
advertising and publicity in traditional,
                                                                                          •   Attract, develop and retain a diverse,
web-based and social media, plus
                                                                                              high-performing workforce.

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications                                                                                                                                  Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   4
2021 State of the Port - "The Year of Recovery" - 2021 AAPA LIGHTHOUSE AWARDS - COMMUNICATIONS
3        Planning and Programming Components

Goals of the 2021 State of                     •   Demonstrate that the Port is an
the Port                                           important sector of the local,
                                                   regional and national economy,
•   Reinforce the message that the
                                                   and that port workers are essential
    Port is open, operating and thriving
                                                   workers who should be prioritized
    despite the COVID-19 pandemic and
                                                   to receive vaccinations and the
    other trade disruptions, continuing
                                                   equipment they need to work
    to move vital goods to market
                                                   safely. Also advocate for additional
    during a record year, completing
                                                   government funding for the
    a decade-long infrastructure
                                                   maritime sector to assure business
    improvement program, and
                                                   continuity and future growth.
    preparing for a “Year of Recovery”;
•   Promote to the business                    Objectives
    community at large that, despite
                                               •   Reach a large viewership, especially
    the challenges of 2020, the Port
                                                   the Port’s core business audience,
    continues to provide operational
                                                   despite the fact that an annual
    excellence, top-notch customer
                                                   “must attend” event would have to
    service, and long-term vision
                                                   be conducted entirely online;
    and leadership for the maritime
    industry;                                  •   Craft a video that would appeal to
                                                   the Port’s various target audiences,
•   Thank the Port’s stakeholders
                                                   including the officials who would
    and front-line workers for their
                                                   normally be present to network
    extraordinary efforts in keeping
                                                   with audience members at an in-
    cargo moving and completing
                                                   person event;
    construction projects during a time
    of extreme risk and uncertainty,           •   Make the video available on as
    emphasizing those collaborations               many platforms as possible to
    as key to the Port’s continued                 ensure both a wide viewership
                                                                                                                         Construction of the final
    success;                                       and also minimize the possibility                                    phase of the Port’s Middle
                                                                                                                          Harbor Redevelopment
                                                                                                                         Project continued during
                                                                                                                                    the pandemic

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2021 State of the Port - "The Year of Recovery" - 2021 AAPA LIGHTHOUSE AWARDS - COMMUNICATIONS
of the technical glitches that can         Target Audiences
    often negatively impact live online
                                               •   Elected and appointed officials;
    events;
                                               •   Current and potential Port clients;
•   Incorporate stunning video of the
    Port, music, photography and               •   Companies that service the Port;
    design – in addition to speakers’          •   Government agencies;
    appearances and compelling
                                               •   Environmental watchdogs and
    speech-writing – to reinforce key
                                                   other Port stakeholders;
    presentation points and maximize
    the impact of the video;                   •   Safety and security agencies;

•   Maximize the use of web-based and          •   Long Beach residents and
    social media to both promote and               community organizations;
    distribute the event;                      •   Educators, students and future
•   Make the 2021 State of the Port                employees;
    video available for viewing after the      •   Members of the news media.
    day of its premiere;
•   Produce the 2021 State of the
    Port within a budget of $50,000,
    considerably less than the budget
    of $175,000 for the 2020 in-person
    event;
•   Evaluate the success of the event
    based on social media responses,
    analytics and traditional media
    coverage.

                                                                                                                          Despite a sluggish first
                                                                                                                            half of the year, 2020
                                                                                                                         became a record year for
                                                                                                                          cargo movement at the
                                                                                                                              Port of Long Beach

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications                                             Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events     6
2021 State of the Port - "The Year of Recovery" - 2021 AAPA LIGHTHOUSE AWARDS - COMMUNICATIONS
4        Actions Taken and Communication Outputs Used

Overview                                       •   Acknowledgment of the dedication
Each year, the State of the Port event             of front-line workers to keeping
is closely watched by civic leaders and            cargo moving during the pandemic;
maritime industry leaders regionally,          •   Marking a record year of cargo
across the nation and worldwide.                   movement and;
The Port of Long Beach’s status as
                                               •   Looking forward to 2021 as “A Year
a major economic engine for the
                                                   of Recovery.”
region and nation, its reputation for
operational excellence and as a leader
                                               The usual challenges of sharing
in sustainable development make the
                                               information about industry crises,
event a “must attend” for the regional
                                               Port achievements and future goals
maritime and business community. A
                                               with a large, diverse audience were
simultaneous webcast has always been
                                               augmented by the restrictions
available for those who cannot attend
                                               demanded to meet COVID-19
in person, and the archived video is
                                               protocols, specifically transitioning
available for future or repeat viewing
                                               from an in-person to a virtual
on the Port’s website.
                                               presentation.

State of the Port highlights the
past year’s accomplishments and
                                               Scheduling and Format
                                               Deciding how best to present the
milestones and sets the tone for the
                                               2021 State of the Port was a complex
Port for the year ahead. It is also
                                               question that led to much discussion
traditionally a launch pad for Port
                                               in the Port’s Communications Division.
announcements, this year including:
                                               Several approaches were considered,
                                               including a live “WebEx”-type event.
•   Celebrating the accomplishment             The final decision was to produce
    of construction milestones such as         a high-quality video presentation,
    the opening of the replacement for         featuring dynamic footage and                                           Opening the replacement
    the Gerald Desmond Bridge;                                                                                           of the Gerald Desmond
                                               graphics, and release it to the public                                        Bridge was a major
                                                                                                                          Port accomplishment
                                                                                                                          celebrated in the 2021
                                                                                                                                State of the Port

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications                                            Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events     7
2021 State of the Port - "The Year of Recovery" - 2021 AAPA LIGHTHOUSE AWARDS - COMMUNICATIONS
on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. The video           1:31 – Union Representatives                 4:44 – Executive Director Mario           •   What would it take to keep the
was posted at the advertised time of           Brief video comments from members            Cordero, Port of Long Beach State             Port operating safely – changing
9 a.m. on the Port’s website (using            and officials of the various unions that     of the Port Address                           operating hours and practices
the Vimeo platform), on social media           work at the Port, outlining challenges       Filmed at an active Port terminal, with       inside the terminals, shifting to
(Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) and             that they faced during 2020 and their        operations visible and occasionally           telecommuting, etc.
on YouTube. It was decided that this           hopes for a better 2021.                     audible during the presentation, the      •   How the Port coped with a surge in
approach would look the best, reach                                                         20-minute address includes:                   cargo that began during late spring
the largest possible audience, and             2:30 – President Frank Colonna,              •   A moment of silence for maritime          2020 and is still continuing
avoid some of the potential technical          Long Beach Board of Harbor                       workers who lost their lives to       •   Welcoming new ships and services
pitfalls and lower video quality that          Commissioners                                    COVID-19
many on our team had experienced               Thank you to essential Port workers for                                                •   Ongoing construction. In crisis,
                                                                                            •   A call to vaccinate front-line            we build – the Port continued
during other virtual meetings and              keeping cargo moving and discussion
                                                                                                logistics workers immediately             construction projects, including
events – both as participants and              about Port’s decision to remain open
viewers – necessitated by the COVID-19         and operating during the pandemic.           •   A look back at the beginning of           the Gerald Desmond Bridge
pandemic.                                                                                       2020, when ports faced uncertainty        Replacement Project, a new
                                               3:46 – Video Highlights of 2020                  because of the U.S.-China trade war       fireboat station, rail expansion
Video and Presentations                        As is traditional at the Port’s live State       and the beginnings of the effect of       and the final phase of Long Beach
State of the Port 2021 – Speakers and          of the Port event, a highlight of the            the pandemic on the supply chain          Container Terminal. The bridge is
Running Order                                  2021 virtual event is a dynamic video        •   Highlights from a challenging year        now a landmark on the Southern
https://www.polb.com/stateoftheport            segment featuring aerial and drone                                                         California skyline.
                                                                                                -   Hard work of Port staff
and https://vimeo.com/508230311                footage of vessels, terminals and                                                      •   Building a zero-emissions future
                                               Port operations. This year’s segment,            -   Establishing a COVID testing
                                                                                                                                          ¬– The Port of Long Beach is also
0:00 – Dr. Robert Garcia, Mayor,               culminating in aerial footage of the                 site in the Port
                                                                                                                                          continuing its commitment to
City of Long Beach                             Port’s recently opened “Bridge to                -   Opening the new “Bridge to            being The Green Port, testing new
Welcome and discussion about                   Everywhere,” was set to “America” from               Everywhere”                           zero-emissions cargo handling
challenges facing the City during              West Side Story, music selected by Port                                                    equipment and aiming for a goal of
                                                                                                -   Launching a new brand and
COVID-19, why this is a virtual                Executive Director Mario Cordero as                                                        zero-emissions cargo handling by
                                                                                                    website
event, praise for the Port and                 having personal meaning to him.                                                            2030 and a zero-emissions drayage
Commissioners for their work during                                                             -   Moving more containers than
                                                                                                                                          fleet by 2035.
the pandemic and brief 2020                                                                         ever during a record year
                                                                                                                                      •   Working with a new presidential
Port highlights.
                                                                                                                                          administration – a vision for

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications                                                                                                                                  Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   8
2021 State of the Port - "The Year of Recovery" - 2021 AAPA LIGHTHOUSE AWARDS - COMMUNICATIONS
State of the Port 2021 –
                                                                             Speakers and
                                                                             Running Order
                                                                             Video Clips
                                                                             https://www.polb.
                                                                             com/stateoftheport
                                                                             https://vimeo.
                                                                             com/508230311

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications   Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   9
2021 State of the Port - "The Year of Recovery" - 2021 AAPA LIGHTHOUSE AWARDS - COMMUNICATIONS
State of the Port 2021 –
                                                                             Speakers and
                                                                             Running Order
                                                                             Video Clips
                                                                             https://www.polb.
                                                                             com/stateoftheport
                                                                             https://vimeo.
                                                                             com/508230311

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications   Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   10
State of the Port 2021 –
                                                                             Speakers and
                                                                             Running Order
                                                                             Video Clips
                                                                             https://www.polb.
                                                                             com/stateoftheport
                                                                             https://vimeo.
                                                                             com/508230311

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications   Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   11
State of the Port 2021 –
                                                                             Speakers and
                                                                             Running Order
                                                                             Video Clips
                                                                             https://www.polb.
                                                                             com/stateoftheport
                                                                             https://vimeo.
                                                                             com/508230311

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications   Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   12
State of the Port 2021 –
                                                                             Speakers and
                                                                             Running Order
                                                                             Video Clips
                                                                             https://www.polb.
                                                                             com/stateoftheport
                                                                             https://vimeo.
                                                                             com/508230311

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications   Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   13
State of the Port 2021 –
                                                                             Speakers and
                                                                             Running Order
                                                                             Video Clips
                                                                             https://www.polb.
                                                                             com/stateoftheport
                                                                             https://vimeo.
                                                                             com/508230311

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications   Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   14
State of the Port 2021 –
                                                                             Speakers and
                                                                             Running Order
                                                                             Video Clips
                                                                             https://www.polb.
                                                                             com/stateoftheport
                                                                             https://vimeo.
                                                                             com/508230311

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications   Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   15
State of the Port 2021 –
                                                                             Speakers and
                                                                             Running Order
                                                                             Video Clips
                                                                             https://www.polb.
                                                                             com/stateoftheport
                                                                             https://vimeo.
                                                                             com/508230311

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications   Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   16
State of the Port 2021 –
                                                                             Speakers and
                                                                             Running Order
                                                                             Video Clips
                                                                             https://www.polb.
                                                                             com/stateoftheport
                                                                             https://vimeo.
                                                                             com/508230311

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications   Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   17
State of the Port 2021 –
                                                                             Speakers and
                                                                             Running Order
                                                                             Video Clips
                                                                             https://www.polb.
                                                                             com/stateoftheport
                                                                             https://vimeo.
                                                                             com/508230311

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications   Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   18
State of the Port 2021 –
                                                                             Speakers and
                                                                             Running Order
                                                                             Video Clips
                                                                             https://www.polb.
                                                                             com/stateoftheport
                                                                             https://vimeo.
                                                                             com/508230311

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications   Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   19
State of the Port 2021 –
                                                                             Speakers and
                                                                             Running Order
                                                                             Video Clips
                                                                             https://www.polb.
                                                                             com/stateoftheport
                                                                             https://vimeo.
                                                                             com/508230311

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications   Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   20
State of the Port 2021 –
                                                                             Speakers and
                                                                             Running Order
                                                                             Video Clips
                                                                             https://www.polb.
                                                                             com/stateoftheport
                                                                             https://vimeo.
                                                                             com/508230311

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications   Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   21
reassessing the nation’s trade and         PowerPoint presentation featuring         Cordero and ancillary speeches for         produce charts and other graphics; this
    logistics policies                         photos and graphics highlighting          Mayor Robert Garcia and members            year the collaboration was especially
                                               the key points of the speech. This        of the Harbor Commission, were             close as the pre-recorded nature of the
24:44 – Long Beach Board of Harbor             year’s video “virtual” address allowed    developed in-house by the Port’s           address made split-second timing of
Commissioners                                  graphics, video and photography to        Communications and Community               photos, video and graphics possible.
The five members of the Long Beach             be completely integrated into the         Relations Division with input from         Also, the need for memorable images
Board of Harbor Commissioners,                 address, a necessity to hold viewers’     the speakers and assistance from a         was increased to avoid long periods of
appointed to the Commission by the             attention and also a more effective       Port contract writer. Writing began        “talking heads” in the video.
Mayor and confirmed by the Long                way to punctuate the key points of        in November 2020, wrapping up as
Beach City Council, comment on                 the speech. The Communications and        soon as year-end cargo figures became      Finally, filming sessions were
various highlights of 2020 including:          Community Relations team will utilize     available in mid-January 2021.             scheduled with Mayor Garcia, Harbor
•   Capital improvements                       these visuals for other purposes during                                              Commission President Colonna and
                                               the coming year; however, this year,      The stunning photography that              the other four members of the board,
•   Commitment to equity and
                                               a separate PowerPoint presentation        accompanies the State of the Port          and Executive Director Cordero. This
    inclusion
                                               with these elements is not available      address is accumulated throughout          filming was conducted at the Port
•   Education outreach and workforce           for viewing as it normally would be       the year to support various                Administration Building (inside and
    development                                following a live event.                   Communications projects; in addition,      around the downtown Long Beach
•   Partnering with labor and other                                                      drone and aerial video footage is          Civic Center Plaza) and on location at
    stakeholders to distribute medical         Event Production and                      produced throughout the year, some         terminals inside the Port. The crews
    supplies during COVID                      Timeline                                  especially for the address and some        and speakers adhered to all social
                                               The Port of Long Beach                    in conjunction with other projects.        distancing and safety guidelines,
•   Community sponsorships for
    nonprofits                                 Communications and Communications Images are produced by several                     keeping the number of personnel
                                               team developed a streamlined plan         longtime contract photographers,           involved to a minimum.
                                               for this year’s State of the Port event – and the aerial and drone footage by
26:00 – Executive Director Cordero
                                               several different virtual formats were    longtime contractor Media 360. The         Editing was completed by Media
A look ahead to 2021 as “A Year of
                                               considered before the team settled on     budget for these photo/video shoots        360 with direction from the Port
Recovery.”
                                               a recorded video presentation.            is usually covered as part of individual   Communications and Community
                                               The Communications team created a         events throughout the year.                Relations team.
Visual Presentation
                                               timed event outline and running order, The Communications Division’s
During our live State of the Port events,                                                graphics team always works closely
                                               and all speeches, including the main
the address is usually coupled with a                                                    with speech writers and Media 360 to
                                               address for Executive Director Mario

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications                                                                                                                                 Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   22
Collateral and Media                           Social media
Coverage                                       Before, during and after
Invitations                                    announcements, reports and event
Once the format of a video-only                videos were posted on social media
presentation was agreed upon,                  including Facebook, Instagram,
the Port designed and distributed              Twitter, LinkedIn, Vimeo and YouTube.
online invitations to the targeted             The social media campaign for the
stakeholders normally invited to               State of the Port event ran from Jan.
the live event. In addition, this year         20 to Feb. 20. The promotion for State
the invitation was distributed to the          of the Port was different this year
much larger group of subscribers               because there was not an in-person
to the Port’s news releases and                event. Promotion was directed toward
community newsletters, since space             encouraging people to watch the
accommodation at a live venue                  pre-recorded program on its release
was not a consideration. No RSVPs              the morning of Feb. 4, but it also
were solicited for the same reason;            reminded them that the program
the invitations simply served as               would be available to watch any time
reminders to log on for the virtual            after it was posted. Twitter, Facebook,
event on Feb. 4 at 9 a.m. An initial           Instagram and LinkedIn were the
news release announcement was sent             main platforms used to promote this
to approximately 11,000 people on              event. For this year’s virtual event all
Jan. 20, along with an announcement            platforms were used to reach as many
in the Port’s YourPORT Community               people as possible; both business and
Newsletter to approximately 4,800              community audiences were targeted to
recipients on the same date. Reminders         promote the “Year of Recovery” theme.
were sent on Feb. 1 and the morning of
Feb. 4 when the video went live.               Pre-event promotion on Facebook
                                               consisted of five posts including
                                               photos, a promo video and links. On

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications                                              Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   23
the day of the event, the program              Personnel/Cost
was posted natively to Facebook and            The Communications and Community
to IGTV on Instagram. A preview was            Relations team spent approximately
also posted to the Instagram grid and          500 hours planning and executing the
was shown in the feed. Afterward,              2021 State of the Port, with most of the
three posts including photos and a             team being involved at some point.
link to the full video were placed on          The in-house creative team provided
all four platforms to further promote          direction for all content production,
the program and give it a longer life.         including both by in-house personnel
On social media the program video              and contractors. In addition to staff
garnered more than 2,000 views. Over           time, the overall cost for the video/
the life of the campaign nearly 31,000         virtual event was approximately
people were reached via social media.          $11,000, mostly for contract writing
                                               services and the filming of the actual
News Media                                     speeches. Costs for aerial and drone
A news release was distributed on              footage and photography were
Jan. 20 (see invitations, above) to            included in separate events throughout
stakeholders, media outlets and                the year.
subscribers to Port information inviting
them to watch the video on Feb. 4.

In addition, a news release recapping
the video and the achievements
highlighted in the State of the
Port address was distributed to
approximately 6,000 recipients,
including news media, on Feb. 4, the
day the video went live. This release
directed readers to watch the video,
which has continued to be available
since the day of its release.

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications                                              Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   24
5        Communications Outcomes and Evaluation Methods

Although the “social” aspects of the           Event Statistics                               YouTube and 588 impressions
annual State of the Port gathering                                                            on Vimeo (this reflects the
                                               •   The virtual 2021 State of the Port
were a definite loss for participants                                                         number of times the video was
                                                   event was produced on time and
who take advantage of the occasion to                                                         loaded, embedded on the polb.
                                                   well under its $50,000 budget,
reconnect with colleagues and catch                                                           com website; a technical glitch
                                                   attracting similar viewership to the
up, most elements of the State of the                                                         prevented a fully accurate tally
                                                   Port’s traditional live event.
Port video were well received. The part                                                       of views, but this is a reliable
the Port and Port stakeholders are             •   11,050 recipients were emailed the         approximation). This is compared
playing in combating the COVID-19                  news release/announcement of the           to about 340 live views and 600
pandemic was well defined. The                     2021 State of the Port video/event,        archived views of the event in
videos, with dramatic drone and aerial             with two follow-ups, including the         2020 (which had an in-person
footage and using the familiar West Side           morning the video was released.            attendance of 750).
Story musical accompaniment, were              •   4,835 recipients were emailed          •   Traditional and trade media,
especially powerful and well received.             the Port’s YourPORT Community              including print and broadcast,
Stellar photography clearly showed                 Newsletter with the same                   reached local, national and
infrastructure construction progress               announcement.                              audiences of more than 1 million
and innovations made by the various                                                           people, with major coverage by
                                               •   6,640 recipients were emailed the
terminals and the roles the Port plays                                                        Bloomberg and CBS.
                                                   follow-up news release on the State
throughout the local community. In
                                                   of the Port address.                •      With interest running high in
addition, graphics clearly explained the
                                               •   Nearly 31,000 people were reached          the ports of Southern California,
issues being presented in the State of
                                                   via social media during the State of       coverage was very strong in the
the Port Address.
                                                   the Port campaign, from Jan. 20 to         trades and in local general media,
                                                   Feb. 20.                                   which had been following the
Since the State of the Port event,
                                                                                              ongoing stories of the surge in
portions of the speeches, along with           •   On social media (Instagram,
                                                                                              cargo volume and the explosive rise
videos, graphics and photographs,                  Facebook, Twitter) the State of the
                                                                                              in COVID-19 cases during the winter
have been repurposed for other                     Port video garnered over 2,000
                                                                                              of 2020-21.
presentations, advertising campaigns               views.
and other uses through mid-2021 and            •   From the day of release to the
will remain valuable resources in the              beginning of April 2021, the video
months ahead.                                      has received 4,970 views on

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications                                                                                        Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   25
Comments

                     “I’m incredibly proud of the way the Port Communications           “Great job. Visuals were especially beautiful.”
                     team – staff and contractors – pulled together during a very       - Art Wong, freelance writer, former Assistant Director,
                     difficult time to produce a really incredible and effective           Communications and Community Relations,
                     virtual version of our annual State of the Port. Job well done!”      Port of Long Beach
                     - Kerry Gerot, Director of Communications
                        and Community Relations, Port of Long Beach                     “Excellent presentation. Thank you.”
                                                                                        - Jim DeMask, WZI Worldwide
                     “The State of the Port was brilliant! Really beautifully
                     rendered and positioned. Production values were awesome            “Just watched it. WOW! Great Job!!!”
                     and the narrative was spot on. Every spokesperson rose to          - Matthew Arms, Director of Environmental Planning,
                     the occasion. Congratulations to all and my respect and               Port of Long Beach
                     regards to my friend Mario for a job well done during really
                     tough times.”                                                      “Congratulations on a terrific State of the Port video!
                     - Linda H. DiMario, Economic Development Consultant,               Outstanding. I love the new brand and how you used the
                        Greater Irvine Chamber                                          container throughout the video.”
                                                                                        - Michele Grubbs, Vice President, Pacific Merchant
                     “Just want to thank you all for a job well done for an               Shipping Association
                     amazing State of the Port video. From promotion, marketing
                     script, visuals, and to final video – All came together very       “WOWZA!!! That was outstanding. We’re all having to move
                     well. Visuals were especially beautiful. Yay to us!”               to virtual meetings and events during the pandemic, and
                     - Jen Choi, Manager of Creative Arts and Design,                   the production value for many of them is pretty terrible,
                        Community and Community Relations Division,                     with bad sound and worse video. Congratulations to all for
                        Port of Long Beach                                              a really excellent production. State of the Port 2021 rocked!”
                                                                                        - Lovetta Kramer, Kramer Communications

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications                                                                                    Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events   26
Links
Video – 2021 State of the Port
https://www.polb.com/stateoftheport
or https://vimeo.com/508230311

Video – 2020 Highlights (West Side Story
– “America”)
https://youtu.be/9r0WL5tfbiY?t=226

Script – 2021 State of the Port
https://drive.google.com/file/
d/1ygjzxA-pajIq5hcyHZxuqDp-
lDbeoU0R/view?usp=sharing

Follow the Port of Long Beach:

                                                                              The Port of Long Beach’s
                                                                           new “Bridge to Everywhere,”
                                                                              opened in October 2020,
                                                                                  towers over the span
                                                                                it replaced, the Gerald
                                                                                      Desmond Bridge

2021 AAPA Lighthouse Awards – Communications   Port of Long Beach - Classification #11: Special Events    27
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