5/22/03 - Anchorage wins '03 AAPA convention
NEWS RELEASE
Anchorage, Alaska - May 22, 2003
ANCHORAGE WINS AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PORT AUTHORITIES 2008 ANNUAL CONVENTION
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) convention sales team has landed the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) 2008 Annual Convention. The September 2008 seven-day conference will have an estimated economic impact of $878,729 with more than 600 participating delegates.
The AAPA is a returning conference to Anchorage. The 1992 Annual Conference brought 800 delegates with an estimated economic impact of $671,624.
"The 1992 conference was a resounding success due to the extraordinary location, pre and post tours and the unique Port of Anchorage. We expect record attendance in 2008. People are still talking about the Anchorage conference and how much they are looking forward to returning or coming for the first time," said Roger Graves, government/environmental affairs manager and former 1992 AAPA conference project manager.
The Port of Anchorage will be undergoing a $277 million renovation starting in 2003 with a projected six-year completion.
"The expansion will bring the Port of Anchorage into the next generation of the maritime world," said Graves. The port expansion will include a 1,200-foot dock to accommodate large cruise ships with access to fresh water, shore side power, pump tanks and supplies. Graves predicts the port expansion will be close to completion, if not completed, for the 2008 AAPA Annual Convention. Tours of the Port of Anchorage will be available to conference delegates.
The Port of Anchorage, member of the AAPA, serves 80% of Alaska's populated area from Homer to the North Slope by means of rail, road and air cargo connections, handling 90% of all consumer goods sold in the railbelt. In 1999, the port handled 11 million tons of freight, 43 percent of that was petroleum. Since opening for business in 1961, the Port of Anchorage has seen its annual tonnage increase by more than 7,900 percent and stands to double that capacity.
"Director of the Port of Anchorage, Governor Sheffield, has been instrumental in getting the AAPA 2008 Annual Convention to Anchorage," said Julie Dodds, ACVB convention sales manager. "Governor Sheffield has kept Anchorage in the forefront of the AAPA on a national level by attending all the meetings and showing them how Anchorage is a viable and memorable experience.
AAPA, the alliance of leading ports in the Western Hemisphere, protects and advances the common interests of its diverse members as they connect their communities with the global transportation system. The 66-member Board of Directors chooses annual convention sites five years in advance.
The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau's mission is to attract and serve visitors to the Municipality of Anchorage. ACVB's marketing functions are funded by half of the bed tax collected by hotels. The other half goes to the Municipality's general fund. ACVB receives no state or federal funds. For more information, see www.anchorage.net.
CONTACTS:
Erika Biringer, Public Relations Manager
(907) 257-2331
ebiringer@anchorage.net
Explore www.anchorage.net
Nance Larsen, Director of Communications
(907) 257-2310
nlarsen@anchorage.net
Explore www.anchorage.net
