MIA wins top award from ACI-NA for marketing and communications
Airport projects recognized among 350 entries across North America
On November 7, Miami International Airport received the 2017 Peggy G. Hereford Award during the Airports Council International–North America (ACI-NA) 2017 Excellence in Airport Marketing, Communications, and Customer Service Awards program, as the airport with the most awards from the contest’s 19 categories.
Out of nearly 350 entries from airports across North America, a panel of industry executives recognized MIA with four first place awards and two honorable mentions. Since its formation in 1990, the contest recognizes the quality of work, abundance of talent, and creativity within the marketing and communications field of the airport industry. MIA also won the top award in 2011, and has been a runner-up multiple times.
Communication, marketing, and customer service professionals play a leading role in telling the story of an airport within the community and to the broader aviation system. ACI-NA is pleased to recognize achievements of these professionals and their dedication to connecting with their passengers and communities in meaningful ways.
According to ACI-NA, the Peggy G. Hereford Award recognizes overall creativity in communicating the airport’s message, effectiveness in connecting with audiences, and the overall scope of the airport’s effort in marketing and public relations.
We are incredibly honored to once again be recognized among all airports in North America as a leader in marketing and communications. We take great pride in our engagement with MIA travelers and the local community, so it is deeply gratifying to receive the Peggy G. Hereford Award for the second time because of those efforts.
MIA earned first place in the following four categories:
- Customer Service Campaigns, for MIAmamas - the comprehensive first-of-its-kind initiative for nursing and pumping mothers that brought eight custom-branded nursing suites to MIA alongside an educational campaign for airport employees.
- Partnering with Concessionaires/Service Providers, for the Gateway to Rio campaign MIA initiated in partnership with Westfield Concession Management, leading up to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. The campaign’s Olympic-themed customer engagement activities and concession discounts created a fun, positive travel experience, highlighted MIA’s leading number of flights to Brazil among U.S. airports, and showcased MIA’s diverse dining and shopping options.
- Responsive Communications, for the positive media coverage gained for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department’s lobbying efforts that resulted in dozens of new TSA officers assigned to MIA, a dormant TSA checkpoint being reopened, and decreased checkpoint wait times as a result;
- Websites, for the launch of a sleek, easy-to-read News Room site that better showcased the airport’s press releases and marketing material, offered seamless integration for social media sharing and search engine optimization (SEO), and generated an exponential increase in online visitor traffic and engagement;
MIA’s honorable mention awards were in the following categories:
- Brand Identity, also for the MIAmamas program;
- Community Education and Outreach, for the installation of MIA’s Plane Fun children’s play area, which features six interactive exhibits designed in partnership with the Miami Children’s Museum that provide younger travelers with aviation-focused education and recreation during layovers.
To request materials in accessible format, Sign Language Interpreters, CART services and/or any accommodation to participate in any Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD) public meetings and events please email the ADA Office at ADAcoordinator@miami-airport.com or call the office in 305-876-7747 five days in advance to initiate your request. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may also call 711 (Florida Relay Service).