AAPA Seaports

What AAPA Seaports does

AAPA Seaports is the media and advocacy platform of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), a nonprofit trade association founded in 1912 and headquartered at 1201 Maryland Ave. SW, Suite 860, Washington, DC. It represents 300+ public port authorities and operators across the United States and Canada, serving as the unified industry voice on federal policy, infrastructure funding, sustainability, cybersecurity, workforce development, and digitization. Under the AAPA Seaports Media brand, it publishes Seaports Magazine (quarterly digital), a daily industry blog, the AAPA Advisory weekly newsletter, and operates iOS/Android mobile apps.

Its core offerings span three pillars: (1) advocacy — including the annual Legislative Summit that brought 200 attendees from 60 ports to 50+ Congressional meetings in 2026; (2) professional development — the PPM (Port Professional Manager) certification, the ACCELerate Apprenticeship national program, and career resources; and (3) convening — through three annual events (Annual Convention & Exposition in New Orleans, POWERS + Smart Ports Summit & Expo in Tampa, and the Legislative Summit). Sub-brands such as POWERS (Port Opportunities with Energy, Resilience, and Sustainability) and the Lighthouse Awards program anchor its role as the industry standard-setter.

AAPA's business model is membership-based, funded by port authority dues, event registration and sponsorships, advertising in Seaports Magazine (e.g., Burns & McDonnell, Roof Hugger LLC), sponsored content (e.g., Propane Education & Research Council), and certification/training fees. It does not disclose revenue, pricing, or member counts publicly. Recent strategic moves include the May 2026 appointment of Sang H. Yi as President & CEO, facilitation of the first nuclear-energy-in-maritime partnership (Port of Long Beach + MARAD, July 2026), international port-to-port alliance brokering (Belledune-Rotterdam, LA/Long Beach/Shanghai green corridor), and a federal infrastructure-investment advocacy push anchored by an ASCE 'B' grade for U.S. ports — the highest ever achieved.

Name

AAPA Seaports

Legal name

American Association of Port Authorities

Website

https://aapaseaports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AAPA Seaports is the media and advocacy arm of the American Association of Port Authorities, representing 300+ public port authorities across the U.S. and Canada through industry publications, annual conventions, professional certification, and federal legislative advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Port Industry Trade Association Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIALAF

Maritime & Port Authorities (Public Ports, Harbors, Ferries Terminals)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Transportation & Infrastructure Agencies (Roads, Transit, Public Works)

Keywords

• Port industry advocacy
• Trade association services
• Maritime industry events
• Industry publications
• Professional development training

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

AAPA Seaports is the media and services arm of the American Association of Port Authorities, delivering industry news through Seaports Magazine and digital newsletters (AAPA Seaports Industry Daily, Advisory, Air & Sea Cargo News), hosting industry gatherings such as the Annual Convention and Exposition and the POWERS + Smart Ports Summit, and providing advocacy, professional certification (PPM), and apprenticeship programs to port authorities and maritime industry stakeholders across the Western Hemisphere.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• POWERS Program: Port Opportunities with Energy, Resilience, and Sustainability Program focused on sustainability investments for ports
• Lighthouse Awards
• PPM (Port Professional Manager)
• ACCELerate Apprenticeship

Products and services

• Seaports Magazine Print and digital trade publication delivering news, analysis, and feature coverage of port authority operations, infrastructure investment, federal policy, and maritime commerce, serving port directors, terminal operators, and port industry suppliers across North America.
• AAPA Annual Convention and Exposition Annual in-person conference and trade exhibition serving as AAPA's flagship gathering for port executives, terminal operators, government officials, and maritime industry suppliers across the Western Hemisphere.
• POWERS + Smart Ports Summit & Expo Annual summit and exhibition focused on port decarbonization, sustainability, energy transition, and digital/smart-port technology for port authorities and their technology and energy partners.
• AAPA Legislative Summit Annual Washington, DC-based advocacy event enabling port executives to meet directly with U.S. federal legislators and agency officials to advance port infrastructure, funding, and regulatory priorities.
• AAPA Career Center Online career platform connecting port industry employers with professionals seeking port operations, logistics, engineering, and maritime careers across North America.
• Port Professional Manager (PPM) Certification Industry-recognized professional credential validating port management knowledge, offered to port authority and maritime industry professionals seeking career advancement in port administration.
• ACCELerate Apprenticeship Program National registered apprenticeship program designed to develop skilled talent pipelines for the port and maritime industry, offered to port authorities and their workforce development partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200 attendees from 60 ports participated in 2026 Legislative Summit with over 50 Congressional meetings
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Port of Long Beach and MARADcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2026
• Port of Belledune and Port of RotterdamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 May 2023
• Port of Belledune and Niedersachsen Ports (Wilhelmshaven, Germany)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2022
• Propane Education & Research CouncilminorGTM or Marketing Partner
• Naylor Association SolutionscoreOthers
• Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and ShanghaicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and Province of British ColumbiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Port of Belledune, First Nations Communities, and NB PowercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AAPA_Seaports
• Facebookfacebook.com/AAPASeaports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aapaseaports
• Instagraminstagram.com/aapaseaports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AAPA Seaports