Oregon Consular Corps

Celebrate Trade Business Awards Info

Celebrate Trade Awards Info

Celebrate Trade Awards 2024
Information for Applicants and Nominators

The Oregon Consular Corps promotes activities that support international trade, business, exchange, and education. Each year the Oregon Consular Corps, in cooperation with its sister organization the Oregon Consular Corps Scholarship Fund, organizes the Celebrate Trade gala which raises funds to support scholarships at five Oregon universities. 

The Oregon Consular Corps is joined by the Port of Portland, the City of Portland, the State of Oregon, and key representatives from SW Washington, along with associates in the regional trade and business community, to host Celebrate Trade. 

Celebrate Trade honors student scholars and trade-sector companies that have made significant contributions to the region’s economic vitality and quality of life. The Oregon Consular Corps also selects an additional organization or individual for special distinction. Attendance is generally around 400 members of the community who come together for an evening of fun and entertainment.  

 We will gather in person on Thursday, May 15, 2025 in the elegant Kridel Ballroom at the Portland Art Museum. Learn more about last year’s event here .

 Business Awards

The Oregon Consular Corps prioritizes recognition of businesses leveraging the strengths of the region’s trade-based economy and expanding their markets around the globe.

 Consider these recent statistics provided by the US Commercial Service and the Global Business Alliance:

  • International trade supports more than half a million regional jobs.

  • The value of goods and services produced and exported from Oregon reached $29.6 billion in 2021. Imports were $22.7 billion, thus a trade surplus. 

  • More than 710 international employers have operations in Oregon. 

  • Oregon trades with nearly 150 countries around the world.

  • Around 90% of exporters are small and medium businesses.

  • More than 6,000 Oregon and SW Washington businesses are engaged in international trade. Celebrate Trade honors several of them, shining the spotlight on their successes and inspiring other companies that may have global ambitions.

 Our most recent recipients (2023) include the following extraordinary organizations:

 Please click here for a full list of the past recipients

 Potential awards and methodology to select the 2024 awardees

 Geographic scope

Awardees are selected from companies operating in Oregon and SW Washington.

 Number of awards

There are typically four business awards each year. A specific type of award may be awarded to more than one recipient each year.

 Business Awards Selection Committee

Several organizations work with members of OCC to select the recipients. Joining the Oregon Consular Corps in past selection committees were representatives from Nike, the Port of Portland, Business Oregon, the City of Portland/Prosper Portland, Columbia River Economic Development Council, Greater Portland Inc, K&L Gates, Miller Nash, NIKE, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Travel Oregon, Travel Portland, U.S. Commercial Service, and WorldOregon. Final participation in 2024 may vary based on availability of the representatives and our sponsors. 

 Methodology

While the size of a company is not a definitive factor, we still tend to select recipients with proven results and tangible achievements in the international trade arena. We are more interested in the quality of the applicant than in rigidly adhering to the criteria of our awards.  Applicants should provide enough concrete information to allow a reasonable assessment. Applicants whose results are not public should still provide enough quantitative information to gauge the performance in relative terms. 

Application versus Nomination

Companies and/or organizations are welcome to apply for business awards. While some applicants prefer to be nominated by members of the selection committee, this is not a requirement and does not influence the selection process.

Award Categories

We focus on several areas, ranging from first successful steps into the international trade sector to consistent high performers with recent noteworthy achievements. We avoid honoring the same recipients repeatedly.

Emerging Exporter Trade Award

This is a company with less than five years of experience in the export business that has demonstrated some noteworthy success. Judges will look at entrepreneurial aptitude, commercial acumen, vision, ambition, and drive to build a successful international enterprise. The successful applicant will have achieved growth opportunities abroad that have resulted in significant increased sales, profit, market share, head count or geographical expansion.

 Global Trade Award

This prestigious award is made to a company that is judged to have achieved the most impressive overall business performance in the international trade arena during the prior fiscal year with a material positive impact on the regional economy. Judging is based on clarity of international strategy, innovative approaches or style, achievement of revenue and job growth on the regional economy because of international operations or trade.

Trailblazing Trade Award

Open to any company, organization or individual who has a significant impact on the regional international trade through significant innovation, be it in technology, product, service, or process. Evidence of the impact of the innovative approach will be found in demonstrated sustainable financial performance.

 Foreign-Direct-Investment Trade Award

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a category of cross-border investment in which an investor resident in one economy establishes a lasting interest in and a significant degree of influence over an enterprise resident in another economy. Judges will look for an approach or style that is different or innovative, evidence of employee involvement, strong local impact/job growth and year over year revenue growth because of international operations or trade.

 Benefits for Award recipients

Recipients are honored during a high-visibility gala attended by around 400 members of the community with strong ties to the international business. The Oregon Consular Corps Scholarship Fund also provides videos honoring the recipients. These videos are ideal tools to communicate with the stakeholders of the recipients: team members, bankers, customers, suppliers, and shareholders. Recipients of the awards are offered two seats at the gala and the opportunity to accept the award during the gala. Most recipients use the opportunity to purchase a table (ten seats) to invite their guests in sharing the celebration of their achievements.

Please click here to learn more about the gala.

Past Award Recipient Testimonials

“It was a great honor to be nominated as Global Leadership Awardee in 2022. All our customers invited enjoyed Trade Gala and it was a good opportunity to present SM line to local communities. Over the periods, SM Line has increased ship size to serve more regional customers and started Rail Service to/from Chicago, Kansas City and Memphis which created more business opportunities and jobs in Portland.”  

                                                                 KK Choi, Vice President North America, SM Line    

“Celebrate Trade Gala provided us an opportunity to connect and network with other Oregon companies exporting goods. It was a wonderful event and learning opportunity for us as several organizations supporting trade and export were in attendance and it provided an opportunity for us to share our brand and story. We have been able to use the high-quality video produced by Oregon Consular Corps about our company in our marketing campaigns.”

                                                        Kate McCarron, Founder, Portland Pet Food Company and Recipient of the Emerging Exporter category

“It was a joy to receive the Mayor's Award for international tourism efforts during the Oregon    Consular Corps’ annual Celebrating Trade gala. To be recognized in front of the private, nonprofit, and governmental leadership of the city of Portland, the metro region and the state of Oregon is a tremendous honor and helps Travel Portland to strengthen the positive image and role that international tourism has in our community. The recognition also brought pride to so many in our industry and our organization.”

Billie Moser, Vice President of International Affairs and Strategic Partners, Travel Portland

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Interested in Applying/Nominating a Company for an OCC Trade Award? Apply Online Here (bit.ly/CT-Nominate). Deadline 1 March.

For more information, please contact:

Doug Smith
Chair of the Celebrate Trade Business Awards Subcommittee
djsoregon3@gmail.com / 971-708-8679