APTA will honor the best and most imaginative in public transportation marketing and promotional campaigns during the 2011 APTA Annual Meeting and EXPO at the 32nd annual AdWheel ceremony on Monday afternoon, Oct. 3.

APTA has received almost 600 entries in this year’s competition. Judging is currently underway and the first-place award recipients should be notified by mid-August. The Grand Awards, selected from among the first-place honorees, will be made public at the Oct. 3 event.

APTA member transit systems and business members compete in five categories—print, electronic, campaign, special event, and social media—to determine “the best of the best” in public transit marketing and communications. Transit agencies are judged in categories based on the number of rides they provide each year.

Two new niche categories are joining the competition this year to recognize entries that showcase creative and innovative marketing and communication approaches in Marketing and Communicating to Older Adult Riders and Crisis or Issue Communications.

All AdWheel entries will be available for viewing at an interactive exhibit during the Annual Meeting and EXPO.