Port of Auckland never really stops.

Across the harbour, terminals, offices, shifts, and operational teams, people are working around the clock to keep goods moving and the port running. In that kind of environment, communication can’t rely on everyone sitting behind a desk or checking email throughout the day.

The Port first partnered with VMG Connect during the rollout of Workplace by Meta, moving away from a more traditional intranet and email-led approach toward a more connected and accessible communication experience across the organisation.

From the beginning, there was strong support from the Port’s leadership team around creating a more open and connected culture — one where communication felt more visible, accessible, and two-way across the business.

When Meta later announced Workplace would eventually be retired, the Port team had already built strong momentum. The move to Workvivo became less about replacing a platform, and more about continuing to build on the communication culture that had started to take shape.

Today, Workvivo is the Port’s primary internal communication platform, helping centralise updates and reduce reliance on personal email. But the real value has come from the way communication across the business has evolved over time.

• Leadership communication is more visible and direct. CEO Roger Gray’s regular video updates help people across the business hear what’s happening in a more immediate and human way, whether they’re in the office, out on the harbour, or working night shift.
• Operational updates and initiatives are easier to share. During Safety Week, the platform helped keep health, safety, and wellbeing front and centre across the organisation.
• Recognition has become more visible too. Teams can celebrate wins, acknowledge effort, and share moments that might once have stayed within a single crew, shift, or department.
• Simple ideas are driving genuine participation. The Port’s “Snap It Up” campaign, which gives unwanted office items a second life by letting employees claim them through a post, has generated hundreds of comments and encouraged participation from employees who hadn’t previously engaged on the platform.

These moments matter because they reflect the strong sense of community that already exists across the Port whānau, while giving people new ways to connect beyond their immediate teams or shifts.

As the platform has matured, the focus has evolved too. More recently, VMG Connect has been working with the Port team on ways to make the experience even more useful and accessible for employees, from improving onboarding and engagement, through to shaping the platform into a more effective resource hub for operational teams.

What started as a move away from a traditional intranet has grown into a communication platform that people across the Port genuinely use day-to-day — helping teams stay informed, recognised, and connected across the business.