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Anthony Maggiore is flanked by Cindy Stickles (left) and Heather Teplitz.
For the first time in decades of Visionary Awards history, the PCMA Foundation accepted group nominations in three Professional Excellence Award categories — Impact Award, Experience Design of the Year, and Digital Experience Strategist of the Year — to acknowledge the efforts of many that fuel groundbreaking achievements.
“By introducing team and group nominations, we’re honoring the collective brilliance, creativity, and dedication that drive our industry forward,” said Meredith Rollins, PCMA’s chief community officer and executive director of the PCMA Foundation. “This enhancement ensures that the people behind the most impactful experiences — whether from one organization or across multiple — receive the recognition they deserve.”
Before the ceremony on April 10 in Washington, D.C., Convene spoke with Anthony Maggiore, CMP, CED, senior director of conference & meetings at the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), to learn how a recent initiative at AAPA’s annual gathering was a team effort, earning them recognition as a finalist in the Experience Design of the Year category.
A Pop-Up Store — With Stories to Share
Whenever Anthony Maggiore spends the day strolling through his hometown of Chicago, he takes note of the lines of shoppers stretching around the block in anticipation of limited-time pop-up retail locations. “There’s something special about having a moment where you can only find it in one place over these certain days,” Maggiore told Convene.
He thought the same concept could enhance the participant experience at AAPA’s annual gathering — the Made in Houston Marketplace debuted at the George R. Brown Convention Center in 2024. Located on the show floor, the activation included 14 minority-owned businesses selling a wide range of offerings that appealed to the organization’s primary demographic of women under 40, including candles, jewelry, children’s clothing, and more. It wasn’t just about products, though; it was about people. AAPA worked closely with Visit Houston to develop signage that shared the owners’ narratives.
“As you entered the space, you weren’t just entering a retail space, but you were entering more of a story,” Maggiore said. “These business owners were so happy to tell why they’re passionate about the products that they created.”
The Made in Houston Marketplace debuted at the George R. Brown Convention Center during the AAPA Conference in May 2024.
In addition to giving attendees a chance to discover the boutiques of Houston, something happened during the show that pleased Maggiore even more: It offered boutique owners an opportunity to discover the physician associates community.
“While the expo was open, the business owners engaged in conversation with our members,” he said. “So often the general public doesn’t understand the value that PAs bring to the health-care landscape. Their education, their expertise, and their skill level goes under-appreciated. Not only did we get to share the stories of these incredible small businesses with our members, but we got to share the story of the PA profession with the local community, which was just really special.”
The AAPA team that earned the nomination included Cindy Stickles, CEM, director of conference and exhibits, and Heather Teplitz, CEM, exhibit sales and sponsorship manager. While the team of three may seem relatively small, their backgrounds create a wide range of perspectives that include working on massive nonprofit health-care experiences, food shows, and corporate activations. Throughout the lead-up to the show, Teplitz handled much of the legwork for collecting contracts and insurance as Stickles worked with Freeman to educate these vendors on the nuances of working in a convention environment versus their standard pop-up retail experience. And Maggiore, who calls himself “an anti-leader who likes to do the busy work,” was happy to roll up his sleeves to help with anything that needed doing.
“Collaboration is the essence of the business events industry,” Maggiore said. “And for this specific nomination, it would not have felt right for me to stand up there without my team members who worked so tirelessly to bring this idea to life. Everything in this industry is done with partnership and with teamwork. Nothing is done in a silo. I hope to continue to see more and more people bringing their teammates up with them when they’re accepting these honors in the future.”
David McMillin is a former Convene editor and freelance writer.
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