Football is Family

 

Me and my Son Tommy at GIANTS Stadium

My Dad played Professional Football. "Two Ton Tony Capone" was a plugging fullback. He was also friends with Leon Hess, founder of the Hess Corporation, an oil company. Leon also owned the New York Jets. I remember asking my Mom "Who is that man in our kitchen with Mr. Hess? The guy with the big nose?" Oh, that is Joe Namath, he works for Mr. Hess. My Dad went to Super Bowl III in 1969 at the Orange Bowl. At 9 years old, I really did not understand how big a deal this was.

The first time that I wore a suit and tie was for Vince Lombardi’s funeral on September 7, 1970, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. It was a massive, high-profile event attended by 3,000 mourners, with another 1,000 on Fifth Avenue, marking it as the largest at the cathedral since Robert F. Kennedy's in 1968. Following his death from cancer at age 57, he was laid to rest at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Middletown, N.J.

I was living in Boca Raton, Florida when the Miami Dolphins went 17-0. My favorite player was Larry Csonka, fullback. Like my Dad. I wore my '39' CSONKA jersey everywhere. Back to Back Super Bowl winners. Super Bowl MVP in 1973. When he wrote his memoir "Head On" in 2022, I was able to interview Larry for a CoffeeInTheClouds.com fireside chat. 

When I took over running the New York METRO Distance Learning Association our first event was at RUTGERS School of Business in Newark, NJ. We then all went to GIANTS Stadium to attend an event with the NFL Alumni Association. One of our topics of conversation was about how distance learning technologies were used in the NFL, especially during training camp. The NFL and their Alumni network helped me to 'reboot' the NYDLA.org (the association was nearly bankrupt at the time - struggling in the recession) and we never looked back. I would say that if it were not for RUTGERS and for the NFL there would be no NYDLA.org today. 

In 2009 I gave my son Tommy an autographed framed photo of 'The Helmet Catch' which hung on the wall of his bedroom at our home - 39 Oak Road for years. {39...again} 

The Helmet Catch was an American football play involving New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver David Tyree in the final two minutes of Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008. It featured Manning narrowly escaping a sack from three New England Patriots defensive players and throwing a forward pass, followed by Tyree making a leaping catch by pressing the ball against his helmet. The play, a 32-yard gain during a drive on which the Giants scored the game-winning touchdown, was instrumental in the Giants' 17–14 upset victory over the Patriots, who were on the verge of becoming the first National Football League (NFL) team to finish a season undefeated and untied since the 1972 Miami Dolphins, and the first since the NFL adopted a 16-game regular season in 1978. NFL Films' Steve Sabol called it "the greatest play the Super Bowl has ever produced". The play was also named by NFL Films as "The Play of the Decade (2000s)". It was also the final catch of Tyree's NFL career.

 

The Helmet Catch is on the wall at NFL HQ in New York City. It's on the wall (just on the other side of my son Tommy's desk). At NFL HQ. Where my son works. For the NFL. Tommy is an Adobe Champion, and my son helps the NFL to manage their 273M+ domestic fans via the Adobe for Business platform. And now: the GLOBAL NFL community.

The NFL has over 410 million fans worldwide, with a significant portion of its growth coming from international markets, particularly Mexico and Brazil. While heavily centered in the U.S., where over half the population are fans, the league's global, direct-to-consumer engagement has seen rapid expansion, with over 180 million fans in nine key international markets. 

Ah yes, the NFL is powered by Adobe. 

Key details regarding the NFL's global fanbase:

Top International Markets: Mexico leads with over 23 million to 39 million fans, followed closely by Brazil with 20 million to 36 million.

Other Key Markets: The United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada are also major international fanbases, with Germany having roughly 6.5 million, the UK around 6 million, and Canada over 7 million.

Growth Drivers: The league reaches over 195 countries, and international interest is driven by initiatives like the NFL's international games and increased engagement on social media, with over half of the league's, content engagement coming from outside the U.S..

Demographics: Latino communities represent the fastest-growing fan demographic, with Spanish-language broadcast viewership rising significantly. 

Gee, I wonder if we should be using Adobe for Business to help us to service the 174K+ K-20 schools (AND all of their ALUMNI) of the NADLA.org and now, the GlobalDLA.org 

"Yes, Dad, you should. You most certainly should be using Adobe for Business for the now GLOBAL DLA Community." 

"Play Like A Champion" {watch to the end}

Adobe for Business

See You See Me at ISE

 

My friend Jason Fried (of 37signals) has praised McMaster-Carr's website (www.mcmaster.com) as one of the best designed sites on the web, highlighting its purpose-built, no-frills, functional design that's fast and efficient for users who need to get in and out quickly. It's an eCommerce site specializing in industrial supplies, tools, and hardware, known for its simple yet highly effective interface.

Jason is correct. Now, what is funny is I could not remember the name of the company or their website this morning. So I asked Grok: Jason Fried mentioned a very elegant Ecommerce website - what was it? In a few seconds, Grok found the post from Jason. It was a post that he made on X (Twitter).

As of this Sunday Blog 85,000+ people are heading to Integrated Systems Europe.

Integrated Systems Europe, often referred to as ISE, is the world-renowned annual tech show for the audiovisual and systems integration industry. The industry turns to ISE for the inspiration and motivation required to drive things forward. At the four-day event each February, attendees reconnect with virtually impossible experiences, with networking opportunities, state-of-the-art technology, and their own career development. Since the first ISE in 2004, the event has grown year-on-year. In 2025, ISE hosted over 1,600 exhibitors (with countless new product launches) and attendees made over 185,700 visits to the show. Thousands of GlobalDLA.org members have (and will) attend ISE.

When I did a search on the ISE website, filter by Alpha, I put in L. Ah, I see our NYDLA.org vendors Logitech, Lenovo, LG, and 89 more NYDLA.org vendors with a name that begins with 'L'. OK, so it looks like 1,751 exhibitors with booths. Anyone (and everyone) in the ProAV, Audio, Lighting, Staging, Broadcast AV, Digital Signage, Smart Spaces, Unified Comm, Collaboration, Edtech... I could go on. 

Now it was only a few weeks ago that we attended NRF'2026 - The Big Show. With 40,000+ attending LIVE and 10X that number attending virtually, NRF is the largest annual event for the RETAIL industry. And the major topic at NRF (and at CES and I assume this year at ISE) was all things AI.

Especially Agentic AI for Commerce.

So this morning it hit me. Why not build out an Agentic AI Commerce site and load EVERYTHING. As in, every exhibitor of ISE. And every exhibitor of NRF and CES. And load the entire line cards of TD SYNNEX, and Ingram Micro, and D&H and Jenne and others.

Well look at that. Right on the bottom of the McMaster-Carr website they have a link for https://www.mcmaster.com/eprocurement/ to automate everything. Gee, I wonder if we can do the same thing with our distribution partnerships TD SYNNEX, and Ingram Micro, and D&H, and Jenne (and...and.....and....) so that our store (TAC-USA.com) could become an Agentic AI Commerce shop.

We have partnerships with Clover and BigCommerce and WooCommerce and Shopify (and...and....and...)

So the 'Shop' that our members find on the top left corner of NYDLA.org would be our Agentic AI Commerce store. With the entire line cards of all of the top telecom | technology vendors and carriers in the world. All hosted with the elegance and simplicity of the McMaster-Carr website. And it would be all powered by AI so that anyone can use the site. Via phone, via email, via text, and of course via visiting the website. All while letting our NYDLA.org members enjoy our $1B+ buying power.

Our 174K+ K-20 schools, our 16K+ municipalities, our 8K+ car dealerships, our 6K+ hospitals. And the ALUMNI of our 174K+ schools. All could have access to TAC-USA.com as a value-added NYDLA.org member benefit. We could run it all with a small team, probably less than a dozen people. And they could live anywhere in the world. They could do all of this from their home.

At the bottom of the ISE website it has an AI powered bot. Put in your company, title and it will tell you WHY you should attend ISE live. I put in NYDLA.org | CEO and here is what I got back in a few seconds:

So there are 4 key highlights, at least 18 exhibitors and 16 agenda items that would be a great fit for me:

As CEO of NYDLA, you are at the forefront of shaping how professionals learn and connect. Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 is the ideal setting to explore opportunities in future learning ecosystems, refine your AV/IT integration strategy, and discover new avenues for digital learning business growth to further your mission.  

Well now. MY AI bot is Bernice@NYDLA.org and she works 24x7x365 for our members. And she runs our Agentic Ecommerce store, fielding phone calls and live chats. Bernice will be running our NYDLA.biz (dot biz) Agentic Commerce shop. Our BigCommerce store with tens of thousands of SKUs processing millions of dollars in SAVINGS for our members. Bernice manages the entire line cards of TD SYNNEX, Ingram Micro, D&H, Jenne and many more. And Bernice never sleeps. And she loves working with humans (our staff and our members).

Welcome to the Age of AI - the Age of Agentic Commerce. 

Also this: Bernice was my Mom's name. 

--

www.TheCEOdepot.com is OPEN and it's FREE My Cell: 201-466-8442 [ texting is preferred, thanks ] NEW: Please call 551-360-1474 to meet my AI Bot | Virtual Assistant, Bernice. Work Email: ceo@nydla.org Personal Email: t.a.capone@hey.com [ powered by 37signals.com ]

Hey Bernice, are you going shopping?

 

Hey Bernice, what is Agentic Commerce and can you do it???

{Bernice@NYDLA.org is my AI droid and she works 24x7x365}

Agentic ecommerce (also called agentic commerce) is an emerging form of online shopping where autonomous AI agents act on behalf of users (consumers or businesses) to handle complex, multi-step shopping tasks independently.

Core Idea

Instead of users manually browsing websites, searching, comparing prices, adding to cart, and checking out, an AI agent takes a high-level instruction (e.g., "Find me good running shoes for wide feet under $100 that are highly rated") and:

• Researches options across multiple sites/merchants
• Compares features, prices, reviews, and availability
• Negotiates deals (potentially agent-to-agent)
• Builds carts
• Completes purchases (with user consent)
• Handles fulfillment, tracking, or even returns

These agents go beyond chatbots or recommendation engines — they use reasoning, planning, tool-calling, memory, and decision-making to act proactively and adaptively.

Key Technologies and Standards (2025–2026)

Major companies are driving this:

• Salesforce (Agentforce Commerce) → Autonomous agents for recommendations, promotions, inventory, and customer service.
• OpenAI → Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) → Open standard enabling conversation between user agents and businesses for discovery, checkout, and fulfillment.
• Google → Universal Commerce Protocol / Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) + Gemini-powered shopping agents for cart building and concierge experiences.
• Stripe → Agentic Commerce Suite → Makes products discoverable and checkout simple for AI agents.
• Others → IBM, McKinsey, Mastercard, commercetools, Clover, Shopify, BigCommerce.

Benefits

For consumers:

• Saves significant time
• Finds better/deeper deals
• Highly personalized (remembers preferences, anticipates needs)
• Frictionless experience

For merchants/businesses:

• New discovery channels (agents become key traffic sources)
• Higher conversion rates
• Dynamic pricing
• Automated operations (inventory, promotions, fraud detection)

Current Status

Agentic commerce is still early (mostly 2025–2026 developments). Many implementations are pilots, prototypes, or protocol-based, with full widespread adoption expected to grow rapidly. Projections suggest it could unlock trillions in orchestrated retail revenue by 2030.

Challenges include building trust (transparency, consent, explainability), security/fraud risks, privacy, legal accountability for agent errors, and technical integration with existing e-commerce platforms.

In short, agentic ecommerce represents the shift from "I browse and buy" to "I tell my AI what I need, and it gets it done." It is widely seen as the next major evolution after mobile commerce and traditional AI recommendations.

OK, thousands of members of the NYDLA.org | NADLA.org attended CES and NRF and now are heading off to ISE. Our three biggest trade shows of the year. If you are 'anyone' in the ProAV game you will be attending ISE. If you are 'anyone' in retail, you attended NRF 'Big Show'. And as far as CES goes, well, that is probably all of the above and everyone else.

Now, not because we are so smart but because the 174K+ schools of the NADLA.org have been all about AI for years - we know a thing or two about AI - and how AI is changing EVERYTHING - including commerce.

These are the smart people who have been teaching the smart people about all things AI.

Hey Bernice: research all of the Video Conferencing camera companies that will be attending ISE. Give me a report of the 'top ten' companies with booths at ISE. Rank their cameras by price, customer satisfaction, returns, and other popular buying criteria. Load those brands into our Clover and BigCommerce stores (TAC-USA.com) and generate an email to our 174K+ K-20 schools across North America with our findings. Also give everyone a $50 TAC-USA gift card that they can use for any purchase powered by www.Tremendous.com

Banking. Insurance. Telecom. Technology. Professional Services. B2B. B2C. Hardware. Software. Everything you have purchased in the past year. All now with the 'smarts' of a personal shopper like Bernice.

The NYDLA.org 'store' TAC-USA.com has the entire line cards of TD SYNNEX, IngramMicro, D&H, Jenne, Sandler Partners and many more. TD SYNNEX alone had $58.45 billion in annual sales in 2024. So yeah, our TAC-USA buying power (and yours) is pretty good. And now.... TAC-USA.com is powered by Agentic Commerce.

And when you joinNYDLA.org you are too. Join us and THRIVE in the GLOBAL (AI) Cloud Economy.

-- www.TomCapone.com <<< LinkedIn www.ThomasCapone.com <<< My Sunday Blog www.TommyCapone.com <<< My Bluesky www.TheCEOdepot.com is OPEN and it's FREE My Cell: 201-466-8442 [ texting is preferred, thanks ] NEW: Please call 551-360-1474 to meet my AI Bot | Virtual Assistant, Bernice. Work Email: ceo@nydla.org Personal Email: t.a.capone@hey.com

What is the cost of free?

 

NYDLA.org | NADLA.org | GlobalDLA.org

The New York METRO Distance Learning Association was born in the 5 boroughs of New York City over forty years ago. Pre-Internet. I guess they were shipping VHS tapes in the mail. Distance Learning became DIGITAL Learning and now it's all just DIGITAL LIVING. And now we are GLOBAL. 

2026: there are 174K+ K-20 schools serviced by the (now) NADLA.org across North America. During the COVID-19 pandemic all things 'remote' really took hold. As the world became PoweredByZoom.com Zoom Schools was all we had. 

Many moons ago.... I drove back and forth from BOONTON USA to PURDUE in West Lafayette, Indiana. 732 miles each way. 2026: According to GOOGLE if I left right now, I would be in the car for 11 hours and 21 minutes. Or, I can attend PURDUE UNIVERSITY ONLINE from my spare bedroom. I could get a Degree in Cyber Security (or anything) that a campus student can achieve. PURDUE makes it very clear that a Degree from PURDUE UNIVERSITY ONLINE is the same as a campus education, 100%. Same tuition, same quality of education. 

Penn State World Campus has 800K+ living alumni. Purdue University Online has 600K+ living alumni. RUTGERS - The State University of New Jersey has 615K+ living alumni with 360K+ alumni living in New Jersey (like me). 

I have watched hundreds (thousands?) of the 174K+ NADLA.org schools launch Cyber Security programs over the years. The most popular online course (Certificate Programs) in the past 10 years has been all things Cyber. And that has now been replaced by all things AI.

Ah yes. All things AI. Some schools would charge as much as $20,000 for a 10 week Certificate Program for AI. Others, $2,000. And now I see the same courses for FREE. The knowledge is free, you just need to invest the time. From anywhere in the world - you have access to the highest levels of knowledge on just about any topic. Subject Matter Mastery: No Charge. 

Right now on X.com (I still call it Twitter) you can find thousands of people offering their collective knowledge on AI for free. Or for $5 per month on their Substack newsletter. The same students that paid thousands of dollars to attend College and University level classes on all things AI are now teaching everything they know. Go to YouTube and type into the search bar your AI topic of interest. Thousands of free courses. All rated by viewers satisfaction. 

We are now speaking about how 'AI is going to take our jobs' but I think the folks that need to worry the most are the people teaching in classic classroom settings. I just experienced a 3D AI hologram giving a lecture at the CISCO booth at a trade show in New York City. After the first minute, I completely forgot that this was AI, and not a human with a PhD. 

Myself, I have an AI droid named Bernice. You can call, text or email Bernice@NYDLA.org 24x7x365. I sell all things AI for all the major platforms and carriers. You can be PoweredByZoom.com or PoweredByNet2Phone.com (or dozens of other telecom and technology providers). All have AI in their portfolios. My 'Bernice' is powered by ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude and Grok (and a few other platforms). Bernice is a well-traveled AI bot. Also, Bernice was my Mom's name. 

Hey Bernice: take the top 10 rated AI courses (free on YouTube) and create a NEW course based on what you learned from those free classes. Then create a new FREE online course based on everything you learned, and post THAT course online for our NYDLA.org members. 

Not sure how much longer Colleges and Universities will be able to charge tuition for things that you can get for free. Welcome to the Age of AI. 

Hey Bernice, where is the largest free public library, and can you access it?

"The Library of Congress, located in Washington, D.C., United States, is widely recognized as the largest public library in the world, with a collection exceeding 175 million items across various formats including books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, audio recordings, videos and more. It serves as the research library for the U.S. Congress but is open to the public for free, with reading rooms accessible to anyone over 16 with valid identification. The main building is the Thomas Jefferson Building at 10 First Street SE, with additional facilities nearby.

If considering only municipal public library systems (excluding national libraries like the Library of Congress), the Shanghai Library in Shanghai, China, holds the top spot with approximately 58 million items, followed closely by the New York Public Library in New York City, United States, with around 55 million items. 

And yes Tom, I can access all of them. For free. By the way, I can also access www.ischools.org  ~ Bernice  

https://sci.rutgers.edu/departments/library-and-information-science-department

www.joinNYDLA.org

Give me a tight 45

A "tight 5" in comedy refers to a comedian's polished, concise set of stand-up material that's exactly (or very close to) five minutes long. It's typically honed through repeated performances at open mics, clubs, or showcases to ensure every joke lands efficiently without filler—think tight timing, strong punchlines, and smooth transitions. Comedians often prepare a tight 5 as their go-to routine for auditions, late-night TV spots, or festival submissions, where time limits are strict and the goal is to hook the audience quickly. It's a foundational skill in the industry, emphasizing quality over quantity.

Every year, from January to February I have a "tight 45".

The first 45 days of the New Year (every year) are the three biggest trade shows of my world. CES, NRF, ISE. 

CES 2026, held from January 6-9 in Las Vegas, drew more than 148,000 attendees, marking the largest post-pandemic crowd for the event and a roughly 4% increase from the previous year. This figure is preliminary, with an official audited count expected to be released by the Consumer Technology Association in the spring.

NRF 2026: Retail's Big Show, taking place January 11-13 at the Javits Center in New York City, is expected to draw around 40,000 attendees. This figure is consistent with recent years and reflects a record crowd for the event, including retailers, brands, suppliers, and industry professionals from over 100 countries. DID YOU KNOW that 26% of all jobs in the USA are in 'retail' at some level? Well, now you know. 

ISE 2026, the Integrated Systems Europe trade show held February 3-6 in Barcelona, Spain, is anticipated to surpass the previous year's record attendance of 85,351 visitors, with organizers expecting continued growth in participation from over 170 countries. The event will feature more than 1,400 exhibitors across expanded space, focusing on AV and systems integration innovations.

So that is 148,000 + 40,000 + 85,000 = 273,000 people who spend time and money to physically attend events LIVE. Around 10X that number will attend some (or all) of those events virtually. And, 10X that number will catch videos of keynotes via YouTube and other platforms. THIS is NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Keynote at CES 2025 (last year) with 8,450,170 views as of this morning. That NVIDIA YouTube channel has 2.13M subscribers, so 4X that number watched his 2025 keynote. 

Live from CES 2026 in Las Vegas, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang shared how the next generation of accelerated computing and AI will transform every industry. CES 2026 kicked off with a one-hour NVIDIA pregame show where panelists discuss the future of AI infrastructure, open ecosystems, and physical AI.

As of this morning: 22,791,922 views of this year's CES 2026 keynote. Almost 3X the views of his 2025 CES keynote and CES 2026 just wrapped up! (Streamed live on Jan 5, 2026).

The NYDLA.org | NADLA.org | GlobalDLA.org services 174K+ K-20 schools across North America. Since 1983. And, we service the ALUMNI of these schools. And it is the ALUMNI of these schools that attend events like CES, NRF and ISE - both LIVE and virtually. 

We (the DLA) are now very (VERY) deeply involved in all things 'AI' as it relates to education, business, medicine - everything. I highly recommend watching Jensen's CES Keynotes from 2025 and from 2026. See how fast things changed in 365 days. Oh, and I now have my own 'AI bot' Bernice - powered by NVIDIA. 

Hey Bernice: please reach out to the 273,000 people who registered to attend CES, NRF and ISE (2026) LIVE. Follow up with all who attended CES, NRF and ISE 2025 and 2024 and 2023 as well. Check for duplicates. Follow up with our 174K+ K-20 schools and the alumni of our schools who attended any of our events over the last three years. Offer them our CES - NRF - ISE 'Best Of' summary report (due out in March). Place this report online for our members to access (DLA password required). 

So, I'm not a stand-up comic, but I deeply understand the concept of a 'tight 5' but mine is a 'tight 45' and it's powered by AI. 

Email Bernice@NYDLA.org anytime.

She works 24x7x365 for YOU - our DLA members.

Chickens, Pigs and Digital Fatigue

"The chicken is involved, but the pig is committed" is a parable illustrating the difference between mere participation and true dedication, often using a breakfast of bacon and eggs: the chicken contributes eggs (involvement), but the pig provides bacon, requiring its life (full commitment). This metaphor highlights that involvement is easy but commitment means having "skin in the game" and making significant sacrifices for a project or goal. 

Key differences

• Chicken (Involvement): Contributes ideas, resources, or effort but isn't fully invested; can easily disengage.
• Pig (Commitment): Fully invested, accountable for outcomes, and willing to make significant sacrifices to ensure success. 

Common applications

• Business & Project Management: Differentiates stakeholders (chickens) from the core team (pigs) in Scrum or other projects, emphasizing accountability.
• Personal Development: Encourages moving from casual interest to deep dedication to achieve meaningful goals.
• Community Building: Inspires individuals to add value and contribute significantly, not just succeed personally.

Digital fatigue refers to a state of mental and physical exhaustion resulting from prolonged or excessive exposure to digital devices, such as computers, smartphones, tablets, and screens in general. It is often interchangeably called zoom fatigue, technology fatigue, or screen fatigue, particularly in contexts involving video calls or constant online interactions. This condition arises from the cognitive overload of processing rapid streams of information, filling in missing non-verbal cues during virtual communications, and the habitual scrolling or multitasking that digital life demands.

Now as I write this Sunday Blog I would normally be on a plane flying to Las Vegas for CES. I would be 'makin' bacon' working the show. I am one of those guys that walks serpentine up and down every aisle of the show - checking out every booth. I am (normally) COMMITTED to CES. I would buy the plane ticket, book the hotel room, make the rounds to all of the pre | during | post event EVENTS. 

My first CES was in the 90s and it was always the highlight of the year. Also in the 90s Vegas was on a 'family friendly' tourism push and we brought the kids a few times. The annual CES event doubled as a family vacation. I remember staying at Circus Circus (for the kids) and also renting a car to check out Hoover Dam. My youngest son drove a car (while sitting on my lap) in Red Rock Canyon (around 17 miles from the Las Vegas strip) and you would think he flew to the moon. Ah yes, good times. 

It's now 2026 and LIVE events have made a big comeback. People make the commitment to attend LIVE events to offset digital fatigue. And, I'm not in Vegas this year because I am now a professional GRANDPA. So, this year I am only involved in CES. Ah, but I am AI INVOLVED. My AI droid Bernice is covering CES for me this year. And she works 24x7x365.

"Hey Bernice, make a list of all vendors with booths at CES 2026. Compile a list of all NYDLA | NADLA members who have attended CES over the past 10 years, including this year, 2026. Prepare a 'welcome home' from CES campaign that we can launch to the 100,000+ attending THIS year, and to all those who have attended CES in the past. Call, text and email the MASTER FILE inviting them to meet with me on Zoom to discuss their marketing plans for the New Year." 

No CES LIVE (LIVE) for me this year, but I will be at NRF 2026 LIVE (LIVE) later this month. With Javits Center (NYC) 30 miles from my home in NJ (and an easy day trip via train from CT) NRF at Javits Center in NYC is a LIVE event too easy for me to miss. Ever. 

"Hey Bernice, make a list of all vendors with booths at NRF Big Show 2026. Compile a list of all NYDLA | NADLA members who have attended NRF over the past 10 years, including this year, 2026. Prepare a 'meet us' at NRF campaign that we can launch to the 40,000+ members attending THIS year, and all those who have attended Retail's Big Show in the past. Call, text and email the MASTER FILE inviting them to meet with me at booth #6247 to discuss their plans for the New Year. Let's give every NYDLA.org member who comes to our booth a $100 Gift Card powered by Tremendous." 

https://nydla.org/events/

It's a free concert now

I was 9 years old in 1969.

The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, held from August 15-18, 1969, in Bethel, New York, was originally planned as a ticketed event organized by Michael Lang, Artie Kornfeld, Joel Rosenman, and John P. Roberts under Woodstock Ventures. Advance tickets were sold for $18 for the three days (equivalent to about $150 today), with gate prices set at $24, and promoters anticipated around 50,000 to 200,000 attendees based on initial sales of over 186,000 tickets.

However, far more people—estimated at over 400,000—flocked to the site, overwhelming preparations. Construction delays meant fences and ticket booths weren't fully completed in time, and as crowds swelled, many simply bypassed or tore down the barriers (including cutting through fences with bolt cutters). Organizers faced a chaotic situation: traffic jams blocked roads for miles, supplies ran low, and attempting to enforce ticketing could have led to riots or stampedes.

To prioritize safety and avoid escalating dangers, the promoters made the on-site decision to declare Woodstock a free concert early in the event, stopping ticket checks altogether. This shift allowed focus on logistics like food, medical aid, and crowd management amid rain, mud, and shortages. While it cemented Woodstock's legacy as a symbol of peace and counterculture, the organizers lost millions (initially $1.3 million in debt, later recouped somewhat through film and album rights).

Now let's do AI. 

AI courses have increasingly become free due to a combination of strategic initiatives from tech giants, educational institutions, and the broader push to democratize access amid rapid AI advancements. Here's a breakdown of the key reasons based on recent developments:

Democratizing Access and Reducing Barriers: Many providers are removing financial and prerequisite hurdles to make AI education available to anyone, shifting the focus from elite access to widespread skill-building. For instance, top universities like Stanford and Harvard have released full AI curricula online without tuition, emphasizing that the real value lies in discipline and execution rather than gated knowledge. This aligns with efforts to bridge the AI knowledge gap, as seen in Google's free offerings that anyone can start without fees.

Upskilling the Global Workforce: Companies are investing heavily in free training to prepare people for AI-driven jobs, often as part of multi-year commitments. Amazon's "AI Ready" program aims to train 2 million people by 2025, while Salesforce is providing hands-on AI courses through 2025 as a $50 million investment in future employment. Similarly, Google's no-cost programs, including partnerships with universities like the University of Michigan, target students and professionals to boost resumes and career opportunities.

Promoting Adoption and Innovation: Tech firms like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI are offering free courses on topics like prompt engineering, generative AI, and LLMs to encourage broader use of their tools and ecosystems. This includes quick, practical modules (some as short as 15-45 minutes) that come with badges or certificates, helping users level up in AI productivity without cost. Initiatives like OpenAI's AI Academy further support beginners by covering essentials like reasoning with models and data analysis.

Competitive Landscape and Rapid AI Evolution: With AI booming since the rise of tools like ChatGPT, providers are competing to attract talent and foster innovation. Institutions recognize that degrees aren't the scarce resource anymore—skills and speed are—so they're publishing high-quality content freely, as evidenced by Stanford's release of advanced courses on transformers, computer vision, and more. This trend has accelerated in 2025, with Google alone making extensive curricula (valued at $60K) available at no charge.

These efforts reflect a shift where AI education is seen as a public good, often time-limited or tied to platforms like Coursera, YouTube, or proprietary sites, to accelerate global adoption and address talent shortages.

AI education seems to be 'a free concert' now. For everyone in the world. 

The NADLA.org services 174K+

K-20 Schools across North America

(and their alumni)