We Shall Reconnoiter in Times Square

If you are reading on a smartphone, use landscape / hold phone sideways. 

Times Square - NYC

This week, NYDLA.org convened at Convene. 

I don't know who named Convene "Convene" but they nailed it. Convene - as in to gather, to come together in one body or place. 

This month was CES in Las Vegas, with 100,000+ physically attending the Consumer Electronics Show. Attendance in 2019 (pre-COVID) was 182,000. Also this month was NRF 2023 at Javits Center NYC. Retail's Big Show hosted 40,000+ retail professionals and vendors from more than 90 countries for educational and networking opportunities. 

I attended CES virtually, and I attended NRF in person. Having New York City in my back pocket is, well, strategic. I live 30 miles West of Times Square. More than once, I have jumped on a bus in the morning, attended an unscheduled lunch meeting, and still made it back home in time for dinner and a trip to the dog park.

It was once famously said that if you stand in Times Square long enough, you'll see the entire world walk by. I have also heard it this way: If you stand in Times Square long enough, you will meet everyone you know. Times Square is famous for the New Year celebration, but it is also truly the center of the known universe. When someone asks me where I live, instead of saying "Northern New Jersey" most of the time I just say that I live "30 miles West of Times Square" and that usually kick starts the conversation. 

The NYDLA "office" is at 900 3rd Avenue NYC at GATEWAY. I usually go into NYC every other week. Whenever possible I work from my home office and I schedule my in-person (LIVE) meetings around scheduled events in the city. So, technically, I usually only need an office four days out of the month. 

Hard Rock International is a Sapphire Level Sponsor of NYDLA.org and they have over 31 unique Hotels, Resorts and locations around the world. One of the new locations is Hard Rock Times Square - a two minute walk from the new Convene location, 1221 Avenue of the Americas. So our paid members can work at GATEWAY or at Convene, and then Sleep(?) at the Hard Rock Times Square. 

Convene is a leading hospitality company founded off the simple question asked by their CEO Ryan Simonetti: "What if you ran an office building like a hotel?" The Convene mission is to elevate the way people meet, work and live by reimagining what a "workday" means for today's most innovative organizations. Convene created a network of beautifully designed and tech-enabled meeting, event and WorkPlace locations (12 locations in The Big Apple). NYDLA.org (and now NADLA.org) members enjoy the friends and family treatment at all Hard Rock locations - and - at all Convene locations. Ah yes, membership has its privileges. Convene is, simply amazing. 

Javits Center. GATEWAY. Hard Rock International. Convene. 

I had my own simple question: "What if we ran a school, like the way that you run a city? A school - in a city - in the clouds? 

CumulusUniversity.org shall go live this year. Attend lectures and classes from home, attend lectures and classes from anywhere. Your location or ours. And our location? Well, Times Square of course - the center of the known universe. Live, learn, work, play, teach, train, coach, mentor - from anywhere. Attend classes and lectures from Convene, from Hard Rock, from GATEWAY. And of course, from the comfort of your home. Hey, you did GetDTEN.com right? 

Yeah, if you stand in Times Square long enough, you just might learn something.