Sunday, June 9, 2024

The New York Megalopolis


The New York Megalopolis, also known as the Northeast megalopolis or BosWash corridor, is a heavily urbanized region of the northeastern United States. It stretches from the northern suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts, to the southern suburbs of Washington, D.C. This region is notable for its high population density, economic significance, and cultural influence.

Key Characteristics of the New York Megalopolis:

Geographic Scope:  The megalopolis encompasses major cities including Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., along with their surrounding metropolitan areas.

Population:  It is one of the most densely populated regions in the United States, home to over 55 million people, accounting for a significant portion of the U.S. population.

Economic Importance:  The region is a major economic powerhouse, featuring some of the world’s leading financial markets, corporate headquarters, research institutions, and cultural centers. New York City, in particular, is a global financial hub.

Transportation Network:  The megalopolis is well-connected by an extensive transportation network, including major highways like Interstate 95, a dense rail network (notably Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor), and several major airports (e.g., JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Logan, and Dulles).

Cultural and Educational Institutions:  The region hosts numerous prestigious universities (e.g., Harvard, MIT, Columbia, Princeton) and cultural landmarks (e.g., the Smithsonian museums, Broadway, the Metropolitan Museum of Art).

The concept of a 'megalopolis' was popularized by geographer Jean Gottmann in the 1960s, who identified this interconnected urban region as a distinct geographic and socio-economic entity. The New York Megalopolis continues to be a vital area in terms of both national and international importance.

When I took over running the NYDLA.org (New York Distance Learning Association) it was in the heart of the New York Megalopolis. And, it was bankrupt. As a Non-Profit, it lived on donations from corporations. And during the last recession, donations dried up. No money, sorry. 

My old company, MyTeachingPartners.com would attend the DLA events, because we sold audio conferencing, web conferencing, cameras, etc. - we (me) sold all the stuff that made Distance Learning possible. So, as a good salesman should I would attend all of the DLA meetings and events (target rich environment). When NYDLA went bankrupt, I was the only one to raise my hand to take over running the dying community. What did I have to lose...right? 

AND THEN along came RUTGERS, who sponsored us (i.e. they gave us money) and same RUTGERS - The State University of New Jersey who brought with them their 500K+ Living Alumni. So, almost over night I went from saying "I can't pay the website hosting invoice!" to "I think we're going to be OK!" I was in the right place at the right time, eh? 

Other than Zoom, I don't think that any entity could have grown bigger and faster during a pandemic than THE DISTANCE LEARNING ASSOCIATION

Ah, but during COVID many were saying that New York was - dead. Many in the media were saying that New York City was never coming back. It was during this 'pandemic panic' time that NYDLA.org became NADLA.org servicing all of NORTH AMERICA. I was running away from the dying New York Brand...... ah, or was I? 

The North American Distance Learning Association HQ was going to remain in NYC. The Big Apple. The Center of the Known Universe, right? There would be no New York Megalopolis if there is no Metropolis

Today, the Distance Learning Association (DLA) is GLOBAL. And we are www.PoweredByZoom.us - our #1 sponsor. Yes, we love many others - we love all of the other telecom and technology providers. We work deeply with GoTo and Microsoft and Webex and the rest. And Logitech and Lenovo and HP/Poly and....and...and... 

But just as how Zoom became a verb during COVID, the 'DLA' also became a brand

And the NEW YORK BRAND is powerful. The New York brand is GLOBAL

"Hey guys, I see people reading the New York Times in LA. But I never see anyone reading the LA Times in New York." It's NEW YORK! The Big Apple! Wall Street, Times Square, Broadway! NEW YORK NEW YORK - the city so nice they named it twice! 

The 55M+ living, learning, working, playing, teaching, training, coaching, mentoring in the New York Megalopolis. 

Zoom just opened an AMAZING Experience Center in London. I'll post some pics of the launch event on the NYDLA.org/Zoom page later this week. 

THIS MONTH we have over 100K+ DLA members attending NYDLA SPONSORED EVENTS - LIVE - around the world. InfoComm in Las Vegas. COLLISION in Toronto. Propelify in Hoboken, New Jersey (across the river from NYC). And there is ALWAYS something interesting going on at Javits Center in New York City - like every single day. 

Want some inside baseball? My strategy for years has been to sponsor all events at the sponsorship level necessary to access the entire attendee list of the LIVE events, and then follow up, FOLLOW up, FOLLOW UP via tools like Dotdigital. This is one of the reasons why the (now global) DLA shall be at 10M+ members by 2025. To make money from 'events' it's not about ROI or ROAS, it's all about ROR: Return on RELATIONSHIPS. 

I admit, there is nothing better than a live event. The energy, the people, the food. So, 100K+ will attend NADLA.org events LIVE this month alone (June). Ah but 10X that number will attend all or part of these events virtually, because all Distance Learning Association sponsored events..... are hybrid events.... they are all....

www.PoweredByZoom.us


The new Zoom Experience Center: London


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