PON Live – A Tale of Two Cities: Amazon HQ2 Negotiations in New York and Virginia

Amazon’s 2018 search for a second headquarters became one of the most competitive economic development negotiations in North American history, attracting 238 bids from cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In a surprise move, Amazon selected two locations—Long Island City in New York City and National Landing in Virginia. Despite pursuing the same target deal with similar stakeholders, the outcomes diverged sharply: New York City’s selection ultimately failed, while Virginia’s succeeded.

In this webinar, Jim Sebenius and Alex Green present a rare, side-by-side case study of these illustrative negotiations, featured in a recently published article in Negotiation Journal. They highlight the differences in how each region considered the tangible and intangible interests of their counterparts, approached the need for political and genuine stakeholder engagement, and decided whether or not to employ a “Decide-Announce-Defend Approach.” Sebenius and Green emphasize the lesser-known National Landing negotiation and its implications for negotiators.