Two weeks from now, we'll be in the midst of conducting the industry's largest conference and tradeshow in history. Our competitors may be loathe to admit it, but the Inside Self-Storage Las Vegas Expo has come to be known by many as the event of the year for this business, and for good reason.

Don't worry, I'm not about to spout off about all the features of this show, why you should attend, so on and so forth. We've been doing that for months via the ISS magazine and website; and while I could yammer on about it here, I have a different aim today. (If you have a hankering for this kind of info, however, feel free to peruse our ISS Expo page for press releases and other details.)

We've got more than 200 companies exhibiting at the Expo this year (Feb. 20-23, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino), and they're all going to be vying for attendees' attention. That can be quite a feat when there's so much activity and everyone's head is on a swivel. So a few enterprising vendors have decided to take advantage of a new marketing tack, draw some extra interest, and capture a bit of show magic to use in their promotional materials throughout the yearthey'll be filming video for ISS Expo TV in their booths during exhibit hours.

We experimented with this new offering during last year's Vegas Expo. I went around the show floor with one of our our IT masters, Rob, and shot video with eight or so exhibitors at random. I simply interviewed them about their experience at the show and asked them to share information about their companies' history, products and services. Afterward, we posted the edited clips to our website under the heading "ISS Expo TV." They were quite a hit, and the exhibitors were digging the extra exposure.

This year, we've made this an official sponsorship option. Companies who want video are charged a fee, but they have total control over their content and get a package of perks on the side. They can shoot a commercial, conduct a formal interview, demonstrate a product, or film live testimonials with customers. The clips will again be posted to www.insideselfstorage.com, and exhibitors will get copies to use on their own websites and in their press kits.

So far we have three companies scheduled to shoot during expo hours on Feb. 22 and 23. One I can't tell you about ... It's a new player on the scene, and the company wishes to remain anonymous until the big unveiling. I can say its presence in the market is going to give a few other vendors a run for their money in the year ahead. The competitive spirit it inspires may be less than pretty.

The other two companies getting ready to "roll" are Digitech International, a long-time ISS advertiser and exhibitor, and K.W. Nash Group, consisting of former members of On The Move Inc.

Digitech has been on the self-storage security scene for more than 25 years. Its line includes products that assist operators with remote site management, such as the DigiGate-700 access-control system, which includes biometrics; DigiGuard 2 wireless or hard-wired door alarms; the DigiView digital video recording system, with viewing from any high-speed Internet or network connection; and DigiCall intercom-to-phone integration.

The K.W. Nash Group was launched last fall by its president and CEO, Kirk Nash. It provides truck leasing, rentals and insurance. More than that, storage operators can advertise their facilities on the sides of these vehicles, so they become a great marketing tool in addition to adding customer convenience.

So look for the cameras while you're wandering about the show floor in Vegas. If you're a customer of any of these companies, perhaps they'll even make you a star!