The Inside Self-Storage World Expo in Las Vegas, Jan. 26-29. The world was just beginning to really feel the recession. Yet thousands turned out for the annual show in Vegas to learn about their industry.

Gina Six Kudo joins ISS as a blogger and feature writer. Gina’s passion and warmth shines through in every blog she writes. She’s also a savvy businesswoman who knows her stuff. 

ISS magazine focuses more on “green.” After dipping our toes in the “green” waters a few times, ISS focused more on sustainability this year with articles on solar, green building and eco-friendly topics.

Self-Storage Talk member numbers soar. SST saw a huge jump in participation this year. Plus, several frequent posters became moderators. That’s commitment.

Speaking of SST: John Carlisle joins the team as community manager. Not only has John done an amazing job on the admin side of SST, but he brings a sense of humor to the job.

ISS website traffic grows. The ISS team concentrated on bringing more up-to-date news and articles to our readers. Obviously, you like it!

A more diversified group of ISS columnists and feature writers come on board. In addition to Gina, ISS also welcomed Benjamin Burkhart, John Roser, Sean Cargo, Kent Flake, Alyssa Quill, Jackie Ulfig and a handful of others this past year.

A Washington, D.C., vacation. Ok, so I was actually there for the Inside Self-Storage World Expo last October, but with a setting like the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, located on the Potomac River no less, it almost didn’t feel like work. It was a beautiful setting for an action-packed show.

The 2010 ISS Factbook. This is a labor of love. It’s a chance for the ISS team to grab all our best features and columns from the year and pack it into one convenient location. If you don’t have one, get one.

Getting ready for 2010 ISS shows. Technically, this dips into next year, but the ISS team has been working diligently for the past couple of months to bring you the best expos yet. First up: Las Vegas, March 1-3. Start your year off right with the best education around. Plus, we have add-on workshops, hot-topic round tables and a pretty spectacular cocktail party. Then we head to the land of Mardi Gras—New Orleans—Sept. 28-Oct. 1. It’s guaranteed to be a show to remember.