It's the first day back to reality after the Inside Self-Storage World Expo in Las Vegas, March 1-3, and my head is still swimming from the frenetic pace of the three days. Education sessions, exhibits, workshops, roundtables, meetups, the Cocktail Reception, and the list goes on. What's most memorable for me, though, were the events pertaining specifically to Self-Storage Talk, the official online forum of ISS and the largest forum within the industry.

I was thrilled to have a great group at the SST roundtable on Monday. There was a solid mix of newbies wanting to get involved, semi-regular posters wanting to learn about how they can do more, and fantastic moderators (thank you, Storman, Autodoc and Gina6k), who helped guide the discussion and answer questions.

Tuesday and Wednesday were incredibly valuable for me, as I was manning the computer at the Self-Storage Talk Lounge. Many passersby either stopped to see what Self-Storage Talk is or to introduce themselves and say, “I'm so-and-so from the forum.”

I can't tell you how fun and interesting it is to put a face with a username. It's tempting to reach a conclusion about one's personality based on their online postings, and I'm always curious to see if my online perception matches the user's real-life persona.

Here are some forum regulars whom I met for the first time: Autodoc, bdocktor, Gina6k, JulieA, Storman, kennypratt, peten and Dale Jordan. (There were many others; sorry if I left you out.) I also was able to visit with some of the regulars whom I met in Washington, D.C., last fall: MisterJim444, Mel Holsinger, Jeff Greenberger, John Roser, alexlekas and Randyt.

Additionally, I witnessed many new users signing up, and three of them walked away winners of $15 Starbucks gift cards. A legion of others promised to join and to start contributing as soon as they got home.

Lastly, the SST meet-up at the Cocktail Reception Tuesday was a lovely opportunity for members to get to know each other better— or meet for the first time. As someone who helps facilitate the community, it's nice for me to be able to sit back and watch people interact. I know it's corny and sounds contrived, but I genuinely get great joy out of seeing industry professionals smile and laugh together.

It's an exciting time immediately after an ISS show. Everyone returns home galvanized to carry through with all of the great ideas and practices they heard. The key is to ride that momentum as long as possible—and that includes registering and contributing to Self-Storage Talk. It's completely free to sign up and participate, but the connections you'll forge and the ideas you'll pick up are priceless.