The very first event of the ISS Expo in Las Vegas was a special opening session titled, "A View From the Top: Self-Storage Leaders Discuss Operational Challenges in 2012." Moderated by industry veteran Jim Chiswell (standing in photo), this session provided business insight from top experts in the field, who represented more than 100 million square feet of storage space and approximately 995,000 rental units. They shared perspectives on the operational challenges faced by all industry operators, discussing what to expect in 2012 and how to prepare for the future. Topics included industry pricing power, the trend toward Internet lead-generation, industry consolidation and more.
Our panelists, from left to right:
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Jim Stevens, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Strategic Partnerships, Extra Space Storage
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Cris Burnam, President and Chief Operating Officer, StorageMart
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Carol Shipley, Vice President of Third-Party Management, CubeSmart
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Jack Rogers, Vice President of Business Development, Sovran Self Storage Inc.
The panel agreed the self-storage industry is finally seeing an increase in new rentals and increased rental rates. “The industry is poised for a lot of growth, consolidation, and great things are coming,” said Rogers. To read more expert comments, read "Renewed Energy, Positive Outlook Prevail at Inside Self-Storage World Expo."
