Self-storage professionals from around the globe gathered in Las Vegas this week for the Inside Self-Storage World Expo, the industry’s largest conference and tradeshow. Storage-facility owners, operators, managers, developers, investors and suppliers participated in four days of educational sessions and networking events and perused nearly 200 exhibits at the Sands Exposition Center and Venetian Hotel Resort Casino. In addition to an extremely strong domestic attendance, international visitors included storage professionals from Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland. “In the current economic environment, storage operators are looking for ideas and information to sustain a thriving business,” said Troy Bix, group publisher for Virgo Publishing’s Light Industrial Division. “What we’ve provided for them via the ISS Expo are strategies for survival and success in a challenging market.”
Professionals from Artistic Builders, Baja Construction, Capco Steel, Chamberlain Access Solutions, Chateau Products, COWS (Containers on Wheels), Damato Associates, eMove, Epic Doors, JanUS Door, Kiwi II Construction, Mako Steel, Sentinel Systems, TrailPods, Self-Storage Talk, Self-Storage Training Institute and many more leading companies attended.
The ISS Expo launched on the morning of Jan. 26 with a hard-hitting opening session addressing the “Top Three Strategies for Self-Storage Survival and Success in 2009.” Hundreds of attendees assembled to hear a panel of specialists providing critical tactics for enduring and thriving in a tough economy. Moderated by self-storage consultancy expert Jim Chiswell, the session revealed what some of the industry’s top operators are doing to sustain and improve facility value. The exhibit hall opened at noon on Jan. 27 with a grand-opening ceremony sponsored by Chateau Products, who awarded several door prizes. Hundreds of participants walked the show floor until 5 p.m. on Tuesday and again from 9 a.m. until noon on Wednesday.
"This year's Las Vegas conference exceeded expectations, again,” according to Markus Hecker, President, SiteLink Software. “From the point of view of vendors, attendee interest was strong. All visitors were qualified buyers. I did not speak with one visitor who was not committed to the storage business. Workshops were carefully crafted to cover the topics on operators' minds. Speakers offered solid advice to navigate today's economic climate. Kudos to the organizer who offered excellent networking opportunities to every attendee. The conference was once more one of the highlights of the year."
“Thanks for the great job at the expo in Las Vegas this week,” said Teresa Sedmak, President, Everbrite Inc. “We had lots of highly qualified leads, and the people who showed up were serious about their business. This was the best show for us in years.” Several networking events offered additional opportunities to connect with industry peers, including an evening cocktail reception sponsored by DAI General Contracting, Epic Doors and Mako Steel. ISS was proud to recognize the winners of its 2009 Humanitarian Service Award during Monday’s “Self-Storage Q&A,” as three of the four winners were present to accept a certificate and discuss their charity-related efforts. The winners are A+ Self Storage in Tennessee, supporting the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure -Greater Nashville Affiliate; Cochrane Road Self Storage (Gina Six Kudo), supporting the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center of Morgan Hill, Calif.; Hawaii Self Storage, supporting numerous charities and programs; and Preferred Self Storage (Mike and Linda McDaniel), supporting the Circle of Friends Club of Lewisville (Texas) High School.
The expo’s comprehensive Education Program expanded to four tracks to incorporate sessions focusing exclusively on self-storage marketing. With more than 30 seminars on the slate, attendees also learned about self-storage management skills, operational essentials, site development, facility construction, legal issues, insurance and much more.
Mark your calendars for the upcoming Inside Self-Storage World Expo, scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., Oct. 5-8, 2009. For details, visit www.insideselfstorageworldexpo.com or call 866.230.2311. The 2010 expo in Las Vegas will take place March 1-3 at the Paris Las Vegas.
Virgo Publishing produces Inside Self-Storage World Expos, the Self-Storage Training Institute and its online education website selfstorageeducation.com, and the Self-Storage Talk online community at www.selfstoragetalk.com. In addition, it publishes Inside Self-Storage magazine and the Inside Self-Storage Factbook.