ISS BLOG - Help Us Support Industry Charities at the Inside Self-Storage World Expo

In my role at Inside Self-Storage, I have the privilege of interacting with a variety of self-storage professionals. This group includes facility and district managers, new and veteran investors, owners with single sites and large portfolios, real estate investment trusts, developers, and a range of industry suppliers and vendors. Each person brings a unique perspective depending on their role, but one thing just about everyone has in common is their willingness to share … their time, energy and expertise.

This generous spirit can be seen in their charitable actions, too. We publish dozens of news items every year about facility operators and vendors who partner with nonprofits to provide space, sponsorships, monetary and goods donations, and more. Recently, Boardwalk Storage in Buford, Georgia, announced it’s offering a free storage unit for Face Friends Foundation Inc., which provides families financial and food assistance. Another example comes from Storage Asset Management (SAM), a property-management and consulting firm. SAM and its managed self-storage properties donated $30,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital last year. That’s quite an achievement!

ISS is launching its own charitable endeavors at this year’s ISS World Expo, April 2-5, in Las Vegas. We’re partnering with two industry charities, Charity Storage and Storage Gives to raise funds and awareness for a variety of worthy causes.

Charity Storage will host “Hoops for a Cause” during expo-hall hours on April 3 and 4. Attendees can stop by booth number 318 to play Pop-A-Shot and show off their free-throw basketball skills. For a modest donation, participants can try to sink as many baskets as possible in 60 seconds. They can play alone or compete with a colleague. Every participant will be entered into a raffle to win one of several great prizes. The player who’s made the most baskets at the end of the event will receive a special award.

In addition, Storage Gives will hold a silent auction beginning on April 2 and ending the following afternoon. There’ll be a table set up in expo registration for attendees to participate.

The organization will also host a bingo during the conference. Attendees will receive a card in their show bag that prompts them to visit each booth listed and get a stamp. Each bingo earns one entry toward a chance to win a $1,000 gift card as well as other prizes.

Finally, the charity will raffle a series of prizes and offer packages to purchase tickets in bulk as well as host a live auction during the last half hour of the ISS “Party on the Plaza” cocktail reception on April 3.

If you’re attending the ISS World Expo, be sure to check out all these opportunities. If you can’t make it to the show but are interested in supporting either organization, it’s time to reach out and find out how your self-storage business can help.