News From the Reno Show Floor

While trudging through Reno-Tahoe International Airport on Tuesday, I saw something I'd not seen before: a vending machine for electronics such as MP3 players and digital cameras. You just pay on the kiosk panel with your credit card, the door opens and you get access to your device of choice. As I stood there gawking at the display, suitcase tearing at one shoulder, laptop bag tugging the other, I thought this trip might hold a few intrigues if not surprises.

And so it has. I knew going into this Expo it would be less crowded and chaotic than our annual Vegas event. But I'm pleased to see attendees and vendors alike savoring the more tranquil vibe, taking opportunity to engage with one another and share experiences. I've had more time for that, too. Yesterday, I spent time visiting with Jenny, a new storage operator from New Zealand, and Dean, who came to Reno early to attend a horse-training seminar. He just added six portable-storage containers  to his traditional storage facility. Like many operators, he feels he should offer the mobile-storage service to his customers before a large franchise like SMARTBOX moves into his market. I really enjoy listening to peoples' stories. The general openess of this industry is why I like it so much.

At present, I'm stationed in the back of seminar room A1, listening to a few speakers and trying to be generally helpful. I've just enjoyed a presentation by Ken Weiner and Nate Hunterton of the Nevada Association. They did a great job balancing information regarding the Nevada real estate market and acquisitions in general. Sounds like the area is experiencing some healthy growth. Now Bob Hayworth of Baja Construction will share info about solar panels that can be used with boat/RV carports. "Green is in," he says.

In just two hours, the expo hall will open, and so willl begin the frenzy of information exchange between vendors and customers. I'll report more as the day progresses. If you're here at the show, be sure to come by the ISS booth and say, "Hey." See you on the show floor.