10 Reasons to Come to New Orleans: Inside Self-Storage World Expo Is a Can't-Miss Business Opportunity

Thinking about attending the next Inside Self-Storage World Expo but haven’t yet taken the plunge? If you haven’t registered for the ISS Expo in New Orleans, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, you’re at risk of missing out on one of the best self-storage investments you’ll make all year. Need a compelling reason to invest in your own success? Read on ...We’ll give you 10!

1. Inside Self-Storage has been a trusted source of industry information for more than 19 years.

ISS magazine and expo have been around for nearly two decades, providing insight, education and guidance to industry professionals of all types: green and seasoned owners, large and small operators, managers, investors, developers and others. They turn to us not only for our print publication and tradeshows, but for the online Self-Storage Training Institute and Self-Storage Talk, the industry’s largest online community.

2. The ISS Expo is the perfect venue for gathering the tools and information necessary to compete in a challenging market.

You won’t find a better place to get the most up-to-date, critical information you need to make important decisions about your self-storage business. Whether you own or manage a facility or are looking to build or invest, the resources assembled at the show will help you understand your options and take action when it counts. You’ll walk away with strategies you can immediately implement for the improvement of your existing or planned project.

3. Attendees get access to three comprehensive education tracks and five add-on workshops covering every aspect of the business.

The ISS Expo in New Orleans offers 30 seminars organized into three convenient, all-inclusive tracks: 1) Facility Marketing & Sales, 2) Day-to-Day Management & Operation, and 3) Construction, Development, Real Estate & Finance. Whatever you’re looking to learn, you’ll find it as part of our complete education program. (See the sidebar for a sampling of session topics.) The show also offers five highly specialized workshops with intense focus in the areas of sales, customer service, marketing, site development, collections, lien sales and others.

4. You’ll learn new ways to generate revenue and reduce operational costs.

We’ve asked our presenters to emphasize and share techniques for minimizing business expenses and maximizing potential income. Whether the budget you manage relates to facility development, construction, operation or marketing, our seminars, speakers and exhibitors will help you identify areas for conservation as well as opportunities for revenue growth. At the ISS Expo, you’ll learn ways to cut costs, improve sales, attract tenants, resolve delinquencies, negotiate services and more.

5. ISS recruits only the best minds in the business, giving you face time with the industry’s most sought after presenters.

More than 30 of the industry’s top experts have been recruited to speak at the New Orleans expo, each with proficiency in a self-storage field. Take this opportunity to tap into their specialized knowledge and get your business questions answered. There’s no better teacher than personal experience, and our presenters have it in spades. Speak with these professionals before and after seminars, during Roundtable Discussions and on the show floor. Many are happy to schedule one-on-one meetings as well.

6. Expo networking opportunities provide one-on-one time with seasoned experts.

The ISS Expo provides assorted opportunities for show participants to mingle and share information. Events such as the Self Storage Q&A, Roundtable Discussions, the Technology Marketplace and Buyers & Sellers Meeting are open, interactive forums in which to ask questions and exchange insight. Don’t forget the evening cocktail reception, which opens in the expo hall on Wednesday!

7. The industry’s top companies are at the ready to answer questions, demonstrate products and offer insight to the overall field.

Approximately 70 exhibitors will be present in New Orleans to demonstrate their wares, distribute samples and answer attendee questions. You can see in action self-storage software, gates and gate operators, video surveillance, mobile-storage containers, doors and more. Check out retail product, marketing services, insurance programs, builders ... anything you might need to create or run a successful storage operation.

8. The industry’s latest technology will be available in a hands-on environment for perusal and demos.

It can be tough to choose management software or access equipment for your facility. Maybe you’re considering a self-storage kiosk but have never seen one up close. Perhaps you’ve heard about automatic door overlocks and want to know more. Or you’re interested in learning about solar-energy systems. The expo is the place to examine the industry’s technological tools up close and personal. Try them out and understand how tenants might perceive them. In addition to expo-hall opportunities, you can do more exploring in our Technology Marketplace.

9. You can mingle and talk with colleagues who truly understand―and have experience in―your particular business challenges.

Sometimes it helps to know you’re not alone. Candid conversation with peers who are in the same trenches provides a sense of community and support. It may be that your next great idea comes, not from an expert, but from another manager, operator or builder just like you who encountered an obstacle and learned how to overcome it. Never underestimate the insight of your fellow attendees―it might just be the thing that brings the expo experience home for you!

10. Attendees will enjoy one of the nation’s most entertaining, diverse and culturally rich cities.

The ISS Expo will take place at the freshly renovated New Orleans Marriott at 555 Canal St., positioned at the French Quarter’s western border. The hotel is within walking distance of hundreds of restaurants, lounges and shops, the convention center, the business district, and popular Big Easy attractions such as Bourbon Street and Jackson Square.

Take a trolley into the Garden District. Go on a swamp, plantation or ghost tour. Savor a quiet afternoon at the Audubon Nature Institute. Whether your penchant is for cuisine, music, art, history, sight-seeing or nightlife, you’ll find what you’re looking for in New Orleans.

Join us at the ISS Expo to get your questions answered, learn solutions for your self-storage business challenges, and enjoy one of the nation’s most enthralling cities. For more information about the complete expo program, visit www.insideselfstorageworldexpo.com.

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Seminar Topics: A Sampling

Rental-Rate Management: How Owners and Managers Can Create More Revenue From Existing Inventory
The Three Greatest Risks to Your Facility Value and How to Overcome Them
Designing and Renovating a Self-Storage Facility for Solar Sustainability
Assembling a Self-Storage Loan Package: Instructions Step-by-Step
Secrets of Search-Engine Optimization (SEO)
Doing the Due Diligence: Realizing the Full Potential of Your Self-Storage Investment
Effective Collection Techniques: Controlling Self-Storage Delinquencies
The Top Legal Threats Your Self-Storage Business Will Face in 2011
Champagne Marketing at Grape-Juice Expense: Low- to No-Cost Ideas You Can Implement Today
Overcoming Competition in a Cutthroat Environment