More than 160 industry professionals attended the Georgia Self Storage Association (GASSA) Convention & Expo, Oct. 1-2, at the Hyatt Regency in Savannah, Ga. The event included seminars, roundtable discussions, networking events and a tradeshow featuring 43 exhibitors. Winners of the “Facility of the Year” and “Manager of the Year” Awards were also announced.
The nine-hour education program covered topics including customer service, selling to Millennials and the life cycle of the storage industry. Featured speakers were M. Anne Ballard, president of training, marketing and developmental services for Universal Storage Group; Jim Chiswell, owner of Chiswell & Associates LLC; Carol Krendl, CEO of SkilCheck Services Inc.; Guy Middlebrooks, vice president of third-party management for CubeSmart; and Scott Zucker, a partner with the law firm Weissmann Zucker Euster Morochnik P.C.
The show’s exhibitors represented a variety of self-storage products and services, such as brokerage, construction and development, insurance, security, technology, and others.
The title “Facility of Year” was awarded to Space Shop Self Storage in Snellville, Ga., for the conversion of a single-story bowling alley to a three-story self-storage facility. Candidates in this category were judged on their overall excellence in design, construction and operation, according to a GASSA press release.
Qianna Felder, a manager at Storage World Inc. in Stockbridge, Ga., was named Manager of the Year. The honor recognizes excellence in self-storage management and customer service.
The date and location for the 2018 GASSA conference will be announced in the coming months.
Founded in 1992, GASSA is a nonprofit organization for self-storage professionals in the state of Georgia. Its 240 members include owners, managers, management companies, vendors and suppliers representing more than 800 facilities.