The Associazione Imprese Selfstorage Italiane (AISI), known to English speakers as the Self Storage Association of Italy, hosted a conference earlier this month at the Hotel NH Venezia Laguna Palace in Venice. The May 11 event drew 50 self-storage operators from cities including Forlì, Milan, Modena, Rimini, Rome and Trento, according to a press release. Activities included seminars, networking events and Q&A sessions focused on topics such as revenue, rental agreements, marketing, growth, development and more.
Author and consultant Christel Friberg Land, founder of business-coaching firm Clover Four, was a guest speaker. Land spoke at the annual Federation of European Self Storage Associations (FEDESSA) conference in Paris last fall and will be a featured speaker at its London event in October. Additional guests included Christian Schmutz, CEO of Zebrabox in Switzerland; Paul Fahey, director of Easybox, which operates facilities in Genoa, Milan, Rome and Turin, Italy; Paul Whittaker, director of SureStore in England; and Paola Barraza, membership-services officer for FEDESSA. Sponsors included Italian Institute of Auctions, Janus International, PTI Security Systems, Reason Global International Insurance Brokers, Store-It and Universal Storage Containers.
“We are facing exciting times, and we always like to know where self-storage is heading. We would like to make the next conference much bigger by adding a facility tour. Milano would be the perfect place for the next conference,” said Cesare Carcano, AISI President and CEO of Casaforte Self Depositi.
“Every year, the awareness is increasing, and people are finally understanding the advantages of self-storage. The industry is expanding, and Milan is getting bigger and bigger, so it is the place to be,” said Giovanni Tronchin, manager of Self Storage Milano Est. in Segrate, a town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Milan.
AISI represents and supports Italian self-storage operators and suppliers. Acting as the voice of the local storage industry, it aims to promote the best practices and facilitate the development of the sector.
