I’m not going to lie … I love to shop. But I despise shopping on Black Friday. I don’t do crowds, and I’m certainly not willing to stand in line to buy something I can probably get online for a better price at a fraction of the hassle. It takes a rare breed of courage to brave retail America the day after Thanksgiving—courage or crazy.
For weeks now, I’ve been getting e-mails from retailers advertising Black Friday sneak peeks, previews and pre-sale sales. I know Turkey Day is somewhat late this year, but it seems to have set off a premature frenzy of holiday marketing. Merchants want to beat their competitors to the punch and get a head start on what’s sure to be their heftiest revenue season of the year. I’d think it was ridiculous if I didn’t find the strategy so disturbingly alluring.
So we at ISS are taking a page out of the retailer’s playbook. I’m pleased to announce our early Black Friday sale for the 2015 Inside Self-Storage World Expo, which will take place in Las Vegas, April 7-9. From now through Nov. 30, you can purchase an Education Package for the industry’s largest, most comprehensive conference and tradeshow for only $349. That’s more than $200 off the full price, and more than $50 off our early-bird rate. It’s by far the best price you’re going to see on this package—ever—and it’s only available for this limited time.
This offering is unique, so please read the following details. The special discount package is available exclusively through the Inside Self-Storage Store. To buy it, click here, or visit www.insideselfstoragestore.com and choose “ISS Expo Package” from the left navigation bar. Add the package to your cart and check out as usual. You may buy as many packages as you wish, but each purchase must be made in a separate transaction. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this causes, but the money you’ll save makes it worthwhile.
Once you’ve completed your purchase, you’ll receive a confirmation via e-mail as well as find an expo voucher in the “My On-Demand Library” of your ISS Store account. There’s nothing you need to do but wait. Sometime during the week of Dec. 8, the ISS Expo Team will contact you personally to finalize the details of your event registration(s). The only fine print is this: The discount package is non-refundable and non-transferable.
Your Education Package will include access to the:
- Opening session
- Exhibit hall
- Evening cocktail reception
- Self-Storage Q&A with Jim Chiswell and Mel Holsinger
- Buyers & Sellers Meeting
- Vendor presentations
- Roundtable discussions
- Concurrent education tracks
There will be 10 education tracks comprising more than 40 seminars. Sessions will cover all aspects of the business, from getting funding and breaking ground, to site design and construction, to fully operating the business and exceling in a competitive environment. You’ll learn about money management, customer service and sales, risk management, marketing—everything you need to run a successful self-storage facility.
The only thing your Education Package doesn’t include is access to the add-on workshops, which can be purchased once registration officially opens via the expo website on Dec. 1. There will be six options from which to choose: Development Workshop, Legal Learning Live Workshop, Management Workshop, Owner/Operator Executive Workshop, Pricing Workshop and a new special workshop called “Am I Breaking the Law?” All education details will be posted on Dec. 1 as well.
If you already know you want to attend some add-ons, our Premium Package will provide you with everything in the Education Package listed above as well as your choice of two workshops. The early-bird price for that package will be $678, and a la carte workshops will be $325. (The early-bird rates will be in effect Dec. 1 to Feb. 5.)
So here’s a tip: If you want to attend a workshop, forego the Black Friday sale and wait to purchase the Premium Package. Here’s why: If you were to buy the sale package at $349 and later add one workshop for $325, you’d spend $674. For just $4 more, you can have the Premium Package, which gives you one workshop more. If you just want the standard Education Package, however, then jump on the Black Friday deal. You won’t find a better one.
Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. If you venture out into the wild world that weekend, look lively and keep your head on a swivel. And, as my math teacher Mr. Kingston used to say, “Be kind and courteous to everyone, especially the old folks.” Feel free to post any questions or suggestions regarding the upcoming expo or Black Friday sale in the comments box below. Will we see you at the 2015 expo? Let us know!