Ten tracks, 45 seminars, seven workshops … With so much education on the docket, attendees of this year’s Inside Self-Storage World Expo are going to be spoiled for choice. You may wonder how you’ll decide on your individual agenda. A mission impossible? Thankfully not. There’s an easy way to glean the industry information you seek, and you won’t even need to crack a code.
The secret is this year’s new streamlined program, which is designed to help our audience choose seminars based on their role in the business and level of expertise. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to peruse this year’s offerings and identify the options that best meet your business needs. Identify 
your targets and set your sights on success!
The Tracks
In keeping with ISS Expo tradition, this year’s 10 concurrent education tracks are organized by industry topic; but they’re also designated by skill level to help attendees quickly recognize the sessions that are most appropriate for their experience. They’re titled simply and cleanly to make onsite decisions a snap.
If you’re new to the industry, you’ll want to choose from one of our three fundamentals tracks—Investor 101, Manager 101 or Owner 101—based on your current or intended role in the business. If you’ve worked in self-storage for some time, you’ll direct your attention to the more complex tracks: Advanced Manager, Advanced Marketing, Advanced Owner/Investor and Revenue Management. Those interested in developing a self-storage site will be best served by the Building Track. We’re also offering a Technology Track, which covers the gamut from essential tools to the intricacies of integration, and a Global Track, perfect for those interested in markets outside U.S. borders.
Of course, you don’t have to stick with just one track. With our Education and Premium Packages, you have the freedom to pick and choose among all 45 seminars. If your self-storage interests lie in more than one area (perhaps you’re an owner who also manages his own site, or a manager who might like to acquire a facility, or an investor who might like to step onto the operations side of the business), you can customize your own program based on your personal requirements. The ISS Expo mobile app will even help you keep your selections organized on your mobile device so you don’t miss anything important.
Detailed information about each track and the seminars they contain, as well as all the presenters, are available at www.insideselfstorageworldexpo.com.
The Workshops
This year’s event features a record seven workshops. Returning presentations include:
- Development Workshop: For those planning a development project, expansion or renovation. Topics include new construction, conversions, layout, design and more.
- Legal Learning Live Workshop: Focuses on lien-sale errors and other actions that lead to a high risk of legal exposure. Learn how to avoid liability in this four-hour event.
- Management Workshop: Designed for property managers, this overview delves into day-to-day operation including time management, maintenance, customer service, sales, marketing and much more.
- Marketing Workshop: Gives you a better handle on your online and offline marketing and shows you what it takes to compete in today’s competitive storage market.
- Owner/Operator Executive Workshop: For owners and district managers, this session covers everything from facility audits to hiring and training to strategies for increasing profit.
New to this year’s show are the Investment Workshop, designed for those who are looking to enter the industry or expand an existing portfolio, and a Legal Workshop hosted by industry attorney Scott Zucker, which will focus on regulatory compliance for self-storage operators. You can purchase registrations a la carte, or buy the Premium Education Package, which gives you access to your choice of two workshops.
As with any mission, getting the most from your ISS Expo experience takes careful preparation. Get familiar with the show’s offerings, detailed in the Show Planner that begins on page xx of this issue. The insert provides information on education program as well as specifics about networking events and exhibitors.
You now have your instructions! Good luck on your mission. For more insight, visit www.insideselfstorageworldexpo.com. This magazine will self-destruct in 10, 9, 8…
