Self Storage: The "Cinderella" Segment of the Commercial Real Estate Industry

Industry Holds Its 34th Annual Conference in Las Vegas September
4-6, 2008 - Interested Parties Welcomed!
LAS VEGAS--(Business Wire)--
The national Self Storage Association (SSA) announced today its
Keynote Speaker as well as General Session and concurrent education
session programs for its 34th Fall Conference & Trade Show (September
4th - 6th), the premier gathering of owners, operators,
vendor-exhibitors and prospective investors in self storage industry.
The annual convention is expected to attract some 2,500 industry
leaders as well as the largest trade show in the Association's history
to The RIO (All-Suites) Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.
Pre-registrations as well as "walk-up" attendees are always welcomed.

Self Storage as an industry has performed so well during the
current economic climate, that many analysts have begun referring to
self storage as the "Cinderella" segment of the commercial real estate
industry.

"We are on pace for a record conference in terms of attendance and
trade show exhibitors," said Michael T. Scanlon, Jr., SSA President &
chief executive officer. "We welcome Cal Ripken, Jr., Major League
Baseball's Hall of Fame Ironman as our Keynote Speaker who will talk
on 'Perseverance in a Competitive Environment,'" Scanlon added.

"In addition, Bob Beckel (Democrat analyst for Fox News Channel)
and Tony Blankley (Republican analyst of the McLaughlin Group) will
discuss potential 2008 General Election outcomes and discuss the key
issues on the minds' of the American voters," said Scanlon. "Our
featured speaker for the Closing General Session will be author and
customer service expert Lisa Ford who will talk on 'Self Storage
Customer as Partners: Why Customer Service Is Not Enough,'" he added.

Among the many concurrent educational sessions will be programs
on: Creating websites for Incomparable Internet Marketing; Going
Green: Building to LEED Specifications; 911 Legal: Getting Answers
When You Need Help; Re-engineering Your Rental and Payment Processes
for Profits; Investing in Facility Managers: Creating an Effective
Training Program; Self Storage in Mixed Use Developments; Self
Storage- Going "Condo"; Community Awareness as a Successful Marketing
Tool.

In addition, SSA will hold more than 50 roundtable educational
sessions on a myriad of topics affecting the self storage industry.
There will be several early morning "Hot Coffee & Hot Topics"
question-and-answer discussion sessions, a half-day program on family
business management led by Dr. Donald J. Jonovic, and four Managers
Certification Course sessions (for facility managers) on Legal Issues,
Financial Management, Operations and Sales & Human Relations.

The deadline for discounted room block registrations at The RIO
Resort & Casino is: Monday, August 4th -- for program registration
discounts is Monday, August 11th -- and for conference
pre-registrations is Wednesday, August 27th. Walk-up registrations
on-site at The RIO at time of the conference are welcomed. One-day
registrations and trade show-only passes are still available.

To register: Go online to www.selfstorage.ORG, email:
SSA@laser-registration.com, or call (514) 228-3076.

About the Self Storage Association

Founded in 1975, the Self Storage Association (SSA) is the
national not-for-profit trade organization serving the $22.2 billion
(revenues) self storage industry including owner-operators, facility
managers and vendors in the self storage industry. The SSA represents
some 3,000 direct member companies and another 3,000 indirect member
firms (via twenty-four (24) affiliated associations) that own and
operate a total of some 20,000 facilities in the US, Canada and 16
other nations. SSA direct members range from individual facility
owner-operators to multiple-facility operations, to the industry's
largest publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). The
Association specializes in twelve areas of core competency: (1.)
Database of Industry Information; (2.) Advocacy & Government
Relations; (3.) Networking & Meetings; (4.) Communications & the SSA
Globe Magazine; (5.) Executive Education & Employee Training; (6.)
Rewards & Benefits; (7.) Technology & Web-based Tools; (8.) Research &
Studies; (9.) Affiliated Association Relations; (10.) Membership
Services; (11.) Publications & Content; and, (12.) Legal Information &
Resources. Visit www.selfstorage.ORG for more information.

Self Storage Association
Tim Dietz, 703-575-8000 x112

Copyright Business Wire 2008