Josh and Melissa are back from the Inside Self-Storage World Expo and sharing their biggest takeaways from one of the industry's largest events.

AI was everywhere, with vendors continuing to integrate it into their platforms. At the same time, we are seeing the rise of agentic AI in other industries, which raises interesting questions about where self storage is headed next.

But even with all the innovation, one theme stood out clearly. The basics still matter.

We reflect on our Management Mastery session and the encouraging number of owners who are focused on truly understanding and improving how they run their businesses. Strong operations, clear processes, and intentional leadership are still the foundation of success.

We also talk through the tradeshow floor, where we saw more niche vendors than ever before. The number of options available to help operators improve every part of their business continues to grow.

To wrap it up, we share the shows we are looking forward to for the rest of the year and why getting in the room still matters.

If you're planning your year, here are a few events we recommend:

• Register for the NeSSA Expo in Connecticut using code Lighthouse10 - Register Here
• Register for The Big Ideas in Storage Conference in Texas - Register Here
• Register for MSM's The Show using code LSS2026 - Register Here

Hosts: Josh Huff & Melissa Huff

Produced by Lighthouse Storage Solutions