A League Of Its Own: The highlight reel from MSM’s THE Show

Did the self-storage industry need another conference and trade show? When it offers something different, all signs point to a resounding YES.

Held in Atlanta, Ga., where there’s a substantial self-storage presence but few national industry events, MSM's THE Show promised a fresh approach to education, networking, and entertainment. By many accounts, it delivered. In keeping with its baseball theme, attendees and exhibitors called it a “home run”—even a “grand slam.”

“One of the reasons that we did THE Show was to bring a different level of education to the industry and our attendees,” says Travis Morrow, CEO of MSM. “We wanted to offer more—to be innovators. Our speakers really stepped up, bringing new content, thoughts, and ideas that they haven't necessarily touched on at other shows.”

MSM founder Hardy Good reflects on how far the organization has come. “MSM got its start back in 1979, so I suppose you could say a trade show was long overdue,” says Good with a laugh. “The idea came up more than once over the years, but at the time, I felt our focus needed to remain on publishing and serving the industry through our magazines. Looking at what MSM has become today, I couldn't be more proud. To see it evolve into an organization capable of producing an event of this caliber is incredibly gratifying.”

With that, here's a look back at THE Show 2026.

Floored
Rather than a traditional exhibit hall layout, MSM divided the trade show floor into zones with special activations, including golf simulators and a photo booth where attendees could create encased baseball cards. At its center was the StorageLife Clubhouse, a networking hub where attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors could step away from the crowd to have more meaningful conversations. The arrangement encouraged people to stay on the exhibit floor instead of leaving it for separate meeting areas.

“The exhibit hall floor plan was great, I particularly enjoyed the convenience of the StorageLife Clubhouse area in the middle of the trade show floor,” says Stacie Maxwell, VP of Growth & Innovation, On The Move.

M. Anne Ballard of Universal Storage Group agreed, saying, “Having lunch on the trade show floor was a big plus with time to meet with clients and new vendors.”

With no overlap between trade show hours and educational sessions, attendees didn't have to choose between vendors and learning. As MSM's Lauri Longstrom-Henderson put it, “I'm usually always floor-focused. This time, I was able to attend sessions, and then be there on the floor when that kicked off.”

Key Points
THE Show brought prominent speakers from inside and outside self-storage. On day one, Aoife Roche, the AI Queen™, shared AI marketing strategies, summarizing her message in one line: “If AI can't read you, it can't recommend you.” She proceeded to explain how storage operators could use AI and other emerging tech to their benefit.

Atlanta Braves legend and eight-time MLB All-Star Chipper Jones was up next, discussing lessons from his career that apply to self-storage: perseverance, resilience, and staying competitive when times get tough. Janus International's Christine DeBord interviewed him live. “It was one of the coolest and most nerve-wracking days of my life,” she said. “Thank you to the MSM team for allowing me to interview a baseball icon at THE Show!”

Day two featured Scott Jennings, former advisor to President George W. Bush and CNN conservative commentator, offering his assessment of the midterm elections. Rather than dwell on the results, Jennings discussed lessons for both parties and emphasized the importance of working together despite political differences—a return to a time when disagreements didn't have to define relationships.

U-Haul President Joe Shoen closed out day two, discussing issues such as aggressive existing-customer rental increases (ECRIs), repeating a warning from an earlier MSM interview. “I'm 77 years old and am proud to be part of this industry—I saw it get started. But I can also foresee a time when it's no longer around if we continue down this path [of aggressive ECRIs]. These operators who're digging themselves into a hole need to put down the shovel.”

Day three began with a laugh as self-storage owners and congressmen Troy Downing and Jefferson Shreve took the stage. After the midterms, Republican Downing joked that his entrance song “really ought to be ‘I'm Still Standing’ by Elton John.” The two discussed the intersection of politics, public policy, and self-storage with emcee Mark Durden-Smith, a prominent UK television personality and sports anchor.

MSM CEO Travis Morrow closed the day with an unfiltered look at ECRIs and the industry's reputation, noting how just about every true crime documentary has a scene with a storage roll-up door reveal. “We can't control that, or how Hollywood and the media present our industry,” he said. “We can control how we react and how we structure our businesses.” His remarks drew applause and an invitation from the Self Storage Association (SSA) for further discussion.

Four Beside The Floor
THE Show's educational endeavors were organized around MSM’s four pillars: Operations, Data, Development, and Investment. More than 70 industry experts addressed the challenges and opportunities within each, offering perspectives and ideas for independent owners, established operators, and the companies serving them.

“The MSM Show was power-packed with speakers that addressed current market conditions with realistic and thoughtful insight,” says Neal Gussis, executive director of capital markets at SPMI Capital. “This was not a show filled with speakers trying to sell their services—all the presentations were designed to provide expert commentary on the state of the industry today. I came away smarter and more informed from my interactions with fellow industry experts, owners, and clients.”

Robert Knapp, owner of Keep It Simple Self Storage, also praised the sessions. “The entire MSM team put together one of the best programs, with engaging topics in a great format. Thank you for helping move the industry forward.”

“Post Game” rooms across from each pillar's session room allowed attendees to continue discussions with speakers after presentations ended.

In addition to the pillar rooms, the Manager's Room created a dedicated space for the people on the front lines of self-storage. Sessions offered practical operations and sales training, from improving customer experience and increasing rentals to strengthening facility performance. “I really enjoyed speaking in the Manager's Room,” says Maxwell, “and I think every speaker brought some fantastic and actionable content that attendees were able to take back and implement immediately.”

StorageMart manager Sunshine Celaya echoed the enthusiasm on LinkedIn, saying, “This was such an amazing event.”

Driving Deals, Sparking Conversation
Unique to THE Show, the Deal Room brought buyers, sellers, investors, and dealmakers together in a dedicated space. Powered by TractIQ's industry data and market intelligence, it offered a place to discuss properties and portfolios, explore potential transactions, and better understand what was moving in the market.

THE Show also offered opportunities for peer-to-peer conversations, with dozens of focused small-group roundtables covering the issues affecting self-storage today. Attendees exchanged experiences, asked questions, and heard how others were tackling similar challenges, with industry professionals guiding the discussions.

Making Memories
THE Show's first day ended with the Deep Blue Welcome Reception at the Georgia Aquarium, catered by Wolfgang Puck. The unusual setting gave attendees a chance to reconnect with familiar faces and meet new people away from the typical conference ballroom—with sharks and beluga whales swimming just beyond the glass!

And then there was the Red Carpet Awards Gala. MSM has recognized exceptional facilities since 1987 and outstanding managers since 1989. At THE Show, winners in both categories were announced live for the first time at a formal party hosted by Durden-Smith and MSM publisher Poppy Behrens.

“This year, it was especially rewarding to honor the winners within both categories at THE Show,” says Behrens. “This gave them the opportunity to shine and accept their awards in front of their peers.”

See the winners here:
MSM’s Facilities of the Year
MSM’s Managers of the Year

Mission Critical
THE Show supported Atlanta Mission, founded in 1938 and now a major Atlanta provider of services for people experiencing hunger and homelessness. “Many self-storage operators have had the difficult task of removing homeless individuals and even families from units they'd been living in,” says Morrow. “Atlanta Mission offers these people an alternative and a chance to rebuild their lives.”

Sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees rallied around the charity. Atlanta Mission development coordinator Madison Sutherland said donations exceeded expectations and called it one of the best events the organization had participated in.

Kudos Keep Coming

“Tremendous event—well-done, MSM team!”
— Terry Anderson, President/CEO, Tenant Property Protection

“Terrific energy and excitement at THE Show!”
— Scott Zucker, Partner, Weissmann Zucker Euster + Oblinger, P.C.

“THE Show was beautifully executed ... the MSM team did not cut any corners in the execution and product of this event and it shows.”
— Jessica Johnson, Director of Marketing, The Storage Group

Perhaps Harry Sleighel, owner of Tenant Property Protection, summed it up best. “The bar for self-storage trade shows has been raised! There was uninterrupted selling time for vendors and time honoring the heartbeat of self-storage—the managers—finally! THE Show had the best group of speakers ever and was a far superior event than other shows I've been to. Congratulations to MSM and thanks to everyone who helped produce THE Show.”

THE Show set out to do more than add another event to the industry's calendar. It aimed to challenge conventional thinking, spark meaningful conversations, and give attendees ideas they could put to work. Thanks to our sponsors, exhibitors, attendees, and everyone who believed in the vision.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: