Occupancy and achieved rates have long been self-storage’s hardest numbers to verify. Drawing on operating data from roughly $50 billion of CMBS-financed assets, TractIQ CEO Noah Starr shows where collected rent stands against street rates, why lower occupancy isn’t always weaker performance, and what it all means for underwriting your next deal.

Self-storage has never had more data, yet confident decisions are still hard to make. Eight years of COVID-driven demand, interest rate shocks and overbuilding have made historical trends a shaky basis for projections. More owners and investors are also asking AI for answers built on data it can’t verify.

This panel brings together experts in new supply, valuation and market data from Yardi, Cushman & Wakefield and TractIQ, moderated by Lance Watkins of Tenant Inc. They’ll take a candid look at where the numbers can seem misleading and provide examples where data can be misunderstood. You’ll leave knowing what questions to ask before you make a million-dollar decision based on a dashboard, a report or a chatbot.

Jared Mastroianni, COO of modSTORAGE, also is the founder of Facily.ai, which was built with smaller operators at its core, providing data to help them compete and using a sliding pricing scale designed to make the platform more accessible to them. “We want to see this industry prosper for a very long time, and feel the continued success of our industry depends on the small operator,” Mastroianni says. He doesn't buy the idea that independent operators can't compete. “I think there are a lot of operators right now who are feeling discouraged, wondering if they just need to let a REIT manage their facility or if they need to sell because they're not cut out for it. I believe 99 percent of them are cut out for it. They just need the right tools.” Hear more from Mastroianni in this enlightening session.

The Self-Storage Almanac was first published in 1992. Since then it has followed self-storage from a mom-and-pop, mini-warehouse business to an institutional asset class. Today the U.S. has more than 68,000 facilities with 2.47 billion rentable square feet, worth over $400 billion.

In this 30-minute session, Noah Starr of TractIQ and Poppy Behrens of Modern Storage Media look at where the industry stood historically and how far it has come since. Then they open the 2027 edition. You’ll leave with an early look at the numbers that will shape underwriting, development and operating decisions in 2027.

An interactive look at potential self storage deals - balancing development costs, projected returns, and site-specific challenges to decide when to move forward, rethink the plan, or walk away.

Self-storage developers already know how to find a site, win entitlements, build and lease up. Moving into a new asset class means serving a different customer: tradespeople, small businesses and e-commerce sellers who are on site every day and sign very different leases. Melissa Anderson and Cody Payne sit down for a candid conversation about which parts of the self-storage playbook still apply, where it stops working, and the demand drivers, lease economics and market data that show whether a market can support this asset class.

In this panel, general contractors discuss build costs, timelines, and lessons from recent storage projects.

The line between self-storage, flex space and light commercial real estate is evolving. Whether developing flex space, small-bay or mixed-use facilities from the ground up or converting vacant retail, warehouse and other commercial buildings, thoughtful design and smart building technology can create adaptable properties that serve a broader range of tenants and operate more efficiently.

• Explore ground-up opportunities for flex space, small-bay and mixed-use development
• Turn vacant retail, warehouses and other commercial properties into productive flex space
• Design adaptable spaces that can accommodate changing tenants and uses
• Integrate smart building infrastructure, automation from the start
• Create diversified revenue opportunities while strengthening long-term asset value

Self-storage owners and investors face a changing landscape of rising operating costs, increased competition, higher borrowing costs, and looming debt maturities. Join industry investment executives for a candid discussion on the challenges facing today's operators, evolving acquisition strategies and property valuations, navigating the current lending environment, and identifying opportunities to protect and grow NOI in an increasingly competitive market.

When Modern Storage Media was sued in federal court over its name, the case became a two-and-a-half-year crash course in how trademark law really works. It ended in a summary judgment win. In this candid session, Travis Morrow and self-storage attorney Scott Zucker walk through what happened, why the court ruled the way it did, and what every self-storage owner, developer and operator should know before naming a facility, rebranding an acquisition or expanding under a single brand.

Attendees will learn how courts decide whether two names are likely to confuse customers, why descriptive names are hard to protect, what counts as real evidence of confusion in the age of social media tagging, what to check before you buy, rename or rebrand, and what to do if a cease-and-desist letter lands on your desk.

Behind every successful woman is a story you don't always see. Join us for an open, honest, and empowering panel discussion where we go beyond the highlight reel and talk about the moments that shape us, the tough choices we face, the invisible load we carry, and the courage it takes to rewrite the rules.

This isn't your typical leadership panel. It's a real conversation about life, careers, family, challenges, and everything in between. Our goal is to create a space where women can connect, share experiences, and walk away knowing they aren't alone in the challenges they face.

SBA financing isn’t just for first-time buyers or borrowers who can’t get a conventional loan. Used strategically, it can help preserve capital, build equity, and create more options for future acquisitions. We’ll challenge some of the biggest assumptions about SBA lending and look at where it can fit into a much larger portfolio strategy. Even if you’ve dismissed SBA before, this session may change the way you think about it.

In this engaging session, made for both managers and owners, Anne asks managers the tough questions and puts things to a vote with a raise of hands. Then she flips it to hear the owners' side. Be prepared for lively discussion in the eye-opening session.

Great customer service is important, but customer experience goes much further than a friendly greeting or a successful rental. Throughout their journey, customers are silently asking questions that shape whether they trust us, even if they never say them out loud. Are we being transparent? Do we understand their needs? Will we follow through on our promises?

In this interactive session, we'll explore seven practical rules that address these unspoken questions and help managers create clarity, set expectations, communicate effectively, and build lasting trust. Through real-world examples and discussion, attendees will discover how small, intentional actions can make a big difference in the customer experience, strengthening relationships, retention, and loyalty.

A panel of self-storage equity investors and lenders discussing where investment money is going now, the outlook going forward, and opportunities for value creation in public vs. private markets for both investors and operators.

A Top 100 Operators session, reserved for Top 100 guests.