FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2012

Contact:
SSA - Erin Morr

703-575-8000 x104
emorr@selfstorage.org

Self Storage Association Unveils StorageChat.com; Forum for Industry Dialogue

Alexandria, VA - - The Self Storage Association is pleased to announce the launch of its new online discussion forum StorageChat.com. StorageChat.com allows self storage professionals to engage with their peers. Membership in the community is free and provides access to post topics, comment on others' posts, upload content, and many other useful functions.

Michael T. Scanlon President & CEO said, "At industry events and our training courses, we've observed first-hand how useful it is for our professionals to share know-how with each other, and we wanted to facilitate those relations. An online discussion forum such as StorageChat.com seemed like a natural conservatory to our educational programs and our goal to provide multiple channels for our professionals to easily find help.

StorageChat.com offers many features that will enable Self Storage Professionals to enhance their abilities and get assistance from peers and experts in different categories including Self Storage Insurance law and legislation, Self Storage Management, Self Storage Education, Self Storage Technology, and Self Storage Marketing. Scanlon emphasizes that Self Storage Association has carefully selected some of the most experienced experts in each filed to provide a maximum impact and success for it is professional users.

All self storage professionals regardless of their affiliation with Self Storage Association are encouraged to register and actively participate in StorageChat.com. To register for StorageChat.com, once you visit the home screen you will see a message in pale yellow. It will introduce new users to the FAQ page as well as to a link to register. Once you click on the link to register, the site will prompt you to enter your birthdate. Once you enter this information you will create a user name, password and enter your email address. After accepting the forum rules your registration will be sent to the administrator for approval. Post-approval you will be able to start posting to the site and participating in discussions. For more information pertaining to StorageChat.com and registration approval you may also visit the "Announcing Registration & Approval Process" tab on the home screen of StorageChat.com, or click here. 

About the Self Storage Association (SSA)
The Self Storage Association (SSA) is the premier national not-for-profit trade organization for the industry and the registered lobbying organization before the U.S. Congress and federal agencies. SSA is official voice of the $22 billion (revenues) self storage industry that currently numbers 46,500 self storage facilities nationwide. The SSA directly represents some 6,000 direct and indirect member companies that own and operate 22,000 self storage facilities throughout the United States. The SSA is affiliated with thirty (30) state and regional associations in the U.S. and with four (4) international associations representing Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, Latin America and South America. SSA members range from individual facility owner-operators to multiple-facility companies, to vendors, to large publicly traded firms and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).

The Association specializes in several areas of core competency: (1.) data, information & research; (2.) advocacy & lobbying; (3.) networking & meetings; (4.) communication & publications; (5.) executive education & employee training; and, (6.) management of state associations within the industry. The SSA conducts two national conferences & trade shows each year and many other educational programs, seminars, web casts, and workshops annually. It publishes the industry's largest circulation magazine, the monthly "SSA Globe."

SSA was founded in 1975 and is incorporated in the State of Virginia as a (501-c-6) not-for-profit corporation; headquarters offices are located in Alexandria, VA. For more information about the national Self Storage Association, please visit our Web site at www.selfstorage.org. 

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