New Tech in Self Storage! E-commerce, Mobile Apps, Smart Access, Remote Monitoring, Robotics - What are the latest trends in the self storage industry and how can we apply then in our businesses in Asia?

Think high tech software and management is only for the big companies? OK, Boomer...

THINK AGAIN!! Millennials and Gen Z self storage users aren't going to be impressed with your low-tech approach. They are tech savvy and they want everything NOW - including their storage.

We are inviting industry experts, business leaders from outside storage and industry pioneers to speak at our 2-days Tech Conference 2021 following by an online networking opportunity to meet your industry peers. Book today before you fall behind your customers and competitors!

SCROLL TO THE END OF THE PAGE TO LOG IN AND GET THE PRESENTATIONS

Agenda

Day 1

15:00 Welcoming

15:05 AI & Robotics for Self Storage

Martin Lai, Director, Technology Development, LSCM

Self-storage demand is continuously high in Hong Kong and offerings of different sizes are available from many small and large operators. Due to recent changes in fire safety related regulation, many self-storage service providers struggle to meet new requirements while providing enough usable storage volume for their customers. In 2020, LSCM R&D Centre worked with a local self-storage service provider to implement an automated self-storage solution using AGV (autonomous guided vehicle). In this solution, customer items are stored in moveable storage cabinets which can be moved by the AGVs autonomously. With it, the storage and accessing areas are separated, to comply with safety regulations. The storage cabinets are put in the storage area of the floor in a dense configuration, where no humans are allowed in except for occasional maintenance. In this sharing session, Mr. Martin Lai will present the design of this AGV based self-storage system.  

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. In this system, automatic vehicles (AGV) are used to transport cabinets inside the venue

2. Main cabinet storage area is at the back of the venue, which is a “no man zone” during operation.

3. Customer access their own cabinets through access bays, with automatic doors

4. System runs 24hr per day

5. Mobile app to pre-book cabinet access improves user experience

6. Full software system available to monitor and administrate the AGVs

7. The system can detect and refuse overweight cabinets

15:35 Automation and Contactless Self Storage with case studies & ROI

Jack Perrins, General Manager, Steel Storage

Ben Parsad, Smart Access Systems Manager, Steel Storage

16:15 Consumer Transformations in health, travel, retail and commercial

Chris Farquhar, Managing Partner, Cimigo Ltd

Chris Farquhar brings his extensive research background and recent research efforts to examine recent changes in consumer behaviour, and particularly during the COVID era. This will include evolving attitudes and consumer behaviour offline and online amongst Gen Z (twenty-somethings) and Millennials (now in their mid-late twenties and up to 40 years old) and other generations. Consumer preferences and priorities are changing and Chris has the intel and insight to make sense of it. His firm, Cimigo, works with companies in retail, telecoms, travel and tourism, financial services, consumer goods and more to bring a comprehensive view of the market. Presentation plus live Q&A for participants.

16:45 Crypto RMB: Finance Innovation or New Tool for Control?

Andrew Work, Executive Directors, Self Storage Association Asia; Former Managing Director, Head of Media, Asia and Europe, NexChange

You know him as your friendly neighbourhood SSAA Executive Director. But by night, Andrew Work is a leading expert on China's forthcoming Central Bank Digital Currency (aka DC/EP) to be issued by the People's Bank of China. He is the author of a comprehensive report published in May 2020 and consults with major banks and financial institutions on this issue and has presented on it to The British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and The American Chamber of Commerce of Japan among others.

Starting in China, Hong Kong and Macau, the introduction of this new currency is going to be a transformational moment for money akin to the introduction of paper money, fractional banking and the abandonment of the gold standard. It doesn't have much to do with self storage specifically but will transform businesses first in China and then in neighbouring countries. While the rest of the world is years behind, the success of this new form of money will likely be imitated globally.

And since this is the Tech Workshop, we thought, 'Why not share with the SSAA community'. And it is SUPER INTERESTING.

Day 2

15:00 Welcoming

15:05 Everything you need to know about the launch, growth, and development of small e-commerce businesses

Plato Wai, General Manager, SHOPLINE

Plato Wai, General Manager of one of Asia's biggest e-commerce platform enabling retail entrepreneurs, has a unique view into how small and medium businesses run their ecommerce businesses, and the logistics challenges that they are facing in their daily operations. Understanding how these retail businesses operate and grow can enable self storage operators to conceive of how to attract customers in this growing segment.

15:35 How to Create an Unique Customer Journey for your Customers

Miles Davison, Co-founder, Storeganise

User Experience, or UX for short, is a marketing buzz word that’s coming up a lot recently. Everyone is keen to give their users the best experience: Happy customers are returning customers. Miles Davison from Storeganise is going to share best practice on creating your unique customer journey, something that would differentiate you from your competitors.

16:05 Payment Systems Trends and Costs Across Asia

Ajmal Samuel, Founding Chairman, OCTO3 Group Holdings Limited

Ajmal Samuel is the owner of multiple payment systems companies aimed at facilitating cross-border trade, consolidating payment platforms for easy use and reducing payment costs at point of sale (POS) and in online environments.

 He will speak to the SSAA and answer your questions about payment systems. He has a deep understanding of the technical and business side of payments and will speak frankly about the barriers to better payment systems and intermediaries driving high costs for merchants.  He is a friend to the SSAA and was a keynote speaker at our Expo in Shanghai.

 If the cost and complexity of managing your payment partners is an issue, this is a must-see, interactive session!

16:35 Internet-of-Things (IoT) - What are the benefits to connect your facilities to mobile apps and more

Mastan Vali Shaik, Co-Founder & Product Owner, 6Storage

We have experienced tough pandemic climate. None of the government and corporates were planned for disaster recovery for COVID 19. For more than a year, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced storage operators of all sizes to adapt to the “New Normal” like by onboarding new solution through technology for Online bookings and Move Out/Check out. Inevitably, these moves will change the way customer experience and expectations in terms of security and usability. Mastan will share his experience of understanding from 40+ countries storage operators, how the business needs evolved and solved them through new tools and techniques, including:

1. Mobile App instead of Physical Keypads

2. Seamless Booking app (instead of calling and checking)

3. Local language integrations

4. Manless fully automated Self Storage facilities and more

17:00 Online Networking via Wonder.com (Bring your own drinks!)

17:30 Event End

About the speakers

GOLD SPONSOR

SPECIAL SPONSOR

SILVER SPONSOR