Ready, set, Rise:SSA’s path to event autonomy
About SSA
The Self Storage Association (SSA) is the official trade organization representing the self-storage industry across the United States and internationally. With a mission to promote high standards, provide education, and advocate on behalf of storage professionals, SSA supports thousands of facility owners, operators, and vendors. Through its events, research, and leadership, SSA helps advance a vital industry serving both consumers and businesses across the country.
Key takeaway
SSA enhanced its event operations using Showcare’s Rise registration platform, building on a partnership that began with its national events in 2009.
With Rise, SSA benefits from:
- Plug-and-play onsite technology that simplifies setup
- Detailed reports for greater visibility into event performance
- Trusted support that empowers SSA to maintain full autonomy once Showcare sets up the registration experience
Rise by Showcare is purpose-built for associations, designed to:
- Support complex event programs and multiple registration types
- Enable lean internal teams to stay in control without added complexity
Objectives
Simplified setup, smarter execution
With Rise by Showcare, SSA transitioned the majority of its state events into one centralized platform. The SSA team now has a central hub to view registration records, apply updates, and manage key logistics. While each event maintains its own front-end experience for attendees, the admin process behind the scenes is familiar and repeatable.
This has created consistency across events and more confidence in execution.
Event autonomy, powered by Showcare
SSA has long taken ownership of running its state events. With Rise by Showcare, that autonomy is now supported by a stronger foundation. After Showcare implements the registration flow, SSA steps in to finalize event details, manage registrants, and fully run check-in onsite. Showcare ships all the necessary badge printing equipment to each event, ready to go out of the box. SSA simply unpacks, plugs in, and gets to work, managing check-in, payments, and badge printing with ease.
Quick fixes
Whether it’s a last-minute substitution or a simple name edit, Rise makes it easy for SSA to keep things moving. Staff can:
- Update attendee records onsite
- Print new or corrected badges immediately
- Maintain a smooth check-in experience
Onsite payments
If someone arrives with an incomplete registration or needs to purchase an add-on, SSA staff can:
- Add or modify products in Rise
- Accept payment on the spot
- Instantly trigger badge printing
These tools help SSA turn registration desks into fully functional, flexible service stations.
Reporting that delivers
SSA relies on a mix of built-in reports and extended analytics to keep events running smoothly and stakeholders informed. Core registration reports are available directly in Rise, while additional analytics like the Event Health Report are accessible through Showcare’s reporting portal.
Event Health Report:
- Provides a quick snapshot of total revenue, registration numbers, and attendee origin data. This helps SSA understand where attendees are coming from so they can better tailor future marketing, adjust regional outreach, and ensure each audience aligns with the intended state event.
Standard Registration Reports:
- Delivers a clear breakdown of attendees by type and are easy for SSA to pull and share. These reports are distributed weekly to exhibitors and sponsors, keeping them informed and engaged in the lead-up to each event.
Incomplete Registration Reports:
- Flags partially completed registrations, giving SSA the opportunity to follow up directly with prospective attendees and encourage them to complete the process.
Sales Reports:
- Used regularly by SSA’s accounting team to track revenue across events and ensure accurate financial reconciliation.
All reports are easy to access, simple to share, and built for teams to use at scale.
Self Storage Association
Key outcomes
Smarter insights, future potential
While SSA’s current focus is on streamlined execution, Rise by Showcare offers a growing opportunity to uncover attendee behavior and optimize registration flows. The platform includes built-in behavioral data that can surface insights such as:
- Where registrants drop off in the form
- What links get clicked most frequently
- How users navigate through the registration experience
While SSA is evolving its data strategy, Rise sets the stage for continuous optimization.
At Showcare, SSA is more than just a client. They’re a long-standing partner. Whether SSA needs real-time troubleshooting or onsite support for their national events, Showcare adapts to meet their needs. The relationship is built on trust, continuity, and a shared commitment to delivering high-quality experiences.
Looking ahead
SSA has always been intentional about how they run events: smart, efficient, and on their terms.
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With Rise by Showcare, they now have:
- Infrastructure to support their approach across more meetings
- Showcare-managed registration platforms for a consistent behind-the-scenes experience
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Coming soon:
- Transitioning their large National event from Showcare’s legacy system to Rise
- Streamlining their entire event portfolio within a single, modern platform
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Rise offers SSA:
- A flexible path forward that supports growth without sacrificing control
- The tools, support, and confidence to scale on their terms
Rise didn’t reinvent SSA’s philosophy. It gave them a better platform to bring it to life.
Conclusion
SSA’s transition to Rise delivered more than smoother check-ins; it gave them the infrastructure to run events with greater efficiency, consistency, and confidence. By consolidating fragmented systems into one platform, SSA improved completion rates, standardized workflows, and reduced onsite friction so much so that they now require one less staff member for onsite event support.
Their events benefit from a familiar process, powerful reporting, and real-time flexibility, proving that autonomy and measurable growth can go hand in hand.
Take the stress out of registration and put the focus back on your attendees.
