Be sure to join us for our 2017 Day at the Races being held on Friday, August 11 at Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights. Attendees will enjoy networking, live horse racing, food, prizes, contests, and more. This is BOMA's hottest summer event - you don't want to miss it!

Admission to the Day at the Races includes seating in the International Room, a daily racing guide, Windy City Favorites Menu, classic beverage services, and entry for the Feature Prize worth $500. Attendees can also participate for a chance to win the Second Chance Sweepstakes, items in the Ticket Auction, the Annual Hat Contest, and the Centerpiece Raffle. 

Prizes include:

• Two Feature Prizes - $500 each ~ courtesy of Professional Paving & Concrete Co., Inc.
• Centerpieces  ~ courtesy of Mimosa Interior Landscape and Schaumburg Corporate Center managed by GlenStar Asset Management, LLC
• Second Chance Sweepstakes
• Ticket Auction benefiting CASA of DuPage
• Annual Hat Contest: Dapper Dan, Derby Diva, and Most Creative categories

View the Events Calendar for more information. 

REGISTER NOW! 

At our upcoming July Members Lunch, a representative from our 2017 Charity, CASA of DuPage, will be in attendance. We will also be collecting donations for CASA at the event. 

If you would like to make a donation, please note some items that could be of use: 

• Gift cards in increments of $10 or $20 to retailers that would be appropriate as gifts for teenage children on their birthdays or holidays (Target, Walgreens, Starbucks, movie gift cards, etc.)
• Gift cards for gas stations (these are helpful for the volunteers for driving to visit the children)
• Children's books (these are great for children to read when sitting in courtrooms)
• Monetary contributions (checks can be made out to CASA of DuPage County)
  

Date: Friday, August 11
Time: 2:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Location: Arlington International Racecourse
Address: 2200 W Euclid Ave, Arlington Heights, 60005

Sponsorship Opportunities:
Gain recognition with other BOMA members and contribute to our hottest networking event of the summer. Sponsorships to the Day at the Races include:

• Company name and logo displayed on TV screens during event
  
• Company name in Weekly Connections every week - the sooner you sign up, the more exposure you get!
  
• Company name on signage displayed at the event
  
• Company name listed in the program book
  
• Verbal recognition during the event
  
• Company name in FOCUS Newsletter
  
• Participation points counting toward your annual membership dues
  

Opportunities to become an event sponsor are still available.

Sign up to sponsor the Day at the Races today!

Contact Linda Hallberg with any questions about sponsorships.

A special thank you to the generous members who have already stepped up to sponsor the 2017 Day at the Races!

Event Sponsors:
PowerForward DuPage
Security Partners International, Inc.
Tovar Snow Professionals
Victor Construction Co., Inc.

Voucher Sponsor:
M&J Asphalt Paving Co., Inc.

Bar Glass Sponsors:
Everest Snow Management, Inc.
Mac's Property Management Services
RAPCO Asphalt Maintenance
Tovar Snow Professionals

Napkin Sponsor:
NIR Roof Care, Inc.

Feature Prize:
Professional Paving & Concrete Co., Inc.

BOMA/Suburban Chicago was recently named the 2016 All Star Award Winner by Constant Contact, our online tool for sending electronic communications to our members, including Weekly Connections, BAM, and event invitations. This annual designation is something that only 10% of Constant Contact customers receive for their excellence in building customer relationships - meaning we couldn't have done it without you; our awesome members!  Thanks for being so engaged and making BOMA a priority.  

Criteria used to select this year’s All Stars included the following during 2016:

• Level of engagement with email campaigns
  
• Open, bounce, and click-through rates
  
• Use of social sharing features
  
• Use of mailing list sign-up tools
  
• Use of reporting tools
  

The Awards Committee met earlier this week to review essay submissions for the 2017 BOMA International EXPO Full-Ride Giveaway. While each of the candidates were certainly deserving and would represent BOMA/Suburban Chicago well, the winning candidate displayed his zest and enthusiasm for learning while applying that excitement to the day-to-day management of his building. 

The winner of the Full-Ride Giveaway contest is Tom Noonan, Chief Engineer with Millbrook Properties. Tom will be going to Nashville in June! 

Start Planning for Your TOBY Application:  The TOBY Awards Program is cyclical and applications are not  currently being accepted yet for the 2018 TOBY Awards, but that doesn't mean you and your team can't get started today.  To get a head start on planning for your submission, take a look at the TOBY Awards At-a-Glance Planning Outline. This document lists the different categories in which you can best showcase your building, outlines the requirements needed for eligibility, and highlights the documents and materials you can start compiling today to get ready for your submission.  Ready to Make a Commitment: Once you've taken a look at the planning outline and have determined that you are on board to apply for the 2018 TOBY Awards, you can complete the Entry Intent Form and return it to Heather Woods to ensure we can prepare you for the upcoming submissions.  Got Questions? Learn from our Experts:  Whether you are undecided about entering for the 2018 TOBY Awards, or even if you know for sure that you'll be entering your property, you don't want to miss the 2018 TOBY Awards Q&A Workshop, which will take place on Tuesday, July 18 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. This workshop will be held at the BOMA Office in Schaumburg at 1515 E. Woodfield Rd., Suite 110, and will be facilitated by the Awards Committee members, past judges, and former entrants. You'll learn valuable information about what is required on the TOBY Application and how to stand out from the competition! All Regular member building representatives and management teams are welcome. Register today.   Contact Heather Woods with any questions about the TOBY Awards Program.

You are ready to apply for TOBY if you... have an Emergency Preparedness Manual have Energy Star® certification offer tenant events in your building hold blood drives or other charitable drives on your property have a building automation system in place Many people think applying for the TOBY is too tedious, but the reality is, you're already doing what is required to win. If you start compiling your documentation early, you will already be ahead of the competition. So, get started today!

NEW AND IMPROVED! 

Our website has received a complete makeover and you will benefit from the improvements we've made! Not only will users enjoy a new look and a more user-friendly experience, but members who log in will be able to access resources and content exclusively just for them. 

Among some of the new features you'll be able to utilize:

• A searchable membership directory
• A member communications library, including past issues of Weekly Connections, BAM, FOCUS Newsletter, and The Commercial Voice Magazine
• An events and education calendar
• Event photos
• Featured news items and announcements
• And more! 

MEMBERS-ONLY PASSWORDS

Member representatives will be receiving a personalized, automated email on Monday, May 1 with their passwords to access the members-only portion of the website. Once logged into the website, users can change their passwords to something they can easily remember. 

If at any time a user forgets their password, it can simply be reset through the website by selecting Forgot password on the login screen and following the instructions. BOMA staff can also reset user passwords, however, staff does not have access to passwords for security reasons. 

ADDED BENEFIT

This new website is sure to provide more value and enhance your overall membership experience. So, please take some time to get accustomed to the design. We think you're going to love the new look and features! If you have any questions or comments about the website, please contact Heather Woods.

Schaumburg, April 3, 2017… The North Central Region of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International recently announced the Regional level winners of The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) Award competition. BOMA/Suburban Chicago is proud to announce that two of their member buildings have won the Regional TOBY Award. 

Windy Point II has been named the 2017 Regional TOBY Award winner for the 250,000-499,999 Square Feet Category. Windy Point II, located in Schaumburg, IL, is managed and owned by Piedmont Office Realty Trust. 

Back row:
Juan Morales, Day Porter
Art Ramsay, Chief Building Engineer
David Badame, Building Engineer
Douglas Ahlgrim, Building Engineer
Christopher J. Schmitt, Property Manager
Wayne Tyler, Security Supervisor

Front Row:
Shivani Desai, Customer Service Coordinator
Cheryl Dobbins, Senior Property Manager

Arboretum Lakes has been named the 2017 Regional TOBY Award winner for the Suburban Office Park, Mid-Rise Category. Arboretum Lakes, located in Lisle, IL, is managed and owned by Millbrook Properties. 

Back row:
Rick Barnett, Director of Engineering
Javier Rosado, Building Engineer
Dan Ryan, General Manager
Tim Julian, Building Engineer
Keith Wilburn, Assistant Chief Engineer
Brian Bueschel, Building Engineer

Front Row:
Karen Boyd, Assistant General Manager
Jonathan Bernstein, Tenant Service Coordinator
Not pictured: Mary Rakowski, Property Administrator

The TOBY Awards is the most prestigious and comprehensive program of its kind in the commercial real estate industry, recognizing excellence in office buildings management and operations in specific categories of building size or type. To win the regional award, the office buildings first won at the local competition level.

Regional winners will now proceed to the International competition where winners will be announced live on June 27 at the TOBY reception and banquet at the BOMA International 2017 Conference and EXPO in Nashville, TN.

We have urgent information about proposed Senate Bill 9, currently being considered in the Illinois legislature.  

• This bill contains an amendment that would impose a 6.25% service tax on all landscaping, snow removal services, and potentially other contracted building services.
• This encompasses all types of landscaping services - tree care, lawn care, maintenance, design-build, and snow removal.
• The increased tax on landscaping companies will likely be passed along to property owners and managers.
• It is estimated that this bill could result in increased costs of 3-5 cents per square foot of a commercial building. 

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: BOMA/Suburban Chicago's Government Affairs Committee is actively working to oppose this legislation. As part of that effort, we are asking you to contact both your state senator and state representative and tell them you oppose the service tax on landscaping and snow removal services. If you do not know your state legislator, please look him/her up by zip code and address using the link below. 

CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR!

Below is a sample email text for your use...

Dear _____________,

I am a property owner/manager/facility manager of a commercial __________ building in the Chicago suburban area. Senate Bill 9 will be a huge detriment to my property's operating budget! I do not support this legislation and request that you vote against it.

Thank you,

________ (your name)

More information about Senate Bill 9

If passed, this Bill could affect many types of services, including repair, cleaning, painting, towing, and pest control services. Many of the services in the Bill are represented by BOMA Associate members and, of course, they are services needed by Regular members. The proposed tax on these services would greatly impact Regular members and Associate members alike. Read more about how Senate Bill 9 Impacts BOMA Members.