The second half of 2012 continued to be very busy and productive for the Southern Connecticut chapter. Our program committee organized several events that allowed our membership to visit alternative locations within our district. We took a tour of the Matrix facility in Danbury which included a review of workspace of the future that Boehringer Ingelheim built out at this location. This space allows employees to work virtually without the need to be assigned to any specific desk. The flexibility in the space is a system that many firms may want to consider in this new wireless work environment. This new configuration may dramatically change the amount of leased space tenants may need. There are many other firms located within the Matrix complex and it currently also houses a conference center and office suites that are used as a temporary office option. In addition, Matrix is looking to expand to include a hotel as part of this complex. Another one of our programs was a tour of the new Chelsea Piers location in Stamford. This complex includes an Olympic size swimming pool, ice hockey rink, full indoor soccer/volleyball fields and squash courts. It also includes a full kid friendly area with water park, rock climbing wall and trampoline area. The unique way that this space was transformed is really incredible and shows that thinking outside the box to achieve a certain goal is quite possible. The entire complex (once the Clairol headquarters) also houses NBC Sports and has revitalized this entire section of Stamford. Both these programs allowed our members to tour facilities which may be useful for professional as well as personal use in the future. Thank you to the program committee for bringing us these diverse tours.
Besides the informational programs, our major event was the TOBY Gala held at Giovanni's in early October. We were all very pleased with the amount of TOBY submissions we received this year and hope this is a trend that will continue. We had over 10 buildings submit for a TOBY award and after the judging was tallied we were able to present seven TOBY Awards of Excellence. We were glad to see some new companies submit for an award and encourage all members to submit their properties for an award. During the submittal process you really get an in depth view of your site. It allows you to see where you excel and where you may need improvement, always with tenant satisfaction at the top of the list. In addition, during this gala, presentations for Engineer, Allied, Corporation and Member of the Year were also presented. It was a wonderful event and I want to thank the TOBY committee for putting this event together.
While educational programs will always be our focus, we also made time for some social and networking events. In September, our annual fishing tournament was held with nine fishing boats participating. It was a great day out on Long Island Sound and I think everyone enjoyed the weather and the competition. We also had our annual holiday social at Dolce, where everyone was able to network and wish fellow Southern Connecticut BOMA members a happy holiday.
As we begin 2013, I cannot forget to thank our ever present sponsors. They are the key to our membership's success and I hope that we can count on all our 2012 sponsors to continue their sponsorship for 2013. I would ask that each of you consider becoming an annual sponsor for 2013 or even a sponsor for one of our monthly program events. It is a great way to advertise your business and have your name visible at each our events. If you wish to become a sponsor, do not hesitate to contact Sharon Moran and she will provide you with all of the options for sponsorships.
I would also like to thank our board of directors since without their support and continued interest in serving Southern Connecticut BOMA our organization would not be as successful as we are. I look forward to continuing to work with them as well as our new board members in 2013. Best wishes to all for a healthy, safe and successful 2013.
Debbie Korf, president of Southern Connecticut BOMA, is with Cartus, Danbury, Conn.