FAQ- TOBY AWARDS
What are the TOBY® Awards?
The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY®) Awards are the annual recognition of outstanding buildings in the local, regional and international arena. They are the "Oscars" of the commercial real estate industry. BOMA Boston is the host of the local TOBYs for Massachusetts (primarily Greater Boston), New Hampshire and Rhode Island. BOMA Boston is one of the largest local chapter participants in the TOBYs out of BOMA International's 91 national affiliates. There are 17 categories that buildings can compete in. More information can be seen in the TOBY Call for Entries.
Who is Eligible for a TOBY Award?
All commercial office and industrial buildings qualify for a TOBY Award if you meet the eligibility requirements as laid out by BOMA International’s TOBY Committee. For a complete list of guidelines and rules, please review the TOBY Call for Entries.
When is the deadline to submit an entry? Are there any extensions?
The deadline is Wednesday, September 8th, 2021 by 11:59pm. There are no extensions, no exceptions.
I’ve never submitted for the TOBY Awards before – do you have any programs or tutorials that could help me?
BOMA Boston hosts 1-2 TOBY tutorials each year to help members prepare. Our first tutorial of 2021 is April 27th, from 10:30am-11:30am via Zoom. You can register & learn more by clicking here.
You may set up a meeting with BOMA Staff to go over the requirements and makings of a strong TOBY submission. Meetings are either held at your building or the BOMA office. We are here to help you and encourage you to submit the best entry you can! Please email Kayla Burmeister at kburmeister@gbreb.com or call 617-399-7863 to schedule an appointment.
Can you show me a past TOBY entry so I can see what it looks like?
Unfortunately, TOBY entries are confidential and we can't share that information at this time. However, if you'd like to see past judging comments for your building, we can share those to help you prepare your submittal. Also check with your company as they may have an internal catalog of previous submittals.
What does a local TOBY entry consist of?
How do I get Started with my Submission? What are some helpful tips and things to consider?
How do I prepare for the TOBY Building Tour in my building? How does that work?
What are the fees for entering at the local level?
Who else has submitted? Who else is nominated? Who’s my competition?
My building is a past winner - do you have a marketing tool I can use to promote this?
I would like to feature/cover the TOBY & Industry Awards in my news publication. How do I get information?
For any other questions and additional assistance with the 2021 BOMA Boston TOBY and Industry Awards, please contact Kayla Burmeister, Assistant Director of Membership & Events at 617-399-7863 or kburmeister@gbreb.com.
What are the TOBY® Awards?
The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY®) Awards are the annual recognition of outstanding buildings in the local, regional and international arena. They are the "Oscars" of the commercial real estate industry. BOMA Boston is the host of the local TOBYs for Massachusetts (primarily Greater Boston), New Hampshire and Rhode Island. BOMA Boston is one of the largest local chapter participants in the TOBYs out of BOMA International's 91 national affiliates. There are 17 categories that buildings can compete in. More information can be seen in the TOBY Call for Entries.
Who is Eligible for a TOBY Award?
All commercial office and industrial buildings qualify for a TOBY Award if you meet the eligibility requirements as laid out by BOMA International’s TOBY Committee. For a complete list of guidelines and rules, please review the TOBY Call for Entries.
When is the deadline to submit an entry? Are there any extensions?
The deadline is Wednesday, September 8th, 2021 by 11:59pm. There are no extensions, no exceptions.
I’ve never submitted for the TOBY Awards before – do you have any programs or tutorials that could help me?
BOMA Boston hosts 1-2 TOBY tutorials each year to help members prepare. Our first tutorial of 2021 is April 27th, from 10:30am-11:30am via Zoom. You can register & learn more by clicking here.
You may set up a meeting with BOMA Staff to go over the requirements and makings of a strong TOBY submission. Meetings are either held at your building or the BOMA office. We are here to help you and encourage you to submit the best entry you can! Please email Kayla Burmeister at kburmeister@gbreb.com or call 617-399-7863 to schedule an appointment.
Can you show me a past TOBY entry so I can see what it looks like?
Unfortunately, TOBY entries are confidential and we can't share that information at this time. However, if you'd like to see past judging comments for your building, we can share those to help you prepare your submittal. Also check with your company as they may have an internal catalog of previous submittals.
What does a local TOBY entry consist of?
- There are 3 parts to entering your building:
- Notifying BOMA Boston that you are participating
- Your online TOBY Submission on the BOMA International website (final submittal due September 8)
- Building Tour
How do I get Started with my Submission? What are some helpful tips and things to consider?
- Thoroughly review the Call for Entries and its components to determine the information needed for your category and submission.
- Involve the necessary folks in your office to gather information – set deadlines for information requested.
- We encourage you to prepare your information in a word document, paying attention to the information requested, word count, where attachments are requested. You can also work on your entry in the online portal and save as you go, but we recommend starting with a word documentation so you can back up your information and keep track of character counts.
- Review! Review! Review!! Have as many eyes as possible review your prepared word document to make sure you are telling the story of your building and management team while providing all necessary information. Double check for any typos or grammar issues.
- Tip: You may want to ask someone in a marketing role to assist with the description of your building.
- Once your word document is FINALIZED you can begin entering your information in to the International TOBY Portal. BOMA Boston will send you an email once the International Portal is open.
- Please use BOMA Boston as a resource for your submission process! We have a staff member dedicated to the TOBY process and assisting with all entrants to make sure you 100% understand the process and are 100% supported. Please contact Kayla Burmeister with any questions at any time.
How do I prepare for the TOBY Building Tour in my building? How does that work?
- Once we receive your submission, we send you an email detailing the TOBY Tour process in more detail. You will be introduced to a Team Leader for your Judging Group, who will be your point person for the judging process and building tour. Your Team Leader will reach out to you to coordinate a site visit in late September/early October. You will receive this email no later than September 10 from BOMA Boston detailing the next steps. Your submission on the online database are the first steps to finish in the TOBY Entry process.
What are the fees for entering at the local level?
- $150 made payable to BOMA Boston to compete at the local level. You will also need to pay $50 to BOMA International directly to use the online portal; you will do this when you register to submit your building online.
Who else has submitted? Who else is nominated? Who’s my competition?
- Unfortunately we do not share this information at this time – the TOBYs are a surprise, and winners will be announced at the BOMA Boston TOBY and Industry Awards Dinner in November 2021. All of the winners will be included in a special supplement of a local trade publication that will be distributed after the event, and will also be included in weekly print edition of the local trade publication.
My building is a past winner - do you have a marketing tool I can use to promote this?
- Yes! BOMA Boston is in the process of creating marketing tools for buildings to better promote their past TOBY wins, including building decals. Please email Kayla Burmeister for more details.
I would like to feature/cover the TOBY & Industry Awards in my news publication. How do I get information?
- Please contact Adrienne Maley, Executive Director, for all press inquires & press releases.
For any other questions and additional assistance with the 2021 BOMA Boston TOBY and Industry Awards, please contact Kayla Burmeister, Assistant Director of Membership & Events at 617-399-7863 or kburmeister@gbreb.com.