Future 50 Awards

Frequently Asked Questions - Future 50 Awards

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• What is the nomination process?

  The Future 50 Awards program begins in mid-April with the call for nominations. This call for nominations is open to the public; a company does not have to be a member of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce in order to nominate itself or be nominated.
  This award is designed to identify the 50 fastest-growing privately held companies in the Nashville area. All information given is confidential and will be used solely to determine the Future 50 winners. All applications will be reviewed and tabulated by KraftCPAs, the official accounting firm of the Future 50. The application takes approximately 20-30 minutes to complete. Companies are encouraged to self-nominate. There are no fees associated with the nomination form.
  

• How do I know if I qualify for this award?

  In order to qualify for the Future 50, your company must meet the following criteria:
  • Privately owned (not publicly traded, or a subsidiary of a publicly traded company);
  • Headquartered in Middle Tennessee;
  • Have at least 10 employees or an annual revenue of at least $500,000; and
  • Anticipate revenue and employment growth of 10 percent or more per year for the next three years.
  

• What are the benefits of being named to the Future 50?

  Being named to the Future 50 has many benefits, including:
  • Recognition in the community as one of Middle Tennessee's fastest-growing companies;
  • Exposure and publicity for your company;
  • Listing in the Future 50 special section, to be published in The Tennessean; and
  • Being honored at the Future 50 Awards dinner in September.
  

• How will I know if you received our application form?

  Receipt of your application will be confirmed via email to the designated contact person listed under application question number 14. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION FROM THE NASHVILLE CHAMBER VIA E-MAIL WITHIN THREE BUSINESS DAYS, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR FORM AND CANNOT CONSIDER IT FOR THE 2010 AWARDS. Please contact Marissa Benchea at 615-743-3114 if you do not receive confirmation of your application.

• Can I modify my application after I submit it?

  No. Once you submit your Future 50 application, it will be considered complete. You will not have the opportunity to make any changes, corrections or additions.

• Do I have to have someone outside my company nominate us?

  No. This is a self-nominating process. Leaders are encouraged to nominate their companies.

• Do you have to be a member of the Nashville Chamber in order to nominate your company or win an award?

  No. You do not have to be a member of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce in order to nominate your company or to win.

• I have nominated my company in the past and have not won. Is there a limit to the number of times I can nominate my company?

  No. There is no limit to the number of times you can nominate your company, provided you are not a five-time Hall of Fame winner.

• I have nominated my company before. I know we meet the criteria and our numbers are strong. Why hasn't our company been named a winner?

  Each application form is assigned a total score based on answers to the questions on the form. All scoring is objective in nature. Your company's ability to win is based on the numbers you provide. However, other companies may score higher. Therefore, your ability to win is also affected by the performance of other companies in any given year.
  

• I don't want the world to know our numbers. Do you release revenue numbers to the public?

  No. Answers are confidential and are only seen by KraftCPAs (the official accounting firm of the 2010 Future 50) and the Chamber's Future 50 program manager. Should your company be named to the Future 50, you will have the option to sign a waiver and to release those numbers to The Tennessean.
  

• How will I know if our company has been named a Future 50 winner?

  All nominees will be notified via e-mail from a Chamber representative by the first week of July.
  

• My company was a Future 50 winner in 2002, 2003 and 2008. We would like to make it into the Future 50 Hall of Fame (reserved for five-time Future 50 winners). Do we have to win in back-to-back years?

   No. A company does not have to win the award five times consecutively to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.