Voting opens for the 50 Hottest Companies in the Advanced Bioeconomy

Yes, it’s time for voting in the Hot 50. Who will be #1? 

In Florida, The Digest announced the official opening of voting for the 50 Hottest Companies in the Advanced Bioeconomy.

Voting Rules

Voting will be open to all registered subscribers of The Digest and invited selectors; this year, votes may also be cast via Social Voting, which includes both Facebook voting and Instagram Photo Voting. Register as a voter here.

This year, votes will be weighted as follows: 50% based on votes received from the invited Panel of Selectors; 25 percent based on votes received from registered subscribers of The Digest, and 25 percent based on Social Votes.

Brilliant Hot 50 Social Vote from Sweetwater Energy

Voting period

Voting will begin September 13th and continue through January 27th, 2017 at 5pm ET.

Invited International Selector balloting

Selectors will receive their official Hot 50 ballots from The Digest during the week of December 7th, 2015 and must return them via email no later than 5pm ET, Friday, January 27th, 2017.

Selectors may cast one ballot in each each ranking competition (Hot 40 and Hot 50).

Social Voting

This year, you may submit social votes in support of your candidate company, either via our Facebook page (text votes), or Instagram (photo votes). To post your vote, simply tag any post on your account with the phase #bdigest in any post on your own Facebook account. Or submit a photo tagged #DigestHot 50, #DigestHot 40 or #thehot50 on your Instagram account. Every qualifying submission will receive a Like!

Hot 40 Social Voting for 2016 is already underway, as this tasty entry from Sustainability Consult demonstrates.

Each social text vote will count as one note, and each Photo Vote will count as five votes.

The photo must be an original creative work — substantially made for the competition — and must contain the name of the company you are voting for and the words “Hot 50” or “Hot 40”. Repetitive photos (e.g. a photo of every employee in the company, holding a “Hot 50” sign), will not be counted.  The Digest retains the right to reject any photo on the grounds of lack of originality — e.g. repetitive photos for the same company, images that are from the public domain simply with a “Hot 40” or “Hot 50” inserted. Images from the public domain can be used if they are used as a springboard for an original creative effort representing an original idea.

Hot 50 Photo Votes will be accepted between September 13th 2015 and January 15th, 2016 at 5pm ET. Each Photo Vote will count as five votes.

Special bonus votes. 

The most original PhotoVotes of the Week will count for 250 votes — the Digest will determine the number of awards given each week, based on the flow and quality of submissions.

The Digest reserves the right to accept Social Votes on the grounds of voting fairness and taste — Each photo submitted will count five votes towards a company’s totals.

Write-in votes

All companies that registered for Hot 50 Rankings are included in the Official Ballot, but if there is a deserving company that did not register for the Official Ballot, voters are welcome to cast a write-in vote for that company.

Announcement of Hot 50 results at ABLC in Washington, DC – March 2017 and gala event.

Hot 50 rankings will be announced at ABLC in Washington DC on March 1, 2017 at 6pm ET, and we will honor the companies, their suppliers, industrial partners, investors and team at the annual Hot Party in Washington DC.

Voting criteria

Voters may judge for themselves what makes a company “hot”.

In our view, we believe that “hot” represents an ideal blend of visibility and credibility. Companies that are substantive but unknown may be credible, but they are not hot. Likewise, companies that are widely-known but hyped are visible, but not hot. Hot is not the same as “best” – nor is it the same as “popular” – and the Rankings are neither intended to be a popularity contest nor a quality rating system.

Prohibited voting practices

Voters may not attempt to spam the ballot box through deceptive practices, nor may competing companies organize spam balloting efforts. The Digest reserves the right to reflect any ballot it deems to be the product of a spamming campaign — or to cancel all ballots from that voter, or remove a company from the competition — and such a determination will be made in the Digest’s sole discretion, and its decision is final.

Prohibited voting practices include but are not limited to: creating multiple digital accounts in order to submit multiple ballots; using faked or borrowed digital accounts to submit multiple ballots in violation of daily ballot restrictions; or encouraging potential voters to create, borrow to otherwise use multiple digital accounts in order to submit multiple ballots. In general, any practice designed to prevent a fair ballot is prohibited, and may result in the suspension of a company from the Rankings or the cancellation of any and all ballots which the Digest, in its sole discretion, deems to be tainted.

Permitted voting practices

Companies or individuals may exhort colleagues, friends or the general public to vote for a deserving company – campaigning for a ranking is not prohibited so long as the voting itself is fair and ethical. Voters are permitted to vote for companies they are personally, directly or indirectly, affiliated with.