THIS year's Tees Valley Business Show promises to be the best yet.

The glittering event takes place at the Tall Trees Hotel, in Yarm, on October 25.

It will attract the cream of the Tees Valley's business crop, eager to find out who has won this year's Northern Echo Lifetime of Achievement Award.

Among those already marking the date in their diaries are the principal speakers, GNER chief executive Christopher Garnett and ntl marketing development manager Jerry Roest. The ceremony will also feature Radio Cleveland's Alan Wright as after-dinner speaker.

The event is being jointly organised by The Northern Echo's Tees Valley In Business Magazine and Darlington Business Venture.

Northern Echo editor Peter Barron will present the Lifetime of Achievement Award, which will go to a key business person.

Last year's winner was Les Bell, who originally set up Teesside Dairies with a £1,000 loan from his father in 1957.

He has since gone on to create four businesses, employing more than 2,000 people, and is now one of the area's top business figures.

To submit your nomination for the Lifetime of Achievement Award, simply explain why your nominee should win the title.

It could be someone who has worked hard to make a business successful, or someone with the talent and vision to make things happen.

* Nominations should be sent in writing to Jonathan Jones, Business, Editor, The Northern Echo, PO Box 14, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF. Alternatively, nominations can be emailed to echobusiness@nne.co.uk