ENTRIES are being sought for this year's Awards for Excellence, held as part of the Tees Valley Business Show.

The glittering event, at the Tall Trees Hotel in Yarm, on Thursday, October 25, will attract the cream of the Tees Valley's business men and women.

Among those already marking the date in their diaries are 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 The Northern Echo's Tees Valley In Business Magazine and Darlington Business Venture.

The evening's entertainment will include the presentation of Awards for Excellence to firms showing a strong performance during the previous year.

Among the top awards up for grabs will be The Northern Echo Lifetime of Achievement Award, which will be presented to a key business person in the Tees Valley.

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

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

To submit your nomination, explain why you think your nominee should win the award.

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

The Lifetime Achievement award will be presented by Peter Barron, editor of The Northern Echo.

Nominations should be sent to Jonathan Jones, Business Editor, The Northern Echo, PO Box 14, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF, or alternatively, email echobusinessded a "psychologist"