TIME is running out to nominate people for the Lifetime of Achievement Award, at this year's Tees Valley Business Show.

The event, which is to be held at the Tall Trees Hotel, in Yarm, on October 25, will attract the cream of Tees Valley business talent, eager to find out the winner of this year's Northern Echo Lifetime of Achievement Award, which is to be presented by the newspaper's editor, Peter Barron.

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

The main sponsors of the function are Dickinson Dees, while other sponsors include regional development agency One NorthEast, Century Radio, Keith Robinson and Co, Tilly Bailey and Irvine, Nattrass and Northumbria University.

Principal speakers are Christopher Garnett, chief executive of GNER, and ntl marketing development manager Jerry Roest.

The ceremony will also feature BBC Cleveland's Alan Wright, as after-dinner speaker.

To put someone forward for the achievement award, proposers need to explain why their nominee should win the title.

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

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

He is now one the area's top business figures, having created a further four businesses, employing more than 2,000 people.

Nominations should be sent to Jonathan Jones, Business Editor, The Northern Echo, Po Box 14, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF. Alternatively, e-mail echobusinesss, programme adverts and the raffle,