NORTH-East regional radio station Century FM has joined the list of sponsors of this year's Tees Valley Business Show.

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

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

Century Radio is joining a list of sponsors, including main sponsors Dickinson Dees, and regional development agency One NorthEast.

Other sponsors include Keith Robinson & Co, Tilly Bailey and Irvine, Nattrass, and Northumbria University. Principal speakers at the event 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 nominate a person 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 vision and talent to make things happen.

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

He is now one of 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, nominations can be emailed to echobusiness@nen.co.uk