A highlight of the north business events season is coming back to Inverness after a two-year postponement due to the Covid pandemic.
Inverness Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has announced the return of its flagship Highland Business Dinner to be held in person in May.
The return of the occasion comes after the chamber successfully hosted a hybrid version of its Highland Business Awards in November, where almost 200 people attended.
ICC estimates the dinner, to be held at the Drumossie Hotel, will host over 300 of the region’s business leaders.
Paula Nicol, deputy chief executive and head of events at ICC, said: “Our recent Highland Business Awards have demonstrated that it is possible to create a really enjoyable event experience while following Covid-safe procedures.
“We look forward to welcoming businesses back to the Highland Business Dinner in May.”
The chamber also revealed award-winning journalist Clive Coleman will be the guest speaker.
For ten years from 2010 Coleman was the BBC’s legal correspondent covering major stories across the BBC news, a role for which he won multiple journalism awards.
The former barrister has also turned his hand to writing for film, radio, television and theatre.
Coleman co-wrote with Richard Bean The Duke, starring Dame Helen Mirren and Jim Broadbent, about the 1961 theft of Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery.
Following its world premiere at the 2020 Venice Film Festival it received five star reviews and is due for release in the UK on 25th February.
In the theatre, Coleman and Bean joined forces again to co-write Young Marx, directed by Nicholas Hytner, which opened at London’s Bridge Theatre in 2017.
His TV credits include comedy programmes such as Dead Ringers for BBC and Spitting Image for ITV.
Coleman won the inaugural Frank Muir award in 1998 for outstanding comedy writing, alongside co-winner Tony Roche.
Ms Nicol said: “As one of the UK’s top comedy writers, Clive’s combination of analytical, broadcasting and writing skills have cemented his reputation as a renowned after dinner speaker where the focus is always sharp, intelligent and witty.”
The 2022 event will be supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) as a principal sponsor.
Tickets for the dinner cost £115 + VAT per person and may be booked individually or for tables of ten.
Priority for bookings will be given to member organisations of ICC, it said.