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Sebastian Coe to speak at SoE gala dinner

Double Olympic gold medallist and chairman of London 2012 Sebastian Coe, is to be the main after dinner speaker at the gala dinner during the Society of Editors’ conference in Glasgow in November.

The leader of the bid to bring the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to the UK, who now chairs the London Organising Committee, will address editors and guests at the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery on November 6.

Hosted by the Lord Provost of Glasgow, councillor Liz Cameron, the dinner will be attended by more than 400 guests.

SoE president Charles McGhee said: “We are delighted that such an inspirational figure as Seb Coe will speak at the dinner against the backdrop of Kelvingrove.

“His achievements on the track are legendary and he has given the nation so much to look forward to in 2012.”

The gala dinner is one of the set pieces of the society’s annual conference. Other main events in this year’s programme include the Society of Editor’s Lecture to be delivered by publisher and broadcaster Andrew Neil on the evening of November 5.

BBC director general Mark Thompson will deliver a keynote speech on November 6, at a time when the BBC is under close scrutiny by the rest of the media over its future plans, particularly with regard to new media developments, the move to Manchester and development of local news programmes.

Other speakers already confirmed include Alan Rusbridger of the Guardian; Roger Alton of the Observer; former Today programme editor Kevin Marsh; and Liz Page, formerly of the Evening Press, York, and now with Archant Life in the North-West.

Gordon Mack, digital media editor of The Herald; Lancashire Evening Post editor Simon Reynolds; media commentator Ray Snoddy; and Hull Daily Mail editor John Meehan will also speak.