The Highlands and Islands Press Ball was revived by John Ross in 1989 after a period in abeyance. A previous event had been running for many years in Inverness, but its latest incarnation extended the event to include the Northern and Western Isles, Argyll and Moray as well as the Highland mainland. In 1991 the event incorporated the Highlands and Islands Media Awards. The Highlands and Islands Press Ball and Media Awards (HIPBMA) continues to be the only event which brings so many of the region's media together under the one roof because of the scattered nature of the area.Now in its 31st year, the event brings together colleagues from Shetland, Orkney, the Outer Hebrides, Caithness, Sutherland, Ross-shire, Inverness, Nairn, Moray, Strathspey, Lochaber, Argyll and Skye, as well as from Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh and beyond.