The final account

Never say QS and project managers are not keeping up with developments in technology. Our friends at Cyril Sweett tell us they have started holding meetings of UK regional offices via a new video conferencing system. And the firm has also handed out hundreds of its very own USB memory sticks to clients over the holiday period, as has multi-disciplinary outfit Mace. Next week: the RICS' Louis Armstrong starts a blog and Davis Langdon launches a podcast.

Quids in

Such is the urgent need for staff these days we hear one big property agent, which has a significant project management division, is now offering staff the chance to double up as recruitment consultants in their spare time. The firm is not just offering a finder's fee of a few hundred quid if staffers recommend new recruits - upwards of £10k is up for grabs if they find a director, down to £5-6k for project managers/surveyors. Nice work if you can get it.

Knowles' interlude

More updates from the diary we love to read, that of Roger Knowles. The great man has been in the news of late given he's put his stake in the firm up for sale, but that didn't stop him from penning his latest missive for last month. Given his impending retirement, Knowles took a brief look back at his career, putting his success down to "boundless enthusiasm and energy plus a talent for selecting the right people and getting them motivated". His third career awaits him, adds Roger, "but as yet I haven't decided for certain". But rest assured, Roger promised not to take a long rest but to get back in the fray asap.

RICS Vets' victory

Essential news you may have missed over the holiday period - the annual Christmas RICS vs RICS Vets football game at Roehampton, south London. It turned out to be a close fought thriller won by the Vets 4-2. The RICS team included 60-year-old president Steve Williams - heaven knows what the average age of the Vets was. One hopes medical attention was close to hand during the match.

Dubai's latest move

Lastly we go to Dubai - land of snow in the desert and the underwater hotel. This is a place where theme is everything, from the "ancient Egyptian" shopping mall to those artificial islands that look like humungous date palms.

With each theme more surprising than the last, we thought nothing could shock us anymore. But the latest one has raised even our cynical eyebrows.

The theme? Chess. Yes, International

Chess City will comprise 32 separate facilities, each one shaped like - you guessed it - a chess piece.

The project is a £1.4bn, 64,000 m2 mixed-use development, which the developer - the president of the Russian republic of Kalmykia no less - expects to host some 60 million people a year.